Asbestos is a carcinogen found in older homes built before the implementation of regulations to limit its usage. Upon identification of asbestos in a building, facility managers must prioritise removal. Thus, you should only contact licenced asbestos abatement companies for such projects, meaning you have to spend some money. Notably, asbestos removal costs are subjective, depending on various factors.

Site Size

One of the biggest contributors to asbestos removal costs is the size of the area in question. In most cases, asbestos is found in select areas, such as ceilings, floors, insulation, roofing and paint. Thus, asbestos abatement companies must calculate the square feet of a site when determining how much to charge a client. Consequently, asbestos removal in large facilities costs more than in small buildings. However, it is important to note that asbestos can be found in small areas, such as on the roof of a large facility and nowhere else. In such cases, the cost of removing asbestos reduces significantly.

Location of Asbestos

Asbestos is commonly found in ceilings, floors and walls, and removal from such areas is rather straightforward and less costly. However, it is essential to understand that asbestos can also be found in hidden and hard-to-reach areas. For example, asbestos found in crawl spaces, such as attics and chimneys, is difficult to remove, posing a great danger to an abatement crew. Therefore, an asbestos abatement company must put in place extra precautions to protect its workers. The additional measures designed to protect crew members and seal a site can increase the cost of an asbestos removal project. Note that an experienced abatement company might propose asbestos management and seal off some difficult-to-reach areas instead of removing the asbestos. In such cases, asbestos removal in other accessible areas of a building costs significantly less.

Geographic Area

Asbestos removal is not complete until the material is safely disposed of in licenced landfills. Thus, the cost of asbestos removal often includes disposal. Since asbestos disposal is highly regulated, different jurisdictions charge varying fees for disposal permits. For example, removing and disposing of asbestos in an urban area costs more since the process puts the public at risk. However, the same amount of work costs less in suburban or rural areas. Similarly, some jurisdictions consider non-friable asbestos less hazardous, making it cheaper to dispose of. However, other local governments treat friable and non-friable asbestos the same and charge a flat rate.

To learn more about asbestos removal, talk to a professional cleaning service in your area.