Buying or Selling a Home With Asbestos in Spokane
A home inspector circled a ceiling or a basement floor and wrote the word asbestos. Now what? This page covers the practical steps for buyers and sellers in Spokane County.
- Steps for buyers
- Steps for sellers
- Records that help closing
✓ Licensed and insured. Many years in business serving the greater Spokane area.
Why it comes up at inspection
Older homes are more likely to contain asbestos, and Spokane has plenty of them.
The median Spokane County home dates to 1978 (Point2*), and a large share of the city's houses are decades older (City housing action plan). An inspector who sees an old textured ceiling, old floor tile or wrapped heating pipes will often recommend testing, because none of these can be judged by eye.
A recommendation to test is not a finding of asbestos. It is a cue to get a lab result before anyone starts work or signs a final agreement.
If you are buying
- Ask what is suspect. Have the inspector list each material that is in question.
- Test only what you plan to disturb. A survey covers the rooms you intend to remodel.
- Get a removal quote. A written scope gives you a number for negotiation.
- Keep the paper trail. Ask the seller for any past survey or abatement records.
- Plan the order. Remove first, then renovate. SRCAA requires the survey before renovation (SRCAA).
If you are selling
- Test before you list if the inspector is likely to flag something. A known result is easier to price than a surprise.
- If removal is the plan, finish it before showings so the work area is not an issue.
- Keep the survey report, the notice and the waste shipment record together.
- Ask your agent or a real estate attorney about disclosure rules for your sale.
Removal timelines include the clean air agency's waiting period, which is 10 days for most projects (SRCAA). Build that into your closing date.
What removal does to a closing schedule
Survey
A few days to sample and get lab results.
Notice wait
Most projects have a 10-day waiting period. Smaller ones have 3 days.
Removal
A single room can take a day or two. Whole-house jobs take longer.
Clearance
A final visual check and cleanup before the area is released.
Disposal
Waste has to reach the landfill within 10 days of removal.
Repairs
New texture, flooring and paint come after.
Records worth keeping
Keep the lab report, the survey, the notice filed with SRCAA, the waste shipment record and the contractor's invoice. A future buyer or lender can ask for any of them. See the notification guide and the disposal page for what each one looks like.
Back to the Asbestos Removal Spokane home page.
Buying or Selling With Asbestos: questions and answers
Does asbestos kill a home sale?
Not by itself. A known result with a removal plan or a price adjustment is usually easier to manage than an unknown.
Do I have to remove it before selling?
Not by SRCAA's rules alone. Removal is triggered by renovation or demolition. Ask your agent about disclosure.
Who pays for removal in a sale?
That is negotiated between buyer and seller. A written quote makes the conversation concrete.
How long will removal delay closing?
Plan for at least the waiting period, which is 10 days for most projects (SRCAA).
What if the inspector only suspects it?
Test before deciding anything. See the survey guide.
Can you give me a quote before closing?
Yes. Send the inspector's report with the form.
Closing date coming up?
Send the inspection report. We will tell you what can finish in time.
* Housing figures are third-party estimates from the linked source and may not describe your home. Testing is the only way to know.