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Commercial · Institutional · Government
Surveyed 🡢 Filed 🡢 Contained 🡢 Cleared.
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A DEP-certified investigator determines whether ACM is present.
Licensed contractor and certified crews do the work — never the GC's general labor.
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The project monitor works for the owner's side, not the abatement contractor.
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Clearance and filings close the project before the space is turned over.
Floor tile, black mastic, ceiling plaster and pipe insulation are routinely found in pre-renovation surveys of older offices, retail spaces and institutional buildings. If ACM is in the work area, it has to be abated before demolition begins.
Asbestos requirements must be satisfied before certain DOB permits can issue, so abatement sits on the critical path. Sequencing it early is the cheapest schedule protection you can buy.
Water damage, a ceiling collapse, a mechanical-room failure or a trade that cut into suspect material can release fibers. Stop work, isolate the area, keep people out and call for an emergency assessment.
A due-diligence survey that identifies ACM usually turns into an abatement scope and budget before closing. Tell us the timeline and we will price it against the survey.
| Material | Where it is found | Why it matters |
|---|---|---|
| Floor tile and black mastic | Offices, retail, corridors; often under newer flooring | Disturbed during flooring removal and build-outs |
| Pipe, boiler and tank insulation | Mechanical rooms, risers, basements | Can crumble when damaged; often jacketed |
| Spray-applied fireproofing | Steel beams and decks above ceilings | Disturbed by ceiling demolition and MEP work |
| Plaster, joint compound, ceiling tile | Walls and ceilings in older buildings | Common in gut renovations |
| Roofing, flashing, caulks and glazing compounds | Roof systems, windows, façade joints | Disturbed in roof and façade repairs |
| Transite panels, ducts and pipe | Cementitious panels, flues, chimneys | Stable until cut, broken or weathered |
| Duct wrap and gaskets | HVAC systems | Disturbed in system replacement |
We coordinate a DEP-certified investigator to survey the work area and issue the asbestos assessment report. We use the results to define scope, quantities and sequence. If a survey already exists, send it — we will review it before we price.
We write the abatement scope, build the schedule backward from your start date and prepare the DEP notification and any permit documentation, so notice periods never become the reason your project slips.
Critical barriers, negative air pressure with HEPA filtration and a decontamination unit isolate the work area from the rest of the building. The project monitor inspects the setup before any material is disturbed.
DEP-certified crews remove ACM using wet methods and appropriate controls, then package and label it for disposal. Work areas are cleaned continuously, not left to the end.
An independent project monitor performs the visual inspection and air sampling. The area is released only when it passes. We do not monitor or clear our own work.
Waste goes to a permitted disposal facility under shipment records. We file the completion documents and deliver a closeout package: filings, monitor reports, waste records and photos.
| Role | Responsibility | Independent? |
|---|---|---|
| Property owner / GC | Retains the investigator, monitor and abatement contractor; owns the project schedule | — |
| DEP-certified asbestos investigator | Surveys building materials and documents the results in the asbestos assessment report | Yes |
| Abatement contractor (CRE) | Notifications, containment, removal, waste handling and completion documents | — |
| Project monitor / air monitor | Independent oversight, air sampling and visual inspection; issues clearance | Yes — required |
| Accredited laboratory | Analyzes bulk and air samples | Yes |
| NYC DEP / NYS DOL | DEP: NYC notifications, certifications and oversight. DOL: contractor licensing, and the rules outside NYC | Regulator |
| Form | Purpose | Timing |
|---|---|---|
| ACP-5 | Asbestos assessment report — records the survey and whether ACM is present | Before any work that disturbs materials |
| ACP-7 | Notification of an asbestos project, filed with DEP by the licensed contractor | Advance notice before work starts (generally at least 7 days) |
| ACP-15 | Project monitor’s report documenting monitoring and inspection | During and at the end of the project |
| ACP-21 | Completion filing that closes the project with DEP | At closeout |
Clearance and completion filings issued
Rebuild scope and permits confirmed
Framing, ceilings, flooring and finishes installed
— the rebuild
Abatement leaves a cleared, bare space: tile and mastic gone, ceilings opened, insulation removed. Nothing can be finished until the independent monitor clears the area and the completion filings are in. At that point the building is ready for the rebuild.
Because CRE also performs commercial reconstruction, the same contractor that cleared the asbestos can put the floors, ceilings and finishes back, on one schedule and one contract. If your GC or another contractor does the rebuild, we hand over the clearance and closeout documents it needs.
We work in occupied and vacant buildings, on weekday, overnight and weekend schedules, and we coordinate with building management on freight elevators, hoisting and loading-dock windows.
From survey through closeout, we manage the abatement scope, the filings and the licensed specialists involved — and we answer for the result. One call tells you where your project stands.
Notification periods and permits drive the calendar on NYC projects. We schedule backward from your demolition or move-in date and flag risks early, in writing.
Every project closes with a records package your lender, insurer or agency can audit: filings, monitor reports, waste shipment records and photos.
NYS DOL Asbestos Handling License #[LICENSE NUMBER] · Fully bonded & insured · OSHA 40-Hour HAZWOPER-trained crews [CONFIRM]
The rebuild after abatement: framing, ceilings, flooring and finishes, from the same contractor.
Abatement and demolition under one schedule and one contact — no gap between the clearance and the first swing.
Regulatory pathway planning, DEP and DOB coordination, and closeout packages for owners, GCs and agencies.
PCB ballasts, mercury equipment, drums and other regulated materials often show up in the same survey.
Older buildings often have lead paint alongside ACM. We plan both in one containment sequence.
Outside the five boroughs — Long Island, Westchester and beyond — asbestos projects follow NYS Department of Labor rules rather than DEP’s. We plan around the jurisdiction that governs your site.
Beyond the five boroughs
Cost depends on the type and quantity of material, whether it is friable, access and containment needs, work hours, waste volume and monitoring. Floor tile in an open office is a very different job from pipe insulation in an occupied mechanical room. Rather than quote a per-square-foot number that will not fit your building, we price from the survey and a site walk. Send your report and we will respond with a scope and schedule.
Yes. Before work that could disturb building materials, a DEP-certified investigator has to determine whether asbestos is present. Skipping the survey, or not retaining a licensed contractor for the project notification, can bring DEP penalties of $1,200 to $10,000 per infraction. [VERIFY] We coordinate the survey as the first step of every scope.
Duration depends on quantity and complexity. A small floor-tile scope can finish in days; a full floor or a mechanical room takes longer. NYC’s notification period and any permits must be built into the schedule, so we work backward from your start date and tell you early if the calendar is at risk.
Often, with planning. Work is contained under negative air pressure, monitored independently and can be phased or done after hours. Whether a space can stay occupied depends on the scope, the building systems and the project monitor’s requirements. We confirm it during the site walk.
Asbestos abatement contractors must hold a New York State Department of Labor Asbestos Handling License, and the supervisors and handlers on NYC projects must hold DEP certification. Ask any contractor to show both and verify them with the issuing agency. Our license number is listed on our About page.
Asbestos waste is wetted, sealed in labeled containers, and transported to a permitted disposal facility. Shipment records are kept and included in your closeout package, so you can show where the material went.
Yes. CRE performs commercial reconstruction as well as abatement, so the cleared space can be rebuilt under the same contract and schedule. If your GC handles the rebuild, we hand over the clearance and closeout documents it needs.
