Pre-1990 homes: the asbestos step

The requirement

Before any renovation work begins on a home built before 1990, asbestos-containing materials must be inventoried and a risk assessment completed by a qualified person. This is a WorkSafeBC requirement and it applies across all municipalities in BC, regardless of whether your project needs a building permit.

The point isn't paperwork. Asbestos is only dangerous when disturbed and made airborne, which is exactly what demolition does. The assessment exists so that the material is identified before someone puts a hammer through it.

Where asbestos was commonly used

It appeared in a wide range of ordinary residential building materials, including:

• Vinyl floor tiles, sheet flooring, and the adhesive under them
• Drywall joint compound and textured or stipple ceiling finishes
• Pipe and duct insulation, and boiler insulation
• Vermiculite attic insulation
• Cement board and some exterior siding products
• Around older furnaces and heating equipment

Note that drywall mud and popcorn ceilings are on that list. This is why a project as ordinary as removing a textured ceiling in a 1970s house triggers the requirement.

How it works in practice

1. A qualified consultant surveys the areas the project will disturb and takes samples.
2. Samples go to a lab; results identify which materials contain asbestos.
3. You receive a report inventorying the materials and assessing risk.
4. If asbestos is present in the work area, abatement is done by a qualified abatement contractor under controlled conditions before general construction starts.
5. Once clear, demolition and construction proceed normally.

What this means for your schedule and budget

Build it into the plan from the start rather than treating it as a surprise. The survey and lab results take time, and abatement, if needed, is a separate scope done before your renovation crew can work. A contractor who tells you this step is unnecessary on a pre-1990 home is either unfamiliar with the requirement or willing to ignore it, and neither is a good sign about the rest of the job.

Other things older homes tend to surface

Once walls are open in an older house, other conditions often appear. None are unusual, but they're worth being financially prepared for:

• Knob-and-tube or aluminum wiring, which may need replacement and can affect insurability
• Galvanized or lead plumbing that's reached the end of its life
• Undersized electrical service for modern demand
• No insulation, or settled insulation, in walls being opened anyway
• Framing that isn't square or level, which affects finish work
• Previous unpermitted work that has to be corrected to pass inspection

Because of this, a contingency in the budget matters more on an older home than a newer one. Opening a wall is the only way to know what's behind it, so honest quoting on an older house involves stating assumptions rather than pretending there aren't any.

Common questions

This guide is general information for Metro Vancouver and the Fraser Valley, not legal advice or a substitute for your municipality's building department. Requirements vary by city and by project.