Lead and asbestos abatement

What happens first

If your screening tests came back positive for asbestos, the DEQ-licensed asbestos abatement contractor mobilizes first. They:

1. Conduct (or update) a pre-renovation asbestos inspection.
2. Submit DEQ notification (typically a 10-business-day waiting period before work can start).
3. Set up containment — plastic sheeting, negative-air machines, decontamination unit.
4. Remove the regulated materials following OAR 340-248.
5. Conduct a clearance air sample (third-party lab).
6. File the post-abatement notification with DEQ.

Total: 1–3 weeks for typical residential asbestos scopes (popcorn ceiling + pipe wrap + vinyl floor tile is the common combination).

Lead RRP runs alongside everything

Once the asbestos sub is done, the GC's RRP-certified crew begins demo. Lead-Safe Work Practices apply to every demo activity that disturbs lead paint:

• Plastic containment and floor protection.
• HEPA-vacuum cleanup at the end of every shift.
• Wet-method demolition where feasible.
• Specific waste-handling rules for lead-painted debris.
• Documentation kept on-site for the duration.

Unlike asbestos, RRP doesn't require a separate clearance test in residential work — but the record-keeping (RRP forms, certified-renovator photos, signed homeowner pamphlet receipt) has to be complete or the GC is exposed to EPA enforcement.

What you (the homeowner) see

Most owners don't see the asbestos work directly — the family is out of the house, containment is sealed. You'll see the DEQ notification and clearance paperwork at the end, in the project file.

For RRP, you'll see plastic everywhere, daily HEPA-vacuum sounds, and slightly slower demo than a non-pre-1978 project would have. It's the cost of doing the work safely.

Cost ranges

• Asbestos-only abatement: $3,000–$15,000 typical. Goes higher with more contamination or harder-to-remove materials.
• Lead RRP overhead: $2,000–$10,000 added cost across the demo and rough phases (containment materials, HEPA equipment rental, slower work).

Both should be separate line items in the GC contract, sized against your screening results.

When this is done

Asbestos: when the DEQ clearance air sample passes and the post-abatement notification is filed. Lead: ongoing through the demo and rough-finish phases — there's no single "done" moment.