Why the flooring installer is asking for an asbestos test
Federal workplace safety rules (OSHA, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration, rule 29 CFR 1926.1101) require contractors to treat asphalt and vinyl flooring installed in 1980 or earlier as asbestos-containing unless a test proves it is not. That is why the crew will not pull up an old floor on a handshake: without a lab report they would have to remove it as asbestos, with the containment and disposal that involves. Home Depot's own flooring guidance says the same thing to homeowners, and Home Depot's third-party installers send many of our customers to us for exactly this test.
Asbestos was used in 9-inch and 12-inch floor tile, in the backing of sheet vinyl and linoleum, and in the black mastic that glued them down, well into the 1980s. The EPA (Environmental Protection Agency) puts it plainly: you generally cannot tell whether a material contains asbestos by looking at it, and a trained professional should take the samples. We take them, an accredited lab analyzes them, and you get a report the installer accepts. Asbestos testing starts at $300; the instant quote asks how many materials you need tested and gives you a firm number.
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of Michigan homes were built before 1980, the year federal safety rules use to presume flooring contains asbestos (Census ACS 2020 to 2024).
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materials in a typical flooring job that each need their own sample: the tile or sheet, the backing and the mastic underneath.
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starting price for asbestos testing. The instant quote asks how many materials you need tested and gives you a firm number.
What we test and how it works
Flooring first, and anything else the job will disturb
Floor tile, sheet vinyl and linoleum, the backing under them and the mastic under that, each sampled as its own material because any one of them can be the positive. On the same visit we can sample siding, pipe insulation, popcorn and textured ceilings, drywall joint compound, duct wrap, roofing and the insulation around an old furnace, so one report covers the whole renovation.
A small sample from each material, taken without spreading fibers
We wet the spot, cut a coin-sized piece from an inconspicuous place, seal and label it, and patch the spot. Each sample goes to an accredited lab under chain of custody, and the lab uses polarized light microscopy, the standard test for building materials, to report whether asbestos is present and at what percentage.
A written report the installer can put in the file
Every material sampled, where it was taken from, and the lab result for each one. Home Depot's third-party installers, Lowe's installers, flooring stores and general contractors accept it, and so do buyers, lenders and landlords who want it on record before a turnover.
If a material comes back positive
Do not sand, grind, dry-scrape or break it up. The EPA's guidance for flooring is to install the new floor over it where possible, and if it has to come out, a licensed asbestos abatement contractor removes it. We tell you which materials tested positive, which did not, and what that means for the job, so you can plan the work instead of guessing.
Who books this
Homeowners whose installer stopped the job, landlords before a turnover, buyers of pre-1980 homes who plan to renovate, and contractors who need the report before their crew starts. We serve 18 Michigan counties from our Grand Blanc and Southfield offices, and we can add lead testing (from $100) and a mold inspection (from $275) to the same visit.
Other services and starting prices
Prices are starting points. The final price depends on the size and age of the home, and the instant quote gives you a firm number before you book. Commercial building inspections are quoted by the building.
- Home inspection, starting at $425
- Radon testing, starting at $200
- Well and septic inspection package, starting at $500 (well alone from $275, septic alone from $300)
- Water testing, starting at $175
- Sewer scope, starting at $150
- Mold testing, starting at $275
- Termite (WDI) inspection, starting at $200
- Thermal imaging, starting at $125
- Lead testing, starting at $100
- Pool and spa inspection, starting at $125
- Pre‒listing inspection, starting at $425
- New build blue tape inspection, starting at $525
- Investor property verification, starting at $250
- Soil testing, starting at $250
- Asbestos testing, starting at $300
Questions about asbestos testing
My flooring is from the 1990s. Do I still need the test?
How long do results take?
What does it cost?
Can I just take a sample myself and mail it in?
What happens if it is positive?
Do you do this outside Genesee County?
We Proudly Serve Most Areas in Michigan
Areas We Serve