Before you remove anything, you need to know what you’re actually looking at. About a third of the “asbestos” we get called out to inspect in the Greenville area turns out not to be asbestos at all — it’s cellulose insulation, fiberglass, modern joint compound, or a similar lookalike. The other two-thirds is real, and most of it can be handled responsibly once you know what’s there.
Either way, the answer starts with testing.
What We Test
Bulk material sampling. A pencil-eraser-size sample of the suspect material is collected with controlled technique (wetted, sealed, double-bagged), labeled, and shipped to an accredited lab. Polarized light microscopy (PLM) is the standard analytical method and is accepted by SC DHEC and EPA for almost all building materials. Where PLM results are inconclusive — sometimes for very thin floor tiles or for materials with point counts below detection — we run transmission electron microscopy (TEM) for confirmation.
Common Greenville-area materials we sample:
- Popcorn / acoustic ceiling texture
- Vermiculite attic insulation (very common in mill village and pre-1980 homes)
- 9×9 and 12×12 vinyl floor tile and the mastic beneath
- Sheet vinyl flooring with fibrous backing
- Plaster and joint compound
- Pipe-wrap and boiler insulation
- Transite siding, soffit, and flue pipe
- Roofing felt and built-up roofing components
- HVAC duct insulation and tape
- Drywall and texture coat systems
- Decorative wall coatings
Air sampling. Phase contrast microscopy (PCM) air samples for occupational exposure documentation, and aggressive TEM clearance sampling after abatement.
AHERA and Pre-Renovation Building Inspections
For commercial property, schools, and most public buildings, asbestos inspection is not optional. EPA NESHAP requires a thorough inspection before any renovation or demolition that disturbs threshold quantities of regulated material. SC DHEC enforces this in South Carolina and audits projects.
We perform full building surveys that include:
- Walk-through with annotated drawings showing every suspect material and sample location
- Statistically valid sample counts per homogeneous area, per AHERA protocol
- Lab analysis with chain-of-custody documentation
- Written report with material inventory, condition assessment, friability ratings, and recommended response actions
- Re-inspection updates for AHERA-regulated buildings (schools, etc.) on the federally required schedule
Residential Inspections
For homeowners, the process is simpler and far less expensive than the commercial version. Typical homeowner inspections we perform:
- Pre-renovation testing before a kitchen or bathroom remodel disturbs old flooring, walls, or ceilings
- Pre-purchase inspections when a buyer wants to know what they’re inheriting in an older Greenville home
- Post-find sampling after a homeowner discovers something suspicious during DIY work (the Augusta Road / Cleveland Park / Alta Vista call we get most often: “I started removing the popcorn ceiling and now I’m worried”)
- Vermiculite attic testing — particularly important for any home with loose, pebbly, grey-brown attic insulation. Much of the vermiculite installed in the U.S. between 1940 and 1990 came from the Libby, Montana mine and is contaminated with tremolite asbestos.
What the Report Tells You
A finished inspection report from us includes, at minimum:
- Sample location photographs
- Material descriptions and quantity estimates
- Lab results (percentage and type of asbestos, where present)
- Condition and friability assessment
- Disturbance risk under planned activities
- Recommended response: leave undisturbed, encapsulate, manage in place, or abate
- Cost estimate range for each recommended response
You can take that report and use it however you want — get other quotes, plan your renovation around the findings, present it to a buyer or seller, or hire us for the abatement.
Pricing and Turnaround
Single-sample homeowner inspections are flat-rate and include lab analysis. Multi-sample residential and small commercial inspections are quoted by sample count and building square footage. Standard lab turnaround is 3-5 business days; rush 24-hour and same-day analysis is available for an additional fee.
Call (555) 555-5555 to schedule. We typically have an inspector available within 48 hours anywhere in Greenville, Spartanburg, Anderson, or Pickens County.