Testing an older St. Louis home: which test applies when you buy, sell or renovate

Which tests apply when you buy, sell or renovate an older St. Louis home?

It depends on the action. Selling or buying triggers lead disclosure and, in the City, an occupancy inspection. Renovating or demolishing can trigger an asbestos inspection and a state notice. Mold has no test rule. The table shows each step and the rule behind it.

A test you skip at purchase can still become required later, once a project starts.

Sections below cover each row. For health basics, read asbestos in older St. Louis homes, lead paint in pre-1978 homes and mold after water damage.

Do I need an asbestos test before I buy an old house?

No rule we found forces a buyer to test. Missouri DNR says its asbestos regulations apply to commercial structures and to some residential structures, and most single-family residences are exempt. A pre-purchase test is your choice.

Test anyway if you plan work. The rules follow the project. If the plan is to gut a kitchen, replace old floor tile or tear the house down, an asbestos survey tells you what is in the walls before a crew starts. Our page on asbestos testing explains how samples work.

If a contractor or inspector finds a suspect material, do not cut, sand or scrape it. Leave it alone and call a certified asbestos professional.

What does the City of St. Louis inspect when a house is sold?

The City requires a Certificate of Inspection before anyone occupies a home after a residential sale. The application costs $120. The City says 100% of property in St. Louis lies in a Housing Conservation District.

This is a basic code check. The City says an inspection does not guarantee or warrant the overall condition of the building or its systems, and suggests buyers consider a commercial grade building inspection. If the certificate lists violations, the owner has 30 days to make repairs. Rentals are reinspected every three years or when occupancy changes.

The occupancy inspection does not test for asbestos, lead or mold. It is not a substitute for the tests in this guide.

What happens at St. Louis County when the occupant changes?

In unincorporated St. Louis County, an occupancy permit requires a minimum standard of safety and health inspection whenever the occupant changes. The County lists $80 for a single family home or condo in unincorporated areas and $95.50 in contracted municipalities.

Residents of other municipalities should ask their own city hall whether it requires one. First-time buyers using a support program such as Beyond Housing or Better Family Life face a combined safety, health and lead inspection at $95.50, according to the County page. Confirm fees on the County page before you apply, since they change.

What lead paperwork does a seller owe a buyer?

For housing built before 1978, the seller or landlord must hand over the “Protect Your Family From Lead In Your Home” pamphlet. They must disclose known information about lead-based paint, provide available records and reports, and include a Lead Warning Statement. They must keep a signed copy for three years.

For sales, the exemptions include foreclosure sales and housing built after 1977. A finding of no lead-based paint by a certified inspector exempts leases only, not sales, under 40 CFR 745.101. Missouri DHSS estimates that 60% of dwellings built from 1960 to 1978 contain lead-based paint, 80% of those built 1940 to 1959 and as high as 90% before 1949. Learn the term lead-based paint.

Do buyers get time to test for lead?

Yes. Sellers must give buyers a 10-day period to conduct a paint inspection or risk assessment, unless buyer and seller agree in writing to a different period, or the buyer waives it in writing. In Missouri, paint chip sampling must be done by a licensed lead-based paint inspector or risk assessor, so book one early.

If the test finds hazards, you have options. You can negotiate repairs, walk away where your contract allows it, or plan abatement after closing. For local inspections and repair programs, see lead help in St. Louis.

When does an asbestos survey become required?

An asbestos inspection becomes required when a regulated structure is renovated or demolished. Missouri DNR requires notice at least 10 working days before crews begin a regulated demolition or abatement project.

Two local offices also take part. The City of St. Louis Department of Health is the delegated authority for asbestos and demolition notifications and inspections, and the City uses a lower trigger than the state: projects of more than 10 square feet, 16 linear feet or 3 cubic feet fall under City Ordinance 71332. St. Louis County runs its own program too. Our guide to Missouri demolition and renovation asbestos rules lists the state steps, and demolition from survey to debris walks through the order of work.

In plain terms: the survey comes first, the notice second, and abatement before demolition. The NESHAP glossary entry explains the federal rule behind the notice.

Do I need a lead-safe contractor to renovate?

If you pay someone to disturb paint in a home built before 1978, yes. EPA’s RRP rule requires the firm to be certified and the workers trained. EPA says the rule generally does not apply to owners working on their own home.

It does apply to landlords, to anyone running a child care center in their home and to house flippers. Missouri DHSS sets the trigger at more than 6 square feet of painted surface inside or 20 square feet outside. The interior limit is per room, and window replacement, demolition of painted surfaces and practices the rule prohibits are covered at any size (40 CFR 745.83). Ask any contractor which rule covers your job before work starts.

Abatement is a separate category. Missouri DHSS says anyone doing removal, replacement, enclosure or encapsulation must be licensed. See our post on the Missouri lead abatement license.

Is there a mold test rule?

No rule we found requires a mold test when you buy or sell. St. Louis County says its Healthy Homes Program has no regulatory authority over mold or mildew in homes, and that “Standards for judging what is an acceptable, tolerable, or normal quantity of mold have not been established by any federal agency.”

We did not find an official Missouri source on the question, so we make no claim about state law. A mold inspection is a choice. It makes sense after a water event, a musty smell or visible growth. The County says take-home mold tests are available through its Environmental Lab. Call 314-615-8324. If you find growth, read mold after water damage and our post on mold over 10 square feet.

What about a vacant house bought from the City land bank?

Prop NS is a City program that sells vacant Land Reutilization Authority (LRA) houses of six units or fewer to the highest bidder who can finish the rehab to City occupancy standards within 24 months. That timeline leaves little room for surprises behind plaster.

If you buy an LRA house, treat the survey as part of the budget. Test for asbestos and lead before you price the rehab, since rules attach once your crew starts.

How can AES help once you know what you have?

Testing tells you what is there. Removal is a separate job. AES provides asbestos abatement, lead abatement, mold remediation and demolition in St. Louis and within 300 miles. We do not run the City or County programs described above.

Next step

Planning to renovate, sell or demolish an older home? Start with the asbestos abatement page, then call (314) 865-2662 or request a free quote at /contact.