People who live in rather old houses that contain asbestos materials are often worried that they cannot afford the cost of removing asbestos from their home. They think that if it remains undisturbed, then they do not need to worry about this health hazard. But is it really that expensive to get rid of asbestos?
How Much Does Asbestos Removal Cost?
The cost of asbestos removal will vary depending on the company you sign up with, and by how much asbestos is in your property. Typically, if your house is around 1,800 square meters, that would translate roughly to $30,000 – please contact us to get a quote for your specific project.
But the cost also largely depends on the procedures that the inspector will deem necessary. To give you a better idea of just how much you need to spend on getting rid of the asbestos in your house, here is a simple explanation of the procedure that we at AES perform on a daily basis in Sydney and other areas of NSW:
Inspection
Before you get an entire crew of people into your house and start removing various odds and ends, you need to hire an asbestos inspector to assess the condition of your house and recommend what kind of action needs to be taken. Inspectors will use various tools to determine if your house does indeed contain the hazardous material, they can even find out if there are harmful amounts of asbestos fibers floating in the air inside your house.
Based on the conclusion that the inspector comes up with, you can then gauge how much you need to spend to make your house safe again.
Choosing Between Encapsulation and Complete Removal
If the inspector found out that the asbestos in your home has not deteriorated enough to release its fibers into the air, then he may recommend that you only get the hazardous material encapsulated. This basically means that the asbestos-containing material is covered with a special adhesive that will prevent it from breaking apart in the future. This would usually cost $13 – $14 per square meter.
But if the asbestos in your home is already posing a threat to the inhabitants, then you have no other choice but to physically remove it from your home. You cannot remove asbestos by yourself because you will only put yourself in danger and because it is illegal to do it if you are not licensed to handle hazardous materials. Hiring professionals to do the job for you will usually set you back $85 per square meters, plus what you need to spend to repair the damage left by the asbestos removal crew.
The Cost of NOT Treating the Asbestos Problem
It may therefore seem like getting rid of the asbestos in your home is an expensive venture – but when you consider the cost of not having it done you will find that you are actually making the right choice. Considering that exposure to asbestos can usually cost you thousands of dollars in medical expenses, and not to mention that it can also cause life-threatening cancer, it is actually better to spend some money on treating the asbestos problem in your home rather than leaving it alone.
If you are a resident of Sydney, New South Wales, or in any of the nearby areas and you need assistance regarding asbestos removal for your home, then our company will be more than happy to help. We know just how expensive asbestos remediation can be so we always strive to provide our clients with reasonable alternatives to make their homes safe. We always place the well-being of our clients at the top of our priorities so you need not worry too much about the cost.
Contact us for an estimate of the asbestos removal cost if you live in:
- Sydney metropolitan area
- Newcastle
- Wollongong and Illawarra
- Canberra