Asbestos, lead and demolition work in Florissant, Missouri

How old are the homes in Florissant, Missouri?

Very old by county standards. About 76.4% of Florissant housing units were built before 1970 and 89.5% before 1980. Across St. Louis County, the pre-1980 share is 68.6%. These figures come from the 2024 American Community Survey, 5-year estimates, table B25034.

The bulk of the city went up in two decades. Of 23,064 housing units, 8,874 date from 1960 to 1969 and 7,443 from 1950 to 1959. Only 403 are from 1939 or earlier. So Florissant is not a city of Victorian houses. It is a city of postwar and 1960s homes, and that shapes the work.

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 2024 5-year, table B25034. Shares are our arithmetic on the published counts.

What do 1950s and 1960s houses usually need tested?

Test floor tile, adhesive, pipe wrap, siding and old paint before any remodel. Houses from these decades can contain asbestos in several products and lead in paint. A lab result, not the house’s age, tells you what is actually there.

Vinyl floor tile and the black mastic under it are common finds in houses of this era, so a basement or kitchen floor project is a typical trigger. Read how mastic is handled, then see asbestos floor tile and floor adhesive removal. An asbestos survey samples every suspect material up front, so you know the scope before you pay for demolition or finish work. AES offers an asbestos survey and asbestos testing.

Paint is the other question. Homes built before 1978 may have lead-based paint, and the Census cannot isolate 1978, so use your deed or permit record. Our lead paint guide explains the rules, and lead abatement is an AES service. Read the definition of lead-based paint before you scrape anything.

Does Florissant require permits for remodeling and demolition?

Yes for remodeling. The City of Florissant says it requires permits for most remodeling, including basement remodeling, and that plan review generally takes 10 working days. The city issues about 2,700 building permits a year, so the office handles volume.

We did not find a City of Florissant page on demolition permits, so we will not state a city demolition rule. Call city hall before you hire crews and ask what a teardown needs.

The county layer is clear. St. Louis County requires a Demolition Waste Application and Release Authorization for demolition projects. It also requires a survey of each structure by a Missouri licensed asbestos inspector. The county says all municipalities rely on its Air Pollution Control Program to see that asbestos and other environmental hazards are addressed before they issue demolition permits. For the county side, see St. Louis County, MO. For the state side, read Missouri demolition and renovation asbestos rules.

What changes when you buy a Florissant home as is?

You take on the inspection. A Florissant property can sell without a city inspection, but the buyer must then get and pay for the inspection and the occupancy permit before anyone moves in.

That makes the first weeks after closing the right time to test. If the plan is to gut a basement, replace floors or take the house down, order testing before the work starts, not after crews open a wall. Test results decide whether you need abatement first. When old materials turn up, asbestos abatement comes before demolition or interior demolition.

Does Florissant’s historic district affect a project?

It can, if the property is inside it. Florissant passed a historic preservation ordinance in 1971, and its Historic Districts, residential and business, sit at the center of the city around City Hall. The National Park Service made Florissant a Certified Local Government in October 2001.

If your address is in the district, ask the city about review before you change an exterior or plan a teardown. We did not read the district’s rules, so we do not state them here. Outside the district, the ordinary permit rules above apply.

Which AES services fit Florissant projects?

Match the service to the house and the plan.

• Asbestos abatement and asbestos tile removal before basement and kitchen remodels.
• Lead abatement for paint on older trim, doors and windows.
• Demolition and interior demolition after the survey is done.
• Mold remediation after a basement leak, with moisture barriers to help keep the space dry.
• Hazardous material disposal for regulated waste.

AES lists St. Louis and projects within 300 miles of St. Louis as its service area, so Florissant is well inside it.

How far is Florissant from the AES office?

About 20.2 miles by road, about 32 minutes without traffic, from 3100 Gravois Ave to Florissant city hall. That is a free-flow estimate from the OSRM routing service, so allow more at rush hour. Florissant is the farthest of the six St. Louis County suburbs we checked.

Distance does not change the process. The same survey, county form and city permit apply wherever the crew starts. For nearby areas, see St. Louis County, MO and St. Louis, MO.

Next step

Call (314) 865-2662 or send our quote form with your Florissant, Missouri address and the work you plan. Start with the asbestos abatement page to see how the process works.