Asbestos for Homeowners

If your home was built before the 1980s, it may contain asbestos in the flooring, ceilings, siding, insulation or around the furnace. Asbestos that’s in good shape and left alone is usually not a danger. The risk comes when you sand, scrape, cut, drill, tear out or demolish it during a remodel. Here’s how to find out what you have and handle it safely and legally.

• Homeowners
• DIY
• Home buyers

Where asbestos hides in homes

You can’t tell by looking. Many of these products were also made without asbestos. Testing is the only way to know.

Should I leave it alone?

Often, yes. Asbestos material that’s intact, not damaged, and won’t be disturbed is usually safest left in place. Check on it from time to time.

• Leave it alone if it’s in good condition and you’re not planning work that would disturb it.
• Get it checked if it’s crumbling, water-damaged, torn or flaking, or before any remodel, repair or demolition that could disturb it.
• Options besides removal: a professional can encapsulate (seal) or enclose (cover) some materials. You can lay new flooring over old asbestos tile without disturbing it, if your floor allows.

Getting it tested

• Best option: hire an accredited or state-licensed asbestos inspector. They know where to look and how to take samples safely, and their report is what contractors, permit offices and landfills usually want.
• Doing it yourself: some states let homeowners collect their own samples and send them to a lab. Wet the material first, wear a respirator and disposable gloves, take a small piece, seal it in a bag, and patch the spot. Use a lab accredited by NIST’s National Voluntary Laboratory Accreditation Program (NVLAP).
• Before buying a home: ask your home inspector about suspect materials, and consider asbestos testing before a major renovation.

Can I remove it myself?

It depends on your state, the material and the amount.

• Federal rules: the EPA’s asbestos air rules generally don’t cover homes with four or fewer units. OSHA rules protect employees, not homeowners working on their own houses.
• Many states let owner-occupants of single-family homes do their own removal, often with conditions: the home must be your residence, you must do the work yourself (not hire unlicensed help), and you must follow safe removal and disposal rules.
• Some states limit it. A few allow homeowners to remove only non-friable materials like siding, require notification, or have no general homeowner exemption at all.
• Cities and counties may require permits, surveys or notification even for houses.
• Anyone you pay to remove asbestos generally must be licensed, even in a single-family home.

Look up your state in Asbestos Rules by State and confirm with the agency before you start.

Our advice: hire a pro for most jobs

Even where it’s legal, DIY asbestos removal is risky. Fibers you can’t see can spread through your house and stay in carpets and ductwork for years, exposing your family. Professionals have the containment, negative air machines, respirators, training and disposal arrangements to do it right. Hire a licensed contractor for:

• Pipe, boiler and duct insulation, and anything friable (crumbly)
• Popcorn ceilings and large areas of any material
• Vermiculite
• Damaged or water-soaked material
• Anything in a home with children, pregnant people, or people with lung disease

If you do any work yourself

Only where your state allows it, and only for small amounts of non-friable material such as a few floor tiles or siding shingles:

• Confirm the material is asbestos (or assume it is) and check your state and local rules
• Keep children, pets and other people away; shut off heating and air conditioning
• Seal the area with plastic sheeting and tape, and cover the floor
• Wear a properly fitted respirator with P100 filters (not a dust mask), disposable coveralls, gloves and eye protection
• Keep the material wet with water and a little dish soap the whole time
• Remove pieces whole when you can; don’t break, sand, grind, drill, cut with power tools, or dry scrape
• Double-bag waste in heavy plastic bags (6 mil), or wrap it, and seal and label it
• Clean up with wet wipes and a HEPA vacuum; never sweep or use a regular shop vac
• Bag your coveralls and wipe down before leaving the area; shower afterward
• Take the waste only to a landfill or transfer station that accepts asbestos

• Don’t sand or grind asbestos flooring or its mastic.
• Don’t power-wash asbestos siding or roofing.
• Don’t put asbestos in your household trash or a regular dumpster.
• Don’t burn it.

Hiring an asbestos contractor

• Use separate companies for testing and removal if you can, so the inspector has no stake in the job.
• Verify the contractor’s state asbestos license and the workers’ cards.
• Get a written contract that describes the work, containment, air testing, cleanup and disposal.
• Ask whether the contractor will file any required permits or notifications.
• Consider independent air testing (clearance) after the work, especially for larger jobs.
• Get copies of the waste disposal records.

See also Hiring a Contractor Safely.

Disposal

Asbestos waste must go to a landfill or facility approved to accept it, not your curbside trash. Call your local landfill or solid waste agency first. Most require the waste to be wetted, double-bagged or wrapped in heavy plastic, sealed and labeled. Some require proof of testing or an appointment.

Selling or renting your home

• Some states require sellers to disclose known asbestos.
• Landlords have extra duties to protect tenants and workers. Rules vary by state and city.
• Keep records of testing and any removal work.

Last updated: October 1, 2026