Asbestos Survey in Broward County

Your permit office or general contractor told you a report has to go on file before anyone breaks ground — not a quick sample from one ceiling, but documentation covering the whole structure. Maybe you already paid for a single test somewhere and just found out it doesn’t satisfy what the county wants to see. Now you want to know what a survey the permit office will actually accept involves — and what it costs — before you pay twice.

What Is an Asbestos Survey, and Why Do Permit Offices Ask for One?

An asbestos survey is a whole-structure inspection that identifies every suspect material in a building, samples each distinct material type rather than just one, and compiles the results into a written report formatted for permit submission — the level of documentation Broward County and most permit reviewers expect before demolition or major renovation work. A single lab test answers a question about one material; a survey answers whether the whole structure has been checked before crews start opening walls. Under EPA’s NESHAP rule (40 CFR Part 61, Subpart M), a thorough inspection is required before demolition or renovation of a regulated facility, and the survey report is the document that satisfies it. This whole-structure standard is the level of work the team behind Broward Asbestos Testing builds every report around, and because we test and inspect without performing abatement, the sample count and findings aren’t shaped by whether a result leads to a removal job.

Which Type of Survey Does Your Project Need?

Which survey applies depends on what’s triggering it — a pre-renovation survey covers permits for remodeling or repair work on an existing structure, a pre-demolition survey covers a structure (or portion of one) coming down, and a commercial survey applies to multi-unit or non-residential buildings regardless of the trigger — and the differences show up in sample count and which paperwork the county’s ePermits system expects. Knowing which category fits before you schedule saves a second site visit.

Survey Type	What Typically Triggers It	Typical Documentation
Pre-renovation survey	Permit application for remodeling, repair, or interior work on an existing structure	Written survey report tied to the renovation permit
Pre-demolition survey	Full or partial demolition of a structure	Survey report supporting the SRRA filing and, when applicable, the DEP notification
Commercial survey	Multi-unit residential or non-residential buildings, any renovation or demolition trigger	Sample count scaled to square footage; report formatted for commercial permit review

If you already know which category fits your project, the pre-renovation survey, pre-demolition survey, and commercial survey pages walk through each process in more detail.

What Does Broward County and Florida Law Require Before Work Starts?

Broward County requires a Statement of Responsibilities Regarding Asbestos (SRRA), filed through the county’s ePermits system, before an existing structure is demolished or renovated, and the county’s Asbestos Program (EPGMD) reviews that submittal and issues a Certificate of Submittal outlining what the project still needs before a demolition or building permit can move forward. On many jobs that includes Florida DEP’s Notice of Demolition or Asbestos Renovation under Chapter 62-257, F.A.C., generally due at least 10 working days before work begins — a deadline that catches people who booked a survey the same week they wanted to start demolition. Residential buildings with four or fewer dwelling units are generally exempt from most of this beyond the SRRA submittal, per broward.org, though a lender or general contractor may still ask for a full survey on a smaller property even when the county paperwork doesn’t require one.

What Happens During a Full Structure Survey?

A full structure survey starts with a walkthrough of every accessible area of the building — not just the room someone plans to renovate — followed by sample collection from each distinct material, with the count scaling to square footage, and ends with a written report formatted for submission alongside the SRRA, typically delivered on the standard 2 to 3 business day lab turnaround. The sequence matters — a skipped section leaves a gap a reviewer can send back:

1. Walkthrough of the entire structure to log every suspect material, not only the renovation or demolition footprint.
2. Sample collection from each distinct material — popcorn ceilings, floor tile and mastic, joint compound, pipe and duct insulation — sealed and labeled with its exact location.
3. Chain-of-custody documentation connecting every sample to the structure and to the permit file.
4. Lab analysis by Polarized Light Microscopy under EPA’s bulk asbestos method (EPA Method 600/R-93/116) at an NVLAP- or AIHA-accredited lab.
5. Delivery of a written report formatted for submission alongside the SRRA and, when applicable, the DEP notice.

“A survey has to account for the whole structure, not just the area someone’s about to renovate — asbestos doesn’t stop at a doorway,” our licensed inspectors say. There’s no way to identify asbestos by sight, and no established safe level of exposure once a material is disturbed, so the sample count reflects what’s actually built into the structure.

How Much Does an Asbestos Survey Cost in Broward County?

A full asbestos survey in Broward County typically starts around $450 and climbs from there based on sample count and total square footage, compared to $250 to $700 for a standard single-property inspection, because a survey documents an entire structure rather than a handful of suspect materials in a single home. Materials such as popcorn ceilings, 9x9 vinyl floor tile and its black mastic, joint compound, and pipe or duct insulation were common in buildings built before the early 1980s, per EPA, so older Broward stock tends to push sample counts higher. Because our inspectors don’t perform abatement, the price you’re quoted reflects the sample count the structure needs — not a follow-on removal estimate. If you’re not sure whether your project calls for a full survey or a narrower scope, request a free quote and describe the permit or renovation — we’ll scope it correctly before any sampling starts.