Asbestos testing before renovation
Before walls, floors or ceilings open in an older building, Ontario law requires a list of every designated substance in the work area. We survey it, test it and hand you a report ready for the contractor.
What the law requires
The project owner must list all designated substances before a renovation, repair or demolition project begins and include the list in the tender (OHSA section 30). An owner who leaves one off is liable to the contractors when it turns up mid-job.
Most buildings built after 1980 are largely free of asbestos; nearly everything older is a candidate.
What we test for
- Floor tile and mastic, drywall joint compound, plaster and stipple ceilings
- Pipe and boiler insulation, cement board and vermiculite
- Lead in paint, solder, pipes and glazing
- Mercury in thermostats, switches and lamps
- Silica released when concrete, masonry or tile is cut
- All 11 designated substances, as the project list requires
Price and timing
$550 for one suite or up to 2,000 sq ft, and $1,300 to $4,800 for commercial work areas. Lab analysis is included and results come back within 1 week.
If the job can't wait, we leave written interim instructions on site: which materials to treat as asbestos-containing and which procedures apply until results are in.
If you renovate often
Contractors can buy checks wholesale with the Pre-Work Clearance Pass from $425 a check, and landlords can add suite turnover checks to their program.
Find out what applies to you in two minutes.
Answer a few questions and the Obligation Check tells you which duties you carry, which program fits and what the first step costs.