Who to Call for Asbestos in Knoxville
“Who do I call about this?” is the most common question we get, and it is a fair one, because three different kinds of business answer to the word asbestos and they do different jobs. Here is who does what.
The three kinds of company, and what each one can do
- Testing and inspection. Samples material, sends it to a lab, writes the report. Cannot remove anything. Right when you need to know what you have — see asbestos testing and inspection.
- Abatement. Removes or seals the material under containment, handles notification and disposal. Right once you know what you have — see asbestos removal.
- General building trades. Do the renovation that the asbestos is standing in the way of. A good one stops when they find suspect material. The one to avoid is the one who offers to scrape a ceiling or grind off mastic as a favour.
We do the first two, which is the point of doing both: the survey that scopes the job and the crew that carries it out do not have to be introduced to each other, and the clearance result comes from the same file as the scope.
Which call is free and which is not
Answering the question on the phone is free, and that includes telling you that you probably do not need us. The on-site quote is free. What costs money is laboratory analysis, because a lab charges for it — $75–$150 per sample, $250–$600 for an inspection covering several materials.
Be wary of anyone who offers free testing. The lab bill exists either way, so a free test is priced into something else — usually an abatement you have not yet agreed to.
Five questions worth asking whoever you call
- Who files the TDEC APCD notice, and has anyone asked how much material there is?
- Which laboratory, and is it accredited?
- Is clearance air testing included in the price?
- Where does the waste go, and do I get the signed manifest?
- What is written down before work starts — scope, containment class, disposal, restoration, warranty?
Any company that answers those five clearly is worth getting a quote from, including if it is not us.
When to call at all
Call when you are about to renovate a property built before about 1985, when something has been disturbed and you do not know what it was, when a survey or inspection has flagged suspect material, when a lender or a buyer has asked, or when you are planning a demolition — which needs a survey whether or not anyone expects asbestos.
You do not need to call because a house is old and has a popcorn ceiling that nobody is touching. That is not a problem waiting to happen; it is a material sitting there doing nothing.
Frequently asked questions
Who do I call first about asbestos in Knoxville?
Testing first, in almost every case. A removal quote against an unidentified material is a guess, and roughly a third of the materials we sample come back negative.
Is it free to ask?
The phone call and the on-site quote are free. Laboratory analysis is chargeable because the lab charges for it — $75–$150 per sample.
Can one company do both testing and removal?
Yes, and it removes a handover between two firms. The check is whether they will tell you a negative result is negative — ask that directly.
What if I just want someone to tell me whether to worry?
That is a phone call, and it is free. Tell us the material, its condition and whether anything is about to disturb it.
Want to talk it through?
Free on-site quote. No obligation. We tell you on the phone what it is likely to cost before anyone comes out.