How to Choose an Asbestos Testing Company in Kelowna

Choosing a company to test for asbestos in Kelowna comes down to a few things: knowing when testing is required before work starts, a survey from someone with no stake in the removal job, written quotes that spell out the scope, and confirmation that the people and lab behind the results meet British Columbia's requirements. This guide walks through each step so your renovation or demolition does not get derailed.

Know your situation before you call anyone

Asbestos was used in thousands of building materials, including drywall, textured ceiling coatings, insulation, vinyl flooring, and window putty, and you cannot tell whether a material contains it just by looking. WorkSafeBC says homeowners need a home tested for asbestos before a renovation or demolition, or before maintenance work that could disturb asbestos. Before you call anyone, pin down a few facts:

• The work you are planning: renovation, demolition, or a repair that will open up walls, ceilings, or floors.
• When the home was built. WorkSafeBC says that if it was built before 1990, at least some parts are likely to contain asbestos.
• The materials the work will disturb, such as drywall, popcorn ceilings, attic insulation, vinyl flooring, or pipe insulation.
• Whether you need a full survey of the work area or a single sample of one material. Describe the work to each company and ask what they recommend.

Ask for written quotes you can compare

Ask two or three local testing companies for a written quote based on the same description of the work. A useful quote states how many samples will be taken and from where, which laboratory will analyse them, when results will be ready, and what the written report will contain. A single flat price for an asbestos test gives you nothing to compare and nothing to hold anyone to.

1. Send every company the same written description of the work and the materials it will disturb.
2. Ask each one to itemise the samples (number, location, and material), the sampling method, laboratory analysis, turnaround time, and the report.
3. Ask who collects the samples and who signs off on the results.
4. Confirm the total price, taxes, and what happens if the results call for more sampling before work can proceed.

BC rules, licences, and labs

In British Columbia, asbestos abatement contractors must be licensed, abatement workers must hold WorkSafeBC certification, and a notice of project must be submitted to WorkSafeBC for asbestos work. WorkSafeBC's guidance for homeowners is to hire a licensed surveyor to sample and report, then a licensed abatement contractor to contain or remove what was found, with a qualified person certifying afterwards that the air in the work area is safe. It also publishes an online list of licensed contractors you can check. For the analysis itself, ask which laboratory the company uses and what accreditation that lab holds for asbestos, and confirm current requirements with WorkSafeBC.

Red flags worth pausing for

• A free or cheap test that conveniently finds asbestos only the same company can remove.
• Test results with no written report behind them: no sample locations, no laboratory, no method.
• A claim that a material is safe based on its age or appearance, or from a photo.
• Pressure to start demolition before the lab results and report are in your hands.
• Reluctance to name the lab, show a licence, or say who takes the samples.

Where to start in Kelowna

Browse local asbestos and environmental testing companies on this directory, compare what each one includes in a survey and its report, and send the same written description of your project to the two or three that fit best. A little comparison before work starts keeps your project on schedule and everyone working on it safe.