Whether it is one apartment getting new floors or a whole house coming down, we test for asbestos in Hopkins, remove what needs to go and look after the state notice and disposal records.
Of all Hopkins homes, more than 2 in every 3 predate 1980. The 1970s added about a quarter of them, the biggest share of any decade.
Floor tile lifted in a lower-level corner before a home sauna is built
Example project
Home
Hopkins split-entry from the 1970s; tile floor in the lower-level family room
Original request
Build a small sauna in one corner on bare concrete, with a floor drain
Testing
An MDH-certified inspector sends the 12-inch tile and the black mastic to the lab as two separate samples
Found
Both the floor tile and its black mastic tested positive
Area
About 70 sq ft in the corner
Work
Whole tiles pried up wherever they let go; black mastic scraped off while kept wet
Timeline
Five-day notice, then one working day
Cost
$1,950
In this example, the owners of a 1970s split-entry in Hopkins want a small sauna in the lower-level family room. The builder will cut a drain into the slab and set the sauna on bare concrete, and old tile covers that corner.
Book asbestos testing before anyone opens a wall, lifts a floor or schedules a wrecker.
Unit floors
Each floor layer gets its own sample, from entry and kitchen sheet vinyl to old tile hidden by carpet. The page on floor tile and mastic removal covers what happens when one tests positive.
Ceiling texture
Sprayed ceilings in apartments and houses can be tested and, when needed, scraped under popcorn ceiling removal.
Mechanical rooms
If a furnace swap or boiler replacement is coming, have the old wrap on pipes, ducts and boiler bodies sampled first. Our duct, furnace and pipe insulation removal page explains how it comes off.
Exterior siding
Older cement siding or roofing that must come off is the subject of asbestos siding removal.
Hopkins leans toward apartments. Buildings of five or more units hold more than half its homes, about 6 in 10 occupied homes are rented, and about 4 in 10 are one-unit homes. The median home dates from 1973.
Apartment buildings
MPCA’s exclusion is written for houses, so it does not reach a building with five or more units. Renovating or demolishing one of those means notice to MPCA ten working days before regulated asbestos is disturbed.
Landlords and rentals
Owning a rental changes the rules. The exemption is limited to owners living in their own single-family house, so rental units, duplexes and apartments need an MDH-licensed contractor as soon as the work involves more than the state’s limits.
Houses from the 1960s and 1970s
Ceiling texture, floor tile and mastic, sheet flooring and taped ducts from those years are all worth sampling before work begins.
Hopkins’ building permits page lists permitted work and is silent on both asbestos and demolition. Check with the city about what a demolition needs before you pick a date.
Because Hopkins is in Hennepin County, county staff inspect a property before it is demolished. County ordinance also says asbestos has to come out ahead of any demolition or renovation.
Your licensed asbestos contractor files it. MDH takes the notice only from contractors licensed in Minnesota, and it has to be in five calendar days or more ahead of regulated work.
Does a small patch need a licensed crew?
A small patch can still need one. In a Minnesota home, the line is friable pipe insulation running more than 10 linear feet, or friable material covering more than 6 square feet of another surface. If the material can’t be measured by length or area, the cutoff is more than 1 cubic foot. Amounts within those limits are outside MDH regulation. Even so, MDH recommends licensed removal, because a small amount is not automatically safe.
Can I keep a damaged floor covered instead?
MDH allows new flooring over asbestos flooring that is in good shape. Damaged or crumbling flooring can release fibers, so it is better removed by a licensed crew.
Where does the waste go?
A county drop-off won’t work, because Hennepin County facilities refuse asbestos. Licensed crews keep it wet, seal it in labeled, leak-tight packaging and ship it to a landfill that accepts asbestos, with a manifest for every load.
We recommend calling, but do feel free to contact us using this form. We'll get back to you with a free, personalized quote or additional questions as soon as possible. We're here to help.
