A Guide to Understanding Your Asbestos Survey

What is in an asbestos survey report, line by line?

DNR’s inspection report fact sheet lists what the written report should contain: the structure, the areas inspected, each material known or assumed to contain asbestos, its quantity, the lab data, and the inspector’s signed certificate. The report is the document every later step depends on.

Here is the DNR list, matched to what you can do with each item:

Item in the report	What it tells you	How you use it
Description of the structure, areas inspected, areas not accessible, inspection date	What the survey covered and what it did not	Check the covered areas against your work plan
Location of each material known or assumed to contain asbestos	Where the material is	Mark it on plans so trades avoid it
Condition and regulated status, if an assessment was done	Whether the material is regulated	Decide between leaving, repair and removal
Quantities in square, linear or cubic feet	How much the work will touch	Compare with the DNR thresholds
Lab name, results and analyst’s signature	Proof the sample was analyzed	Attach to the notice
Inspector’s signature and a signed, dated copy of the DNR certificate	Who did the survey	Show it to the permit office

Two parts of that list deserve attention. The first is “areas not accessible.” A gap in the survey is not a clean result. If a room, void or wall was not reached, treat it as unknown. Our client page above explains how to read a restricted-access section in plain terms.

The second is “known or assumed.” The report lists material known or assumed to contain asbestos, and it gives quantities for both. Assumed material counts toward your totals like confirmed material. Read our asbestos testing page for how the sampling and lab steps work. The glossary has short definitions of an asbestos survey, asbestos-containing material and friable asbestos.

How long is an asbestos survey good for?

The sources we opened do not set an expiration period for a survey. We will not print a number. A survey describes a building as it stood on the inspection date, and the report says what areas were covered. A new inspection makes sense when the building changes or your work reaches an area the report did not cover.

Use these checks before you reuse an old report:

• Same scope? The old report must cover the areas your work will touch. Check its list of areas inspected.
• Same materials? Ask whether any renovation, repair or damage has happened since.
• Same reviewer? Ask the office that will review your notice or permit whether it accepts a report of that age. We found no stated limit, so the office decides.

If you buy a building with an old report, ask for the inspector’s certificate copy and the lab sheets too. A report without them is incomplete under the DNR list. For older homes, our guide to asbestos in older St. Louis homes explains where materials tend to hide.

How is the report used with permits and the state notice?

The report is an attachment. DNR says a copy of the asbestos inspection report and laboratory analytical results must accompany the notification for regulated abatement and demolition projects. The notice is due at least 10 working days before a regulated structure is demolished, and it is required even when no asbestos is found.

Office	What it asks for	Source detail
Missouri DNR	Report and lab results with the notification	Demolition notice due at least 10 working days before demolition of a regulated structure
St. Louis County Air Pollution Control	Survey copy with each Demolition Waste Application and Release Authorization form	Each structure to be demolished must be inspected by a Missouri licensed asbestos inspector
St. Louis County NESHAP form	A complete copy of the report with the notification form for regulated demolition and renovation	Never enter a start date less than ten working days beyond the postmark date, unless the department grants a waiver
City of St. Louis	Contractors give the report and the NESHAP notification to the Air Pollution Control Board	The 2018 handbook says the board then approves or denies the permits

The City source is a 2018 handbook. Treat it as a guide and confirm the current process with the office.

The state exception has conditions. It covers a single residential structure with four or fewer dwelling units. It does not cover a structure converted between residential and commercial use, and it does not cover a project with two or more residential structures. If you fall inside the exception, the state notice rules do not apply, but a local demolition permit may still ask for a survey.

Our guide to the Missouri demolition and renovation asbestos rules walks through the notice. The posts on the 10 working day notice, the St. Louis City asbestos abatement permit and the St. Charles County demolition permit cover each office.

What do I do with the results?

Read the quantities first, then pick a path. Only regulated asbestos-containing material counts toward the removal rule. The quantity line in the report decides whether the DNR removal rule applies to your project. If 160 square feet, 260 linear feet or 35 cubic feet or more of regulated material will be impacted by your work, all of it must be removed by a Missouri registered abatement contractor.

What the report shows	Next step
Threshold quantities or more of regulated material that the demolition or renovation will impact, in a project the rule covers	Hire a registered abatement contractor. File the notice with the report and lab results attached.
Regulated material the work will impact is below the thresholds	The DNR removal duty is not triggered. Plan the work around it, or remove it by choice. Ask for written options.
Material in good condition that nobody will disturb	EPA says usually the best thing is to leave it alone. See asbestos encapsulation for sealing.
No asbestos found in a regulated demolition	File the demolition notice anyway. DNR says it is required even then.
Areas not accessible	Treat them as unknown until they are inspected.

In the City, the handbook adds a firm step: if asbestos-containing materials are found, they must be properly abated by a licensed professional before a demolition permit can be issued. Plan for that time before you set a demolition date.

Send the report to every firm that quotes the job so the quotes match. Our guide to hiring an asbestos contractor in Missouri gives the questions to ask. The asbestos removal process guide shows what happens next.

Who should see my asbestos survey, and who keeps it?

You keep it, and the people doing the work see it. DNR says the written report should be provided to the person requesting the inspection. The City handbook adds that contractors should keep copies of the inspection report and the NESHAP notification on site during demolition.

A simple file plan helps:

1. Original and lab sheets. Store them with the deed or lease.
2. Copies for each trade. Give them to demolition, plumbing, electrical and flooring crews. Many asbestos disturbances come from a trade that never saw the report.
3. Copy for the permit office. Send what the office asks for, with the notice.
4. Copy for the next owner. A future buyer or tenant will ask.

How do I order a survey from AES?

Call (314) 865-2662 or use the quote form. Tell us the address, the building type and the work you plan. Advanced Environmental Services says Mr. Ruckman is trained and certified as an Asbestos Inspector and Supervisor, and that it has AHERA certified building inspectors. We quote each survey job, and we also hold Missouri DNR asbestos contractor registration 27-06-0640 for removal. Read about asbestos abatement and commercial asbestos removal for the next step.