The average cost to remove asbestos siding is $2,900, but it can range between $1,300 and $3,900, depending on size, ease of access, and location.
If you suspect your home’s siding may contain dangerous asbestos, you should consider professionally removing it. The cost to remove asbestos siding averages $2,900, but can range from as little as $400 to as high as $13,000, depending on the size of the area.
You may think that since it’s outside it doesn’t pose a threat, but asbestos can become airborne outside due to physical damage, wind, weather, and other factors.
The size of your siding area is a main factor when budgeting for this project. Asbestos siding removal costs, on average, $5 to $12 per square foot to remove. This doesn’t include the cost of new siding. Below is a look at some common prices for removal.
| Area Size in Square Feet | Average Removal Cost |
|---|---|
| 200 | $1,000–$2,400 |
| 400 | $2,000–$4,600 |
| 600 | $3,000–$7,100 |
| 800 | $3,800–$9,300 |
| 1,000 | $4,700–$11,500 |
| 1,400 | $6,500–$16,000 |
| 1,700 | $8,000–$19,000 |
| 2,000 | $9,000–$22,000 |
The method you use to remove the asbestos siding also influences the final cost. From encapsulation to total removal, here’s a look at your options.
Encapsulation of asbestos involves coating the asbestos in material that bonds it, making it impossible for the asbestos to become airborne. Encapsulation is performed when the asbestos is degrading and removing it would be both expensive and extremely messy. A bonus point for encapsulation is that it’s the least expensive method.
This is the least popular method because it isn’t guaranteed to mitigate the safety hazards of asbestos. Essentially, you just cover the asbestos with a new material and make sure it’s perfectly sealed so no fibers can escape. A single improper seal, installation, or drilling into asbestos can have life-altering health effects, so it's best to avoid it.
The pricing for complete removal is listed in the table above. Along with encapsulation, complete removal is the preferred method when the asbestos is in good enough condition to remove it in chunks. Otherwise, encapsulation is the better method.
You won’t be able to test for asbestos on your own. A local asbestos testing professional will come out to take a sample and send it to a lab. The cost for asbestos testing averages about $480 but can range between $230 and $770.
Asbestos siding doesn’t look like asbestos most of the time—it was constructed to appear like wood or other types of siding. For this reason, it can be hard to identify. Some types of asbestos siding are made to look like luxury materials like stucco. A good starting point is determining when the siding was installed. If it was 1989 or earlier, it may contain asbestos.
The most widely used type of asbestos you’re likely to encounter is called chrysotile, also called white asbestos. It’s grey and white and can look like an old dirty carpet. Resist the urge to scratch the material if you find it, and call a pro before you even touch it.
Asbestos removal is expensive and requires specialized workers who are licensed by the state to do the job. This drives up the hourly cost of asbestos removal, which is normally between $50 and $200 per hour. If you are billed hourly, keep in mind that this includes time spent bringing materials to the disposal area.
The most important piece of prep you can do is let a professional confirm the siding is asbestos and follow their recommendations. This is not a job you want to fiddle around with before you start the actual work, and there isn’t much prep work to do other than wrapping the house in containment plastic.
Location plays a role in the total cost, but not as much as it would for other projects. This is because asbestos removal is exactly that—removal. It doesn’t require sourcing materials, large work trucks, or shipping heavy items (unless you replace the siding). Therefore, the cost ranges are tighter than they’d be in other locations. One thing to note: the higher the population, the more room you see in professional quotes, and the more willing they may be to discuss pricing.
| Location | Average Removal Cost |
|---|---|
| Minneapolis, MN | $1,650–$3,400 |
| Toledo, OH | $1,300–$2,900 |
| Miami, FL | $2,100–$3,900 |
| Seattle, WA | $2,000–$3,800 |
| Tulsa, OK | $1,350–$3,000 |
| Chicago, IL | $1,750–$3,300 |
| New York, NY | $2,500–$4,200 |
| Austin. TX | $1,500–$3,100 |
Asbestos can’t just be stuffed into a garbage bag. It needs to be placed in specific asbestos bags and then properly sealed. This cost can and usually is rolled up into a project quote, but make sure that it isn’t left out, as the materials and labor hours can quickly add up.
You will need a permit in every state to do asbestos removal. This isn’t necessarily hard, but it can be expensive, with permits costing between $400 and $3,000 for this type of work. The good news is most cities are just happy you’re removing it, so permits shouldn’t cost an arm and a leg.
Different than cleanup, asbestos needs to be disposed of in a specific facility. Your pro will know where to go but if you want to do your own research, call your city hall to direct you to the right person. Costs vary based on location, with some basing the disposal fee on weight and some by size (usually cubic feet). For a typical house, expect to pay around $300 for disposal. Note that his number doesn’t include gas, mileage, or hourly rates for your professionals to take it to the disposal site.
The only perk of attempting a DIY is saving money, but asbestos pros are expensive for a reason. For example, many people think they can vacuum asbestos, but this would significantly increase the safety risks. The short of it is you need to hire a local asbestos removal pro to do this work. It would be unethical to provide any tips on how to DIY this job due to the serious health effects of asbestos exposure.
Unfortunately, there are not many ways to save money on this project as you need to hire licensed professionals who will name their rate. You can shop around and compare quotes, but don’t expect to see a large range of pricing. You may be able to squeeze a 5% or 10% discount on the labor if you schedule during a company’s downtime, but this isn’t a project where you want to wait months for the best price. And finally, there isn’t much work you can DIY, either.
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If you think you’ve touched asbestos, do not put on a mask. This is important because you may take the asbestos fibers on your hands on trap them in the mask. Make your way to a sink and wash your hands thoroughly. Remove any clothes and seal them in a bag, then take a shower. Call your doctor and let them know you’ve been exposed to asbestos, and make sure you see them as soon as possible. The reason you keep the clothes is in case anyone wants to confirm the presence of asbestos.
While a professional will be able to do this, it isn’t a project we recommend to homeowners at all. The reason is that you can’t see asbestos fibers when they’re airborne, and if you’re painting siding, you’re likely either using a brush (which adds a lot of pressure) or a pressure washer, which can blast fibers around. We recommend only using the removal methods found near the beginning of this article.
When asbestos fibers become airborne, they enter a person's respiratory system. These fibers scar and damage the lungs and often lead to serious cancers like mesothelioma. Like many dangers in the house, asbestos isn’t easy to see when it could be causing serious damage. The amount of time exposed, combined with the person’s tolerance for asbestos inhalation and the amount inhaled, will all contribute to health problems.
