Last Updated on December 17, 2023 by Kimberly Crawford
Why is asbestos inspection important?
Indeed, asbestos was once a widely accepted material in the construction industry because of its fireproofing and insulating qualities.
But now it’s nothing more than just a hazardous material that needs to be detected and removed from your property.
Asbestos presence in your house poses a lot of health risks to your whole family. If you get exposed to asbestos dust, there’s a great chance that you’ll develop conditions like asbestosis, lung cancer, and mesothelioma.
That’s why if your house was built during the 70s or 80s and there’s no asbestos register yet for that property, it’s best if you have it inspected.
This way, you’ll know whether you need to hire a separate asbestos removal company or not.
Knowing if your house is filled with asbestos also allows you to take caution regarding renovation projects.
Tips on How to Find the Right Asbestos Inspection Company
1. Asbestos removal companies are out of the picture
If your property doesn’t have an asbestos register yet, you need to hire a company that offers asbestos inspection only.
Because for now, you won’t need the removal service since you’re not sure yet if there’s asbestos in your house.
If you happen to contact a company that offers you a combo package of inspection and removal of asbestos, stay away from them. It’s a red flag.
While these promos can be helpful budget-wise, inspection and removal in one service screams “scam” and “conflict of interest”.
If you hire these types of companies, there’s a great chance that their asbestos inspection reports will hugely favour the removal side of their business.
Another red flag to watch out for is when a company that poses as an asbestos inspection agency also offers unrelated businesses like plumbing and pest extermination on their websites.
These red flags simply mean that these companies either don’t know what they’re doing, or they just take asbestos for granted.
2. Run a background check
Now that you know what kind of company to look for, the next thing you should do is to run a background check on the companies you want to get a quote from.
And it’s easy to do! Just go to their websites and social media pages and look for reviews, recommendations, awards, and accreditations.
Companies love to brag about their recent accomplishments so once you see that they are recognized by several institutions, they’re legit. You can confirm it with the reviews and ratings that are also on their page.
3. Ask for the certifications of the company’s inspectors
If you’ve found a company that you think is a legit asbestos inspection service, the next thing you want to do is to contact them and ask for the details.
Some of the pieces of information that you need to know are the price, duration of the process, availability, and so much more.
But if there’s one detail that you should not forget, it’s whether their inspectors are certified or not. And you can only assure yourself of that if you ask nicely for the certifications of the inspectors that will execute the asbestos testing Melbourne.
Beware of inspection agencies that hire former builders without proper training and certification.
While we respect the expertise of the people from the construction industry, keep in mind that asbestos is still a health-related issue. And it’s not something to take for granted.
That’s why as much as possible, you’d want only professionals or experts to handle the business.
If the company employs former builders that trained and got certified for asbestos inspection, that’s good. But if not, that’s a red flag. So stay away from them.
