Asbestos Removal, are we talking 4k, 10, or more?

The pipes in my basement are covered with asbestos. They have duct tape over most of them , but there is some places that are exposed. I want it out. Reccomendations? I realize all houses are different, but I don't even know the order of magnitude cost.

My guesstimate, based on our own experiences, would be about 2K.

I got an estimate a few years ago. As I recall, it was about $2,500. (Haven't had the work done yet.)

Oh, well, that is less than I was guessing, so happy me. Who did you get quotes from?

Just one company. They've been recommended many times on MOL. You can find them if you search the archives. J&R, maybe? I think it was two initials.

D&S abatement is i think what was mentioned?
I called in best removal 201 329 7444 bestremoval@hotmail.com
Affordable amd prompt

Yes, D&S.

new207040 said:

D&S abatement is i think what was mentioned?
I called in best removal 201 329 7444 bestremoval@hotmail.com
Affordable amd prompt

I think it's called D&S Restoration actually. I just looked it up for a client. They are very good.

Asbestos removal costs are calculated by foot. The cost will depend on how much you have. They measure and give you a number. It's pretty straight forward.

Unless you are down there a lot, leave it alone.

I should post a pic. Most of it is wrapped in Duct tape, but there is a place where the previous owner tryed to fit drywall around it and it looks split open. Also, that is right above the washer, so it's a part of the basement we use a lot.

We used d&s as we'll and it was about 2k but this was 7 years ago. Same thing ...asbestos wrapped pipes. They did a good job

The estimator from D&S was very helpful. Told me what was worrisome and what wasn't. They could probably seal up that one area.

The problem with removing asbestos pipe insulation is then you have to replace it with something else. Not a huge, expensive project, but who needs another project?

We had the asbestos removed by D&S as part of what needed to be done before our closing. I'm sure there is still stuff in the walls upstairs but we went pretty far in getting all the steam pipes in the basement. Probably wouldn't work for most folks but we left the pipes un-insulated and are pretty happy with it. The basement stays warmer (and we do use it fairly regularly) and on the first floor parts of the floor have a radiant heat type effect where the pipes are under that section of floor.

Our heating bills aren't that bad and we haven't even insulated the attic yet and non of the walls are insulated either. So not insulating the pipes after the asbestos is removed may or may not work out for you but it might be an option.

True. As the cap'n says, you can leave them uninsulated if you want more heat in the basement.

Keep in mind that the estimates above are just the removal, any type of construction work that needs to be done / undone (removal of drywall to reach pipes, re-construction, etc) is not included in that number.

We had asbestos wrapped pipes in our old house which we didn't know until we were selling. The buyers wanted it removed but it was mostly behind a finished room. One entire wall in the room would have to be demolished to get to it. Everything I read said if it is in good condition (it was) leave it alone. We ended up giving the buyers a credit for the removal ($2000 I think), not sure if they actually removed it.

We had ours removed 6 years ago at a cost of $1850. I discovered last month that the best reason to have it removed is that you really don't want to have to deal with an asbestos abatement on an emergency basis. For example if your boiler dies and needs replacing in January.

As for replacing it, if you have a steam boiler, it really is not the best idea to leave the pipes uninsulated. You will have too much condensation in the horizontal stretches of pipe in the basement, which will make your system inefficient and may prevent some radiators from getting enough steam. If you have hot water, it's not as much of an issue. You can get 1" fiberglass pipe insulation at most plumbing supply places.

Rob_Sandow said:

As for replacing it, if you have a steam boiler, it really is not the best idea to leave the pipes uninsulated. You will have too much condensation in the horizontal stretches of pipe in the basement, which will make your system inefficient and may prevent some radiators from getting enough steam. If you have hot water, it's not as much of an issue. You can get 1" fiberglass pipe insulation at most plumbing supply places.

+1 Insulate your steam pipes!!!

wendyn said:

Keep in mind that the estimates above are just the removal, any type of construction work that needs to be done / undone (removal of drywall to reach pipes, re-construction, etc) is not included in that number.

We had asbestos wrapped pipes in our old house which we didn't know until we were selling. The buyers wanted it removed but it was mostly behind a finished room. One entire wall in the room would have to be demolished to get to it. Everything I read said if it is in good condition (it was) leave it alone. We ended up giving the buyers a credit for the removal ($2000 I think), not sure if they actually removed it.

I would also think that if it is inaccessible (e.g. behind a wall), it isn't dangerous.

I removed what was visible in preparing to sell my house. Same deal: visible asbestos-wrapped steam pipes in the open basement ceiling. D&S did the work and they were excellent. As others have said, gave great advice, explained the process & didn't try to "upsell" me. I asked about the asbestos tile flooring, knowing that it was perfectly safe but that a buyer would want it gone. D&S told me that those since those tiles don't pose the same risk, they can be removed by anyone & disposed of with other construction debris. If he did it, however, as a licensed abatement company, it would cost me 3x as much because everything they (D&S) remove has to follow the same regulated tracking process. I was grateful for that advice, because prepping a house for sale was soooo much more expensive than I could have dreamed.

I sold at the bottom of the market, when buyers could (and did) make a lot of demands. Even then, no one suggested or asked that I remove what went behind the walls.

Thanks you guys, this has been really helpful. I think I will call for an estimate since the asbestos does seem damaged and it is completely exposed.

I found GR Tech on Angies list, and confirmed it was a company licensed for asbestos removal through NJ state. They removed small amounts of asbestos covering our pipes that were in the ceiling of our basement.

I was very satisfied with the quoted price, the work done, and the interaction with all the employees.

GR Tech from Wayne, NJ (973) 638-1777

Good luck!
http://www.angieslist.com/companylist/us/nj/wayne/gr-tech-llc-reviews-6231131.htm

There is a D&S Abatement in Totowa and a D&S Restoration in Paterson - both do asbestos removal. Which is the one that people are referring to on here?

I am pretty sure it's D&S Restoration. I used them myself. Easy process. Quote was very straight forward and was calculated by the length of asbestos removed. Both times, we had two quotes and they were very similar.

It's counterintuitive, but it's D&H Restoration you want. I worked as a real estate assistant this past summer/fall and the word amongst brokers is that "Restoration" does the better job.

There are TWO companies named D & S. The proprietors used to be partners. They had a falling out.

D & S Abatement and D & S Restoration.

I have had great experience with one, and not so good with the other, but I am embarrassed to say I forget which was which. I'd call them both and get estimates from each one.

I had Aztech by for a quote today - the owner was a hoot and the quote was reasonable.

Restoration is the one with good reviews in the past. I had them out for a quote - very helpful guy - but haven't done the work yet.

Interesting...my plumber gave me a strong referral for D&S, with the phone number for D&S Abatement. I liked the guy, and am ready to sign, but the quote mysteriously went up by almost 25% between when the guy left my house, and when the official quote arrived in the mail, with no explanation of what changed (the number of linear feet of pipe covering to be removed remains the same)

So, any feedback on D&S Abatement? Or on why a quote would go up so much in the process of driving back to the office?

I ended up using D&S Restoration. He came after Aztech and told me he would beat the quote - which he did. They were very professional etc and had no issues.

FYI, D & S abatement and D & S restoration are two separate companies. They used to be partners and had a falling out.

I've had good experiences with both of them.