Do I Need to Test for Asbestos If I'm Remodeling My Own Home in Florida?
If you’re planning to fix up your home in Florida, you might be wondering about asbestos testing. The answer depends on what kind of home you have and what work you’re doing. Florida has specific rules about asbestos, and breaking them can cost you a lot of money in fines.
The good news for most homeowners in Florida is that single-family homes with four or fewer living units don’t have to follow the federal asbestos rules called NESHAP when you’re doing work on your own house. This means if you own a Florida house, duplex, triplex, or fourplex and you’re fixing it up yourself, you don’t legally have to test for asbestos or hire special workers to remove it.
But there are some important catches. The federal and Florida asbestos rules clarify that your home must have four or fewer living units. Also, the house must not be part of a bigger project that includes other buildings, and must not have been used for business in the past.
For multi-house owners: If you’re fixing up several houses at the same time in the same area, like two duplexes next door to each other, Florida sees this as one big project, and the asbestos rules do apply.
Again, if you own a single-family home with four or fewer living units, you’re in the clear. Otherwise, the Florida Department of Environmental Protection requires a full inspection for asbestos before any tearing down or fixing up work starts on buildings that aren’t covered by the home exemption.
Watch out: In some Florida counties, like Pinellas, you must get a written asbestos survey before fixing up your building, and the survey must be done by a Florida-licensed asbestos consultant. The rules can be different depending on where you live in Florida.
Because asbestos is dangerous for your health and also Florida’s building boom from the 1950s through the 1980s used lots of asbestos-based materials for insulation, fire protection, and strength. This means that homes built before 1985, including many in Tampa, St. Petersburg, and other Florida cities, likely have asbestos.
Florida is the second leading state in asbestos-related deaths, with 14,248 people who died from mesothelioma, lung cancer, and asbestosis between 1999 and 2013. These deaths show how dangerous avoiding an asbestos inspection can be in the area.
Common asbestos materials you still see in these homes include asbestos-cement roofing and siding, often found on older block homes, separate garages, sheds, and utility rooms, and these sheets can become brittle and release fibers when cut, drilled, or broken.
Asbestos was also used in popcorn ceilings, vinyl floor tiles, pipe insulation, duct insulation, attic insulation, and even in some joint compounds used on drywall. In older Florida homes in neighborhoods around Jacksonville, Miami, Orlando, Fort Lauderdale, and Tallahassee, you could find asbestos in many places.
If your home was built before 1985, there’s a good chance it has asbestos somewhere. Homes built in the 1960s and 1970s have the highest chance because that’s when asbestos use was at its peak.
Yes, asbestos is dangerous when the fibers get into the air and you breathe them in. When asbestos materials are left alone and in good shape, they’re usually safe. The problem happens when you start cutting, sanding, drilling, or breaking these materials during remodeling.
One small cut through asbestos-cement siding with a power saw can release thousands of tiny fibers into the air. These fibers are so small you can’t see them, and they can stay in the air for hours. Once you breathe them in, they stick in your lungs forever. It can take 20 to 50 years for health problems to show up.
Testing a bulk sample using Polarized Light Microscopy ranges from $20 to $100, with the average cost being $30.
Most homeowners spend between $200 and $800 to have a licensed asbestos consultant inspect their home and test samples from different areas. Getting your home tested for asbestos isn’t expensive compared to the health risks.
The easiest way is to search for “Asbestos inspection near me” on Google and read the reviews left on the business profiles that you find. Find out if they’re licensed.
You can find licensed consultants through the DBPR Online Services website. Look for consultants who will come to your home, take samples from areas you plan to work on, and send those samples to a lab for testing. The consultant should give you a written report that tells you exactly what materials have asbestos and how much.
If testing shows you have asbestos in areas you plan to remodel, you have a few choices.
What you should not do is try to remove it yourself without proper equipment and training. Professional asbestos removal workers wear special gear and use methods to keep fibers from spreading. They also know how to properly dispose of asbestos waste, which has its own set of rules in Florida.
Mobile homes used as single-family homes are not subject to Florida’s Asbestos NESHAP rules unless they’re part of a larger group of units. If you own one mobile home and you’re fixing it up, you get the same exemption as a regular house.
Mobile home park with several units: If you own a mobile home park and you’re working on several units at once, the asbestos rules do apply.
If you own a single-family home with four or fewer units in Florida, you’re not legally required to test for asbestos when you’re doing your own remodeling work. But legal and smart are two different things.
Homes built before 1985 in cities across Florida, from Pensacola to Key West likely have asbestos somewhere. The small cost of testing could save your health and your family’s health. It could also save you from legal problems if your home doesn’t actually qualify for the exemption.
The rules get complicated when you’re working on condos, apartments, mobile home parks, or multiple houses at once. If you’re not sure whether your project needs official asbestos testing and notification to the state, contact your local Florida Department of Environmental Protection district office. They can tell you exactly what applies to your situation.
Asbestos isn’t something to take chances with. Get your home tested before you start cutting, drilling, or tearing anything out. It’s a small price to pay for peace of mind and protecting your health for decades to come.
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