An Older Chesterfield Roof May Hold Asbestos. Ask Before the Tear-Off.

Chesterfield has many houses from the years when the town's subdivisions were built out, and a number of them still carry a roof, or part of one, that went on before anyone asked what the shingle, felt or flashing was made from. Asbestos-containing materials were common in residential roofing through much of the last century, and they were phased out gradually rather than all at once. A house of a certain age is a reason to ask a question before the tear-off starts. It is not proof that the roof contains asbestos. This page covers what to check, who should check it, and what a written quote should show if the answer is yes.

Town roofing

The roofs most likely to raise the question are on houses built before the late 1980s, especially original roofs that have been patched over the years rather than replaced. In the older subdivisions along the main roads, the roof you see may be one of several layers and several eras. An addition built in one decade can sit beside a main house from another, and a garage or porch roof may have been done by a different contractor with different materials on hand. Each section needs its own answer.

Asbestos in roofing tends to show up in a few places: some cement-based shingles and panels, certain asphalt felts and roof coatings, the mastic used to seal flashing, and the cement packed around some pipe penetrations and chimney flashing. Old shingles and felt look much like their modern equivalents, so neither a roofer nor a homeowner can settle the question by eye. The reliable way to know is to have a sample taken and sent to a lab. Missouri's Department of Natural Resources regulates asbestos inspection and abatement, and the rules for who may take a sample depend on the building and the work involved. Ask the person taking the sample to name their training and accreditation, and ask for the name of the lab on the report.

Homeowners who plan to pull the old shingles themselves, or who want to save money by stripping the roof in sections, should stop at this point. Breaking up or dragging suspect material spreads fibers into the yard, the gutters and the flower beds, which is why sampling comes before anything is removed. If you find a suspect piece while walking the roof, leave it where it is and ask the sampler to take it.

Timing matters on a Chesterfield street. If the roof is going to be replaced before the cold sets in, the test result should be back before anyone books the tear-off, because a positive result changes the crew, the dumpster and the disposal method. Keys Roofing can be reached at (314) 220-2333. A question about whether a roof section needs sampling is a reasonable thing to ask before the crew is scheduled.

What it costs

The sample test is usually a small charge separate from the roof itself, and it is worth asking whether the quote includes it or whether you arrange it on your own. If the test comes back positive, the cost picture changes. Removal of asbestos-containing roofing is specialized work with its own containment and disposal requirements, and it is generally priced apart from a standard tear-off. A quote that says nothing about it is not a complete quote for an older roof. Ask for the removal work to appear as its own line, with the containment and disposal named, so it can be compared against a second bid on the same basis. A note that says the material will be "handled as needed" is not a price.

Waiting adds cost too. A section left open while lab results come back can mean standby time for the crew, extra tarping and a longer job. Ask how long the lab turnaround is for your sample and what happens to the open section in the meantime. Ask whether the quote includes a day rate if the crew has to stop, and who pays for the tarp if a wet week arrives.

Keep the records with the rest of the house file. The lab report, with the sampler's name and the date on it, is more useful later than a verbal "we checked." If the house changes hands, a buyer or an inspector may ask about the roof's history, and a dated test result answers that question directly.

What to ask

Put these questions to each roofer in writing, and compare the answers rather than the total price.

1. Has every roof section been sampled, including additions, garages and porches, or only the main slope?
2. Who takes the sample, what training or accreditation do they hold, and which lab analyzes it?
3. Will I receive the lab report in writing before any tear-off is scheduled?
4. If the test is positive, does the quote include removal, containment and disposal, or does it defer that work to a later date?
5. Where does suspect material go during the job, and is that spot covered in the dumpster and disposal plan?
6. If suspect material turns up on the day, does the crew stop and secure the area, and who makes that decision?
7. Who notifies the neighbors and the people living in the house about the work?
8. If a section must stay open for lab results, what is the rain plan, and who pays for the tarping and standby time?

A roofer who says testing is unnecessary on a house of this age should be asked to put the reasoning in writing. A roofer who says the material is "probably fine" has not answered the question. Keep the sampling and test records with the scope, the photos and the measurements, since they belong to the same file.