New York Steps Up Asbestos Rules

November 2, 2006 - The state of New York is cracking down on those who have long-ignored asbestos inspection regulations, denying building permits until contractors can produce evidence of a completed asbestos inspection.

According to an article in the Binghamton Press and Sun-Bulletin, obtaining such inspections requires the hiring of a licensed asbestos firm, an added burden and expense that has contractors fuming.

"This thing is hitting the little contractors," said Ron Heebner, a remodeling contractor in Johnson City. "All it does is force up the price of doing work on single-family homes.”

Rules for inspection have long been on the books, reports the newspaper, but the state has been lax about enforcing them.  Inspections, according to the laws, are to be performed on any non-agricultural building built before 1974 before any construction or demolition begins.  Some contractors say they weren’t aware of the law while others ignored them due to added expense.

"It used to be unless I ran into some material that was foreign, I wouldn't have to hire an (asbestos) inspector," said Tim Pearce, who runs TSP Remodeling in Binghamton. Pearce added that the extra cost to the homeowner would probably be anywhere between $250 and $800, depending on the size of the property.  Asbestos testing, he notes, usually takes up to two weeks to complete.

"There's going to be a lot of complaints over the next couple weeks," Pearce told the newspaper. "But probably in the next few months it's going to become routine. It's probably going to be a good thing in the long run, but it sets us back right now."