Asbestos Inspection and Testing in Northern Virginia
A Virginia-licensed asbestos inspector samples the materials your project will disturb, sends them to an NVLAP-accredited lab and gives you the report your building department, contractor or buyer needs. We do not perform abatement, so there is no conflict of interest in what we find.
No asbestos inspection, no renovation or demolition permit.
Under Code of Virginia § 36-99.7, a local building department will not issue a permit to renovate or demolish a building first permitted before January 1, 1985 until the owner certifies that a licensed asbestos inspector has inspected it.
- Who must inspect. An asbestos inspector licensed by the Virginia Department of Professional and Occupational Regulation (DPOR).
- What the owner certifies. Either that no asbestos-containing material was found, or that it will be handled under federal NESHAP and OSHA rules before the work disturbs it.
- Homes. Single-family homes and buildings with four or fewer units are exempt from the permit rule, unless the work is for commercial or public development.
- Small amounts. The rule also does not apply below set quantities of regulated material (for example, less than 160 square feet on building components).
- After abatement. The space cannot be reoccupied until the building official receives certification that the work is complete and final clearance air samples were taken.
Exempt from the permit is not asbestos-free.
Homeowners
Your house may be exempt from the permit rule, but a kitchen, bath or basement remodel in an older home can still disturb asbestos in floor tile, mastic, joint compound or a textured ceiling. We sample only what the work will touch.
Contractors and property managers
Condo, apartment, office and retail renovations need the inspection before the permit. We scope it to your drawings and give you the turnaround on the call.
Buyers and sellers
Planning to renovate after closing? A survey during the inspection period tells you what the remodel will cost before you commit.
From the call to the certification.
- Scope. We review the plans and the age of the building and tell you which materials need sampling.
- Sampling. The inspector walks the work area, assesses each suspect material and collects bulk samples under chain of custody, with sample counts set by AHERA.
- Lab. Polarized light microscopy at an NVLAP-accredited lab. Rush turnaround is available when a project is waiting.
- Report. A sample table, lab results and photos, plus a plain list of what is asbestos-containing and what is not.
- If asbestos is found. We can write the abatement specification, monitor the air during removal and take the final clearance samples.
Before you book
My house was built after 1985. Do I still need a test?
The permit rule keys on 1985, but some products made later still contained asbestos, and the risk depends on the material, not the date. If the work disturbs flooring, mastic, joint compound or roofing of unknown origin, sampling is the only way to know.
Does a Maryland or DC accreditation count in Virginia?
No. Virginia requires a DPOR asbestos inspector license. Ours is #3303004758, and you can verify it with Virginia DPOR.
How many samples will you take?
AHERA sets the minimum by material type and quantity. We tell you the number on the call after reviewing your scope, so there are no surprises.
Do you remove asbestos?
No. We inspect, test, write specifications, monitor and clear. Removal is done by a licensed abatement contractor. Keeping those separate is why the report can be trusted.
Where does the rule come from?
Code of Virginia § 36-99.7. This page is a plain-language summary, not legal advice. Your local building department has the final word on what it needs.
Asbestos surveys across Arlington, Fairfax, Loudoun and Prince William counties and Alexandria
Mileage is billed on longer drives; we tell you on the call. Commercial projects quoted anywhere.
Permit waiting on an asbestos survey?
Send us the scope or the address and we will quote the sampling on the call. Weekdays 8 to 5.