Under the Texas Asbestos Health Protection Rules, a public building — a broad category that includes most commercial, institutional, and multifamily properties — generally must be surveyed by a TDSHS-licensed inspector before renovation or demolition disturbs building materials. Many Texas cities also require evidence of the survey, or the related DSHS notification, before issuing the permit. Whether a specific project triggers the requirement depends on the building's classification, ownership, and the scope of work. TSEC performs that survey, designs the abatement when materials must come out, monitors the work, and issues the clearance that closes the project.
Rule of thumb: if the building was constructed or renovated before the late 1980s and it isn't a single-family home or a residential building of four units or fewer, assume a survey will be needed before any material is disturbed, and confirm the specific requirement before you schedule the work. Call and we'll confirm in five minutes — see when Texas requires a survey for a permit.
Building inspections and surveys
Every survey starts with the scope of your project, not a template. A pre-renovation survey covers the materials your contractor will disturb; a pre-demolition survey covers every accessible and concealed suspect material in the structure, because NESHAP (40 CFR 61 Subpart M) requires all regulated asbestos-containing material to be identified and removed before demolition. Our inspectors identify and group homogeneous areas, assess condition and friability, document locations on floor plans with photographs, and quantify materials so an abatement contractor can bid from the report. For school districts we perform AHERA inspections, three-year reinspections, and six-month periodic surveillance and maintain the management plan — see the AHERA checklist for Texas schools.
Bulk sampling and laboratory analysis
- Sampling by homogeneous area to AHERA minimums (three, five, or seven samples by material type and quantity)
- Polarized light microscopy (EPA/600/R-93/116) at an NVLAP-accredited laboratory; point counting for results near the 1% threshold
- Transmission electron microscopy for non-friable organically bound materials — floor tile, mastic, roofing — where a false negative would be costly
- Chain-of-custody records and the laboratory report attached as appendices, so the permit reviewer sees the data, not just our conclusion
Abatement project design
When materials must be removed, TSEC prepares the abatement project design and specifications: scope by location and quantity, work-area preparation and containment, negative-pressure requirements, work practices by material, waste handling and disposal to a permitted landfill, air-monitoring frequency, and clearance criteria. The specification is written so contractors bid on the same scope and so the DSHS notification — filed at least 10 working days before work begins — matches what happens in the field. We review contractor submittals, attend pre-abatement meetings, and conduct third-party air monitoring during abatement under OSHA 29 CFR 1926.1101 and the Texas rules.
Our in-house PCM laboratory
TSEC holds a Texas DSHS Asbestos Laboratory license for phase-contrast microscopy (PCM), License No. 30-0452. Air samples collected during abatement and at final clearance are analyzed by our own analysts rather than couriered to a third-party laboratory, which keeps courier logistics and an outside laboratory's queue off the critical path. Turnaround for a specific project is confirmed in writing with the proposal.
Proficiency testing. Our laboratory participates in the American Industrial Hygiene Association AIHA PAT Program (Lab ID 220165) and other proficiency programs sponsored by unbiased, third-party industry organizations. That participation helps ensure we meet or exceed current industry quality and performance standards for the analysis of asbestos.
PLM bulk analysis and TEM clearance are coordinated with accredited partner laboratories, with chain of custody managed by us and all laboratory data included in your report.
Final clearance and closeout surveys
No work area is released on a visual alone. Our licensed air monitoring technician performs the final visual inspection, then collects aggressive clearance air samples analyzed by phase-contrast microscopy (NIOSH 7400) in TSEC's own TDSHS-licensed PCM laboratory (License 300452) — so clearance results are typically read the same day, without waiting on an outside lab — or, where required, including all AHERA school projects, by TEM at an accredited laboratory. The closeout report compiles the survey, notifications, daily logs, air-monitoring data, waste shipment records, and the clearance statement into a single package your owner, lender, or permit office can accept as final.
In-house PCM laboratory
In-house PCM analysis. TSEC operates its own TDSHS-licensed phase-contrast microscopy laboratory (License 30-0452), so abatement air monitoring and clearance samples are analyzed by our own analysts instead of an outside laboratory — keeping courier logistics and a third-party queue off your critical path. Turnaround for a specific project is confirmed in writing with the proposal.
Operations & maintenance programs
Where asbestos-containing material will stay in place, a written O&M program tells maintenance staff what is where, how to work around it, and what to do when it is damaged — the document that keeps a building compliant between projects.
Who this is for
General contractors and demolition contractors; property managers and multifamily owners; school districts; cities, counties, and public agencies; healthcare and institutional facilities.
Timeline and pricing
Written quote the same business day. On site within a few business days; most limited surveys quoted as a flat rate with laboratory fees included; standard lab turnaround a few business days, rush available when a permit or closing date requires it.
Regulatory sources
Requirements vary with building classification, ownership, scope of work, and local permitting. The statements on this page are general; confirm the requirement for your specific project before scheduling work. Primary sources:
- Texas DSHS Asbestos Programs Branch — Texas Asbestos Health Protection Rules (25 TAC Ch. 296)
- Texas TDLR Mold Assessment & Remediation — 16 TAC Ch. 78
- EPA — Asbestos (NESHAP, AHERA)
- EPA — Lead (RRP, 40 CFR 745) and HUD Office of Lead Hazard Control
- OSHA — Asbestos and OSHA — Lead