Hazardous Materials Assessment

Before a major renovation or a demolition in Calgary, somebody has to establish what hazardous materials are in the building. For a demolition, the City of Calgary requires its Asbestos Abatement Form before the permit is released for a building put up before 1990, and its demolition permit guide says a copy of the asbestos assessment, showing how many samples were taken and where, plus a clearance letter must be given to the inspector at the time of inspection.

Chestermere's demolition checklist asks for a copy of an asbestos report. High River points to the provincial standard that has the safety codes officer confirm asbestos-containing materials have been dealt with before a renovation or demolition permit is issued.

An assessment walks the building, identifies each suspect material, samples it, sends the samples to a lab, and writes a report that maps what is where, in what condition and in what quantity. It usually covers asbestos, lead paint and mould, and can note other hazards such as mercury switches or PCB ballasts in older fixtures. That report is what an abatement contractor quotes from and what a demolition inspector reads.

For a renovation that keeps the house, the same survey tells you which walls, ceilings and floors can be opened normally and which need abatement first. If a permit has already been issued and asbestos turns up mid-job, the City's instruction is to stop work immediately, notify OHS as required, and submit a permit revision.

Few Calgary firms publish a price for a full assessment, and the ones we read quote each job, so we do not give a figure. Ask what the survey covers, how many samples are included, and whether the report meets what your municipality's inspector will ask for.