Almost every demolition and gut renovation we quote in New York City and on Long Island runs into
the same gate: a licensed asbestos survey has to exist before the permit does. This guide covers the
whole sequence — who does what, what it costs, how long each step takes, and where a demolition
contractor legitimately fits.
1. What an asbestos survey is
An inspection of the work area by a licensed inspector, who identifies every "homogeneous area" of
suspect material, takes small bulk samples, and has them analysed by an accredited laboratory. The
output is a written report with a sample table and the lab data attached. It is not a screening tool
or a home test kit — it is a regulated document that building departments, abatement contractors and
demolition crews all rely on.
2. When it is required
New York State's asbestos rules (Industrial Code Rule 56) turn on disturbance: if demolition,
renovation, remodelling or repair will disturb materials that could contain asbestos, the survey comes
first. Narrow exemptions exist — certain one- and two-family dwellings, and buildings whose materials
post-date asbestos use — but the exemption is documented by the inspector, never assumed by the
contractor. In New York City, most alteration and demolition permits additionally require an asbestos
filing before the Department of Buildings will issue them. Contents removal — furniture, appliances,
an ordinary junk removal job — disturbs nothing structural and is
outside all of this.
3. Who is allowed to perform it
In New York City, a DEP-certified asbestos investigator. Statewide, a licensed asbestos inspector
under the state rules. Critically, that person is independent of both the abatement contractor and the
demolition contractor. We do not sample, we do not analyse, and we do not file — and any company
telling you it can bundle all of that with the demolition price is not describing the actual process.
4. ACP-5 vs ACP-7
- ACP-5 — filed when the investigator determines the work is not an
asbestos project. This is the filing that unlocks most DOB alteration and demolition permits. - ACP-7 — notification that the work is an asbestos project, which routes
the material to a licensed abatement contractor before other trades proceed.
Outside the city, the survey report and any required state notification serve the same function with
your local building department. Either way, the report is what your
demolition permit package is built on.
5. What gets sampled
Floor tile and black mastic; joint compound and plaster; pipe, boiler and duct insulation; spray
fireproofing in commercial buildings; roofing felts and cement-asbestos siding or shingles; window
glazing and caulk; vermiculite attic fill; textured ceilings; transite flues. Each is separate, and
each result stands alone — a clean floor does not clear a riser closet.
6. Cost and timeline
- Apartment or limited residential scope: about $450–$1,200.
- Whole-house gut or teardown: about $900–$2,500.
- Commercial floor or building: $1,200–$4,500 and up.
- Lab fees: roughly $25–$75 per sample.
- Time: a half day to a day of sampling, one to three business days at the lab
(rush available), then the filing. Budget about a week.
7. If a sample is positive
A licensed abatement contractor removes that specific material under containment with negative air
and disposes of it on its own manifests; an independent monitor performs air clearance; then demolition
mobilises. Expect one to four weeks added depending on quantity and locations. Our
asbestos removal cost guide covers the pricing side in
detail. Finding it in a report is dramatically cheaper than finding it with a saw — a mid-job discovery
means a stopped job, a supervised cleanup and a re-sequenced schedule.
8. Where we fit
We handle interior demolition,
full house demolition and
construction debris removal once the
paperwork is clear — and we will tell you before you spend a dollar whether your scope needs a survey
at all. If the project is in a co-op or condo, our
COI requirements guide and the
interior demolition cost guide are the other two documents
worth reading first. Serving Brooklyn,
Queens and Long Island — call (718) 587-0156.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need an asbestos survey for a kitchen renovation?
If the work disturbs floor tile, mastic, plaster or joint compound — which a kitchen gut normally does — the survey question applies. Scope it to the work area and it stays inexpensive.
Is a home test kit enough?
No. Building departments and abatement contractors act on a licensed inspector's report with accredited lab analysis, not on a self-collected sample.
What is the difference between a survey and abatement?
The survey identifies and documents; abatement removes. They are performed by different, independent companies, and the removal cannot legally rely on the remover's own assessment.
How long is a survey valid?
It reflects the building and the scope it was written for. Change the scope or open new areas and the inspector needs to cover them.
Can demolition start while the lab results are pending?
Not on the materials being sampled. Work that touches nothing suspect can sometimes proceed, but that call belongs to the investigator and your permit, not to the crew on site.