Suspect material found during demolition stops the work until a licensed asbestos contractor has assessed it.
Fastest: call (833) 490-5225. Or send this and we call you back.
An asbestos check before demolition is the step that looks for asbestos-containing material before walls, floors or ceilings are taken out. In Albuquerque, asbestos contractors need the Construction Industries Division GB-98 and GS-29 licenses, so suspect material found during a demolition is a licensed job, and Albuquerque Water Damage Restoration helps the crew stop, record and route it.
Demolition is the moment when old material is opened up. A wall that has been closed for decades, a floor under the carpet, or a ceiling that was patched long ago can contain materials that were once common in building work, and they are not safe to cut, break or sweep. The check happens before the first wall comes down, because a disturbed material releases fibers into the air and into the rest of the building.
Albuquerque Water Damage Restoration is called for water damage, and water damage often ends in demolition. A soaked ceiling, a wall opened to dry a cavity or a floor lifted to reach a subfloor can reveal material that was not expected. When that happens, the work has to stop in that area and the material has to be assessed by someone licensed to handle it. A local technician is sent 24/7 as soon as one is free, and the call taker explains what to do before anyone enters the area.
This page is about what to do when suspect material turns up, who is allowed to remove it in New Mexico, and what a homeowner or a crew should do in the meantime. It does not describe a removal the company performs itself. Asbestos work is a licensed trade, and the license holder is the one who does it.
In New Mexico, asbestos contractors need a GB-98 general license and a GS-29 special license issued by the Construction Industries Division. A firm that removes asbestos without them is not working within the state's licensing system, and the work should not be started.
The Construction Industries Division licenses contractors under the Construction Industries Licensing Act, NMSA 1978, Section 60-13-1 et seq. The asbestos classifications sit within that system, and the state's environmental department publishes its own guidance on asbestos work for contractors and building owners.
Ask the contractor for its license numbers and the classifications it holds, and check them with the Division yourself. A contractor that is properly licensed will give you the numbers without hesitation and will expect you to check them.
No. A crew that is not licensed for asbestos work should not remove or break a suspect material, even when it is small or looks harmless. The job is held in that area until a licensed contractor has assessed the material and removed it if needed.
The reason is not only the license. Asbestos fibers are released when a material is broken, scraped, drilled or sanded, and the fibers stay in the air and in the dust long after the work is finished. A small removal done quickly can contaminate rooms that were not in the plan.
The cost of holding the job is real, but it is smaller than the cost of spreading fibers through a building. A licensed contractor can often schedule its work around the rest of the demolition, and the rest of the building can continue.
Leave the material alone, keep people and pets out of the area, and call the crew so the work can stop there. Do not sweep, vacuum or scrape the dust, and do not try to remove the material yourself. Let the licensed contractor take over the assessment and the removal.
Keep the room closed and the ventilation off if the air system passes through it. A fan blowing across a suspect material spreads dust into the house. Wash hands if they touched the material and keep clothing that was in the area apart from the rest of the laundry until it has been checked.
Write down where the material was found, what it looked like and who was in the room. That record is useful to the licensed contractor and to the insurer if the damage is part of a claim.
An assessment identifies whether the suspect material contains asbestos, how much of it there is and what condition it is in. The licensed contractor takes samples in a way that limits release, and the results decide whether the material is removed, sealed or left in place.
Samples are taken by a licensed person using wet methods and protective equipment, and they are sent to a laboratory for analysis. The result is written down with the location of each sample, so the decision can be checked later.
Where material is found to be asbestos-containing, the contractor plans the removal, the containment and the disposal. Where the material is in good condition and out of the way, it may be left in place and labeled. The plan is written before the removal starts.
This site does not publish prices. An asbestos check adds a licensed assessment, possible removal and disposal and a delay to the schedule, and each of those adds to the total. The price is explained on site and approved before any work starts.
The cost moves with how much suspect material is found, where it is, how hard it is to reach and whether it must be removed before the rest of the building can be opened. A single pipe wrap in an accessible place is a different job from a ceiling that spans several rooms.
Ask the contractor for the scope in writing, with the material, the location, the method and the disposal included. That scope is the basis for comparing firms and for explaining the cost to an insurer or a lender.
Do not cut, sand, scrape, drill, break or vacuum any material that might contain asbestos. Do not sweep up dust from a suspect material, and do not use a household vacuum on it. Keep people and pets out of the area, switch off any fan that passes through it, and wash hands and clothing that were in the area. A licensed asbestos contractor should always be the one to remove the material.
When suspect material is found, the work stops in that area and nobody cuts, sands, breaks or sweeps it. The crew leaves the material in place, keeps others out of the space and closes the door or hangs a sheet to limit movement. Work in other parts of the building can continue if it is far from the material.
If the material is already broken or crumbling, it is lightly wetted to keep the fibers from lifting, but only if that does not spread water into electrical or other materials. Nobody should try to scrape or vacuum it. The area is left as it is until a licensed asbestos contractor has assessed it.
The crew notes where the material is, what it appears to be, what it is attached to and how much of it there is. Photographs are taken from a distance, before and after any work that is allowed to continue nearby. The record helps the licensed contractor plan the assessment.
Suspect material is assessed and, if it contains asbestos, removed by an asbestos contractor holding the New Mexico licenses for that work. The contractor's license numbers and classifications should be asked for and checked with the Construction Industries Division before the work is signed.
The area is not demolished until the licensed contractor has removed the material or confirmed it is not asbestos. Demolition that continues through an untested material can spread fibers through the building and put the crew at risk, so the schedule is set by the assessment, not the other way round.
Ceiling texture, joint compound and some wall finishes applied in older building work can contain asbestos. The material is often found when a ceiling is opened after a water loss. The work stops at the first sign of suspect material, and the area is isolated until it is assessed.
Floor tile, mastic and the backing of some sheet flooring can contain asbestos. A floor found under carpet or a newer layer is not disturbed by scraping or grinding. The crew leaves it in place, notes its condition, and waits for the licensed contractor.
Insulation on pipes, boilers and ducts can be a suspect material, especially where it is torn, flaking or stored in a damp space. It is not handled by hand or cut to get at a pipe. The licensed contractor decides how the pipe is reached and how the material is removed.
Panels, gaskets and wraps near heating equipment are a common place to find old material. The equipment is not moved or opened by the crew until the material has been assessed, and any work near it is planned with the contractor.
A crew is dispatched as fast as one is available, and you approve the estimate before any work starts.
Asbestos-containing materials were used in many building products in past decades. This site cannot give the age or the housing stock of any part of Bernalillo County, so the check is made on each building as it is opened, not assumed from its address.
New Mexico's rules for asbestos work are run through the state's licensing and environmental agencies. The Construction Industries Division licenses the contractors under NMSA 1978, Section 60-13-1 et seq., and the asbestos classifications are the GB-98 general and GS-29 special licenses. Those are the two things a homeowner in Bernalillo County should check before any suspect material is removed.
A water loss is often the reason a wall or a ceiling is opened. Water damage work that reaches old material has to stop in that area, and the rest of the drying and the removal of wet materials has to be planned around the licensed work. The crew keeps the area isolated and the record clear, so that both trades can work safely.
Sewage that backs up into a home is treated as contaminated from the first pass, with affected materials assessed.
Ceiling stains and sagging drywall after a roof or supply leak are cut out and dried, not painted over.
Air movers and dehumidifiers run until walls, floors and cavities read dry, and each room is logged.
Wet materials are dried and measured to keep mold from taking hold, and the firm's own license and insurance are checked.
Not sure if you're covered? Check your ZIP code.
The New Mexico Construction Industries Division licenses contractors under the Construction Industries Licensing Act, NMSA 1978, Section 60-13-1 et seq.
In New Mexico, asbestos contractors need the GB-98 general and GS-29 special contractor licenses from the Construction Industries Division.
No. Many materials of the same age do not contain asbestos, and the only way to know is to have a suspect material assessed. The crew stops work on suspect material until a licensed contractor has checked it, and it does not assume the material is safe or dangerous from its appearance.
Sampling should be done by a licensed person using methods that limit the release of fibers. A homeowner who breaks off a piece to send to a laboratory can release fibers into the house. Ask the licensed contractor to take the sample and to explain the result.
Asbestos contractors need a GB-98 general license and a GS-29 special license from the Construction Industries Division, under the Construction Industries Licensing Act, NMSA 1978, Section 60-13-1 et seq. Ask for the license numbers and check them with the Division before work starts.
The area where suspect material is found is held until a licensed contractor has assessed it, and that can take time. The rest of the building can often continue. The crew explains the effect on the schedule when the material is found, so the owner is not surprised.
No. The check covers the material that is found and the area around it, and it does not survey the whole structure. A licensed contractor can advise on a survey if one is needed before a larger demolition.
The cost is agreed with the licensed contractor, and it depends on the material, the location and the disposal. Whether a policy pays for it depends on the policy and the cause of the damage, and this site cannot say. Keep the record and ask the insurer.