Has anyone looked into including lead/asbestos testing/ inspections for their clients. What’s a good course to take? I’m curious what everyone charges for testing aswell. Around here I get questions about the 2 quite often and have also been approached to see if I would be willing to do them for remodel a big remodeling company that wants to know if asbestos/lead is present before they do any work. Curious what yall would think. Thanks everyone!
Where are you located?
Im located in Louisiana. But the company that was asking questions about it does all the remodel work between Mississippi Louisiana Arkansas area.
I’m not sure exactly what the company is asking you to provide. However it looks like there is some regulation in all 3 of those states regarding lead work. I live in Cleveland Ohio and hold a Lead Risk Assesor license. This allows me to do lead based paint inspections, (using a XRF gun) lead risk assessments and lead clearances. I use dust wipe sampling and send those off to a laboratory so they can confirm not only that there is lead, but to what extent lead concentration is. It takes the liability off of me which is nice. I would look into if what they are asking you to do would require licensing through those states or not. Because I know people in the state of OH that got slapped with tens of thousand of dollars of fines for not having proper licensure and performed lead work.
https://www.leadcertification.org/states.php?id=96&requirements-for-lead-risk-assessor-in-la
https://www.leadcertification.org/states.php?id=134&requirements-for-lead-risk-assessor-in-ms
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I don’t test for hazardous materials and always recommend that a qualified Industrial Hygienist test any materials that in my opinion may contain any hazardous materials, same goes for mold.
IMO it’s important to be able to identify a potentially hazardous substance when you see it though, I have taken many courses over the years to learn what to look for as I consider that important when performing home inspections.
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Identifying materials is a great skill to have and can make you a better home inspector. I just recommend knowing exactly what the contractor is asking to do, then you can decide if licensure is needed or not.
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I avoid lead and asbestos because they are hazardous to my health (I don’t want to be exposed to them anymore than I have too. I provide mold inspections and testing as I find that work to be less hazardous (molds are literally everywhere) and easier to protect myself from.
First check your local and state requirements for each. I provide both lead testing and asbestos testing. For lead paint, it’s pretty easy to identify. Lead testing in water is done with a lab kit from inspector lab. For paint I have the 3M kits and swab kits but I take physical samples when I can and send them to inspector lab for analysis. I’m licensed in WV and OH. In WV they require the sample taker to be EPA certified/licensed (I’m not) so I don’t do lead testing for a commercial building unless the client knows I’m not with the EPA and agrees to the testing. (I’ve got a call from the EPA once… I refunded the client’s lead test fees.) … that’s how I found out about WV requirements. I charge $75 per lead paint test. Asbestos can be a physical sample or a PCM air cartridge. It’s roughly $250 for the first sample and $80 per additional sample. It includes 2 day shipping to the lab, lab analysis, and lab report. I do a fair amount of both. I do more mold air quality samples than any, but also do a fair amount of asbestos tests. I don’t get a lot of calls….maybe 2-3 a month for lead paint testing. Hope this helps.
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I am a State licensed building inspector for Colorado which happens to be one of the highest, if not the highest, asbestos regulated states there is. I have experienced great success with no reprimands in my four years of practice. I would be happy to offer any additional communication.
As for the question you pose, it is very important to find out through your local Department of Public Health and Environment as to if there is any state regulatory requirements. For instance, in Colorado, you cannot offer services of consulting, sampling or abatement without being state licensed. There are civil and criminal penalties for those doing so and causing harm along with negligent operations which are licensed. There are some very good courses you can take for informational purposes online as well as for getting training that is accepted in various state venues which generally must be followed up with a state proctored exam. As for the remodeling firm receiving sampling services, you want to be very well trained as well as insured and bonded. Even if your state does not have regulatory bodies overseeing asbestos or lead practices, there can still be significant civil penalties if exposures are caused due to lack of knowledge or proper protocol when providing such services.
I am also a trainer for what is referred to as Asbestos Awareness which is a course provided to all people working in any field which may be impacted or exposed to Asbestos containing building materials. This is great training for any contractor, inspector, realtor, remodeler, investor, and DYI home owner.
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I have an Omnigaurd4 differential pressure recorder for doing asbestos mold and abatement jobs that i’d be willing to sell cheap to someone who is just starting out in the business. just email me onegrumpychameleon@gmail.com if interested.