Who Pays for an Asbestos Survey: Buyer or Seller?

Who pays for an asbestos survey, the buyer or the seller?

The sale contract decides. The Missouri DNR fact sheet on demolition and renovation projects does not say who pays in a home sale. In practice, a buyer who wants a survey before closing arranges it and negotiates the cost. The seller’s duty is to answer the disclosure form honestly about what the seller knows.

That answer surprises people who expect a rule. There is no Missouri line that says “the seller pays” or “the buyer pays” for an asbestos survey in an ordinary house sale. Money follows leverage, timing, and what you wrote in the contract.

This post explains where the legal duties sit, where the money is negotiable, and how to decide if a survey is worth it. Our asbestos survey page explains what the survey itself includes.

What does a seller have to disclose about asbestos?

The seller has to answer the form with what the seller knows. The Missouri Realtors disclosure form asks, “Are you aware of the presence of asbestos materials on the Property, such as roof shingles, siding, insulation, ceiling, flooring, pipe wrap, etc.?” It also asks whether asbestos was encapsulated or removed and whether the property has been tested.

The same form warns buyers about its limits. The seller’s answers are not warranties of the condition of the property. The form says the buyer should verify the information and is urged to carefully inspect the property and, if desired, have it inspected by an independent professional expert. The seller also agrees to disclose in writing any new information found before closing. Ask for that in writing if the topic comes up during your inspection period.

So the seller’s honest “no” tells you nothing about material the seller never knew about. A pre-1980 house can hold asbestos-containing material in places a seller has never opened up. Our guide to asbestos in older St. Louis homes lists the usual spots, and our post on where asbestos hides in old St. Louis houses shows what to look at during a showing.

When does Missouri require an asbestos inspection?

When the DNR regulates the structure and the work is demolition or renovation. DNR says regulated structures, or the areas subject to the work, must be thoroughly inspected by a Missouri certified asbestos inspector to find any asbestos-containing materials before the work starts.

The exception matters for houses. DNR says a single residential structure that contains four or fewer dwelling units is an exception. But the same fact sheet says projects involving two or more residential structures are not exempt, and a structure used for any purpose other than residential, such as one converted from residential to commercial use or from commercial to residential use, is not exempt.

In the City of St. Louis, the Health Department is the delegated authority for asbestos and demolition notifications and inspections. Its abatement ordinance applies to asbestos projects larger than 10 square feet, 16 linear feet, or 3 cubic feet of asbestos-containing material. Call the City’s Air Pollution Control before assuming your house is outside the rules. Our post on Missouri’s 10 working day notification explains the notice that follows the survey.

Who pays in each situation?

It depends on why you want the survey. Use this table to see where the cost usually lands and why.

The first row is where most buyers start. Ask the seller for any past survey, abatement records, or test results before you spend money. A prior report might answer the question.

How do I ask the seller to share the cost?

Raise it early, in writing, and tie it to the house. A seller is more likely to agree when the age of the house and the work you plan point to real risk. You have several practical choices:

1. Ask for existing reports and receipts for past asbestos work.
2. Make your offer contingent on an asbestos survey by a Missouri certified inspector, and name the deadline.
3. Ask for a credit at closing if the survey finds material that affects your plan.
4. Offer to pay for the survey if the seller gives you access to the attic, basement, and crawl space.

Tie the survey to the areas you plan to change. DNR’s rule is about the regulated structure or the areas subject to the demolition or renovation, so a survey that matches your project plan is the one a contractor can use.

What should the survey report tell you?

A useful report names every suspect material and where it sits. DNR says the report should identify all suspect materials present and indicate the amount, location, category, and condition of each. It should also include a copy of the analytical results and chain of custody for all samples collected.

Those details drive your decision. Condition and category tell you whether a material is likely to release fibers during your project. DNR groups materials as friable, Category I nonfriable, or Category II nonfriable, and says nonfriable materials that are not made into regulated asbestos-containing material are not regulated by the department’s asbestos requirements. DNR says that for certain Category I materials, such as floor tile and linoleum, it generally recommends removal prior to demolition.

If a building is not safe to enter, the report should say which areas were not inspected, since DNR says those areas need special handling during demolition. Read that line closely before you accept a price. A buyer who skips it can inherit an open question.

Ask the inspector to walk you through the report. Use it to compare contractor bids on the same scope. Our post on old asbestos floor tiles explains one of the most common findings in St. Louis houses.

Is a store-bought test kit a cheaper way to check?

A kit asks you to collect the sample, and that is the risky part. Cutting or scraping suspect material is how fibers get into the air. DNR also describes the survey as more than one sample: the report should identify all suspect materials present and give the amount, location, category, and condition of each. A kit result for one spot does not give you that. Our post on test kits versus a professional survey compares the two.

Can I take samples myself?

No. Missouri DNR says an individual must be certified by the department before taking part in an asbestos project, inspection, or air sampling. DNR also says the inspector collects samples of suspect materials and submits them for laboratory analysis. Do not scrape, cut, or sand material to check it. Disturbing it is how fibers get into the air.

For more on how the lab step works, see our asbestos testing page and the glossary entry on asbestos surveys.

What does AES offer?

AES describes itself as AHERA certified building inspectors serving the community since 2005, and says Mr. Ruckman is trained and certified as an Asbestos Inspector and Supervisor. Call to talk through the areas you plan to disturb and what a survey would cover. See asbestos abatement.

AES does not publish a price for a survey. AES quotes each job; call (314) 865-2662 or use /contact.

Next step

If you are buying an older house in St. Louis and plan to renovate, call AES at (314) 865-2662 or use /contact to ask about an asbestos survey before you close.