Asbestos siding removal starts with a lab test, not a crew. EPA says a trained and accredited professional should take the samples, and Missouri DNR says to use a certified inspector or assume the material contains asbestos. HomeAdvisor's asbestos siding cost guide (updated 2026-06-20) gives $708 to $5,696 per job for siding removal or replacement, a national figure and not a St. Louis price, and general cost guides put an asbestos removal job at a day or two.
To get a quote, send the quote form on this page or call. We call you back within one business day, and St Louis Asbestos Removal gives you a quote. You pay St Louis Asbestos Removal nothing for the call or the request.
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Transite siding shingles and roofing: how to recognize them and test
The material people mean is asbestos-cement siding. EPA lists roofing and siding shingles among the places asbestos may be found in homes, and the Consumer Product Safety Commission says some roofing and siding shingles are made of asbestos cement. EPA's page gives no way to tell by sight. The Minnesota Department of Health lists home products that may hold asbestos and are commonly found in Minnesota homes: cement roof shingles, asphalt roofing felt, underlayment, flashing, transite board and slate siding. That is Minnesota guidance, used here only as general advice. It is not a Missouri rule.
EPA says a trained and accredited asbestos professional should take samples, and that taking them yourself is not recommended. Missouri DNR gives the same caution for suspect damaged material: do not disturb it until someone determines whether it contains asbestos, and use a Missouri certified inspector or assume it does.
DNR certifies the people who inspect and sample in Missouri (DNR, asbestos occupation certification), and it keeps public lists you can check. See our page on asbestos testing and inspection for what a test involves. Get the lab result before you ask for prices. A quote without a result is a guess.
EPA also says it is better to use two different firms, one to assess and one to remove, so there is no conflict of interest. Keep that in mind when you compare companies.
Ask the inspector for the lab result, whether the report calls the material friable or nonfriable, and a list of every suspect exterior material that was sampled. Give each company the same list so the quotes cover the same scope.
Leave, cover, encapsulate or remove: when each fits
EPA says the best thing is usually to leave asbestos-containing material alone if it is in good condition, and not to touch suspected material that looks damaged. The Minnesota Department of Health says intact cement siding is generally considered nonfriable and that damaged pieces can be repaired. No source we read says which option fits before re-siding or re-roofing, so raise that with the inspector. The table sets out the choices and what to ask about each.
| Choice | What to ask |
|---|---|
| Leave it | How to watch it, and what to avoid doing to it |
| Cover it | Whether local building codes allow siding over siding at your address |
| Encapsulate it | What product, and what warranty comes with it |
| Remove it | Who handles the notice, the waste and the new siding |
Can you cover asbestos siding?
Sometimes. The Minnesota Department of Health says covering can be allowed, depending on local building codes. No St. Louis source we found says how city or county building codes treat it, so ask the building office for your address before you pay for it. The county's asbestos rules are about friable material and do not answer this.
Asbestos siding encapsulation
HomeAdvisor's siding guide (updated 2026-06-20) lists siding encapsulation at $2 to $6 per square foot, a national figure. Ask the company what product it would use and what warranty comes with it, in writing.
Signs of damaged shingles
We found no official checklist. Cracked, broken or crumbling pieces are the ones to worry about. The Minnesota Department of Health says heat, water and age can make asbestos materials friable, meaning they crumble easily. If pieces are broken or loose, stay away from them and have a trained professional look. Missouri DNR says to keep suspect debris wet.
Why not to power-wash, sand, cut or break asbestos shingles
The Minnesota Department of Health warns against breaking, sanding, cutting, drilling or sawing this material. The federal asbestos rule treats nonfriable material that is sanded, ground, cut or abraded as regulated material. We have no read source on power-washing, so we make no rule about it. Ask the inspector before you rent a pressure washer.
Asbestos siding removal contractor: wetting, whole pieces, wrapping and disposal
We found no official step-by-step method for taking down cement siding. The federal rules for regulated asbestos work are a yardstick for any plan you are shown. Most single-family homes are outside them (see the Missouri rules below), so ask whether a company follows the same steps.
- Wetting. Under the federal rule (40 CFR 61.145(c)), material stripped in place must be adequately wet during stripping and stay wet until it is collected and contained.
- Whole pieces, handled carefully. The same rule says to remove material before any activity that would break it up or disturb it, and to lower it to the ground without dropping or sliding it. Ask how each company takes pieces off so they do not break.
- Wrapping and containers. Waste is sealed in leak-tight containers while wet, or in leak-tight wrapping for pieces that will not fit (40 CFR 61.150). Containers carry warning labels.
- Disposal. EPA says the waste goes to a landfill qualified to receive asbestos. Missouri DNR adds that it must go to a permitted facility that will accept it, and should never be burned.
OSHA's construction standard (29 CFR 1926.1101) puts the removal of roofing and siding shingles in Class II asbestos work. It requires employers to use wet methods and bans dry sweeping of dust and debris. Ask a company whether its crew follows it.
After the work, ask whether the company clears the area with air samples. The county's own clearance rule is for indoor projects (see the county section).
The federal waste rule has the generator keep a waste shipment record, so ask who hauls the waste and for the disposal paperwork afterward. DNR's list of operating landfills names, near St. Louis, Champ Landfill (Maryland Heights, sanitary), Rock Hill Quarries Demolition Landfill (St. Louis, demolition) and Prospect Hill Reclamation Project (St. Louis, special waste). It does not say which of them accept asbestos, so the company should name the site it uses. DNR's Waste Management Program is the contact for that question.
Coordination with the siding or roofing contractor
If you are also replacing siding or the roof, ask who sequences the jobs. A good quote says who does each step and who is responsible if rain gets in between them.
Asbestos siding replacement after removal
Once old siding is off, something has to go back on. HomeAdvisor's siding guide gives national per-square-foot ranges for the usual choices, shown in the table below. Ask for the replacement material as its own line on each quote.
Cost
Asbestos siding removal cost in St. Louis, MO, and what moves it
We found no St. Louis company that publishes a siding price, and no official local price. The figures below are third-party national guide figures. The HomeAdvisor rows come from HomeAdvisor's asbestos siding cost guide, as recorded in the niche blueprint on 2026-10-18 from guide pages dated 2026-06-20 and 2026-06-17 (the pages have been unreadable to our fetcher since). They are national, not St. Louis prices. The Bob Vila and Fixr rows were read on 2026-10-24 from pages dated 2023-12-21 and 2022-08-18, so they are older.
| Item | National guide figure | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Siding removal or replacement, whole job (average $3,202; national) | $708 to $5,696 per job | HomeAdvisor siding guide, updated 2026-06-20 |
| Siding removal, overall rate | About $8 per square foot | HomeAdvisor siding guide, updated 2026-06-20 |
| Exterior siding removal | $3 to $15 per square foot | HomeAdvisor removal guide, updated 2026-06-17 |
| Asbestos siding removal | $7 to $9 per square foot | Bob Vila cost guide, updated 2023-12-21 |
| Asbestos siding removal | $7 to $9 per square foot | Fixr cost guide, updated 2022-08-18 |
| Siding encapsulation | $2 to $6 per square foot | HomeAdvisor siding guide, updated 2026-06-20 |
| Replacement siding, vinyl | $3 to $7 per square foot | HomeAdvisor siding guide, updated 2026-06-20 |
| Replacement siding, fiber cement | $5 to $9 per square foot | HomeAdvisor siding guide, updated 2026-06-20 |
| Replacement siding, wood | $5 to $10 per square foot | HomeAdvisor siding guide, updated 2026-06-20 |
The cost to remove asbestos siding is quoted two ways, per job and per square foot. The guides give both and do not agree, so compare quotes the same way each time. Sources: HomeAdvisor, asbestos siding cost, HomeAdvisor, asbestos removal cost, Bob Vila and Fixr.
Cost and what moves it (wall area, stories, access, roof pitch)
The guides name these price drivers. They are national and general, not St. Louis figures. No source stored here ties price to roof pitch.
- Access. Bob Vila says the harder the site is to reach, the more the removal may cost. Fixr says working outside on roofs or siding is generally more expensive than working inside on floors or ceilings.
- Preparation and setup. Bob Vila calls preparation and setup the most significant factor in asbestos removal cost.
- Size and stories. The Asbestos Institute, a Phoenix, AZ publisher, says larger or multi-story homes may cost more because of labor and equipment. Treat that as the weakest source here.
- Disposal. Bob Vila and Fixr both give $10 to $50 per cubic yard for disposal. Fixr says a permit to dispose of it usually costs $50 to $100 (its page dates from 2022). The Asbestos Institute says the distance to an approved disposal facility can change transport costs.
- Where you live. Fixr says fees for permits, disposal and equipment are generally higher in urban areas.
Ask each company to show wall area, stories, access and disposal as separate lines.
Asbestos siding removal price, estimate and quote: what to ask
Use these questions for each asbestos siding removal estimate and quote:
- How many square feet of wall, and how many stories, does the quote cover?
- Is the lab result attached to the quote?
- Does the price include disposal, and which landfill?
- Does it include any notice or review fee, and who pays it?
- Is the new siding in this price, or priced separately?
- Does the quote say how access, such as ladders or scaffolds, is handled?
A quote should name the material, the area and the disposal. If it only gives one number for everything, ask for a line-by-line version. Send the quote form on this page or call, and ask the specialist who quotes your job for a line-by-line version.
Asbestos roof removal, roof shingle removal and roofing removal cost
Roof shingles can be asbestos-cement too. The test comes first, just as for siding. We found no source with a price for removing asbestos-cement roof shingles, so the page gives none. Bob Vila's cost guide (updated 2023-12-21) says replacing a roof could cost $5,800 to $12,500. That is roof replacement, a different job from removal, and a national figure, not a St. Louis price. Ask each company for a written roof price based on your roof's measured area and compare two or three.
How long does asbestos siding removal take?
No source gives a duration for asbestos-cement siding, so these are what general cost guides say about asbestos removal jobs. Bob Vila says a typical job takes a team a day or two, and larger jobs may take up to a week. Fixr says most removal companies try to finish in about 48 hours, that a 1,500 square foot home will likely take eight hours with two or more workers, and that the time depends on where the material is. Fixr's example does not say where the work is done, so treat it as a rough guide. Ask for a start date, a finish date and a weather plan in writing.
Local rules
Resale value and disclosure questions
We found no source with a figure for how asbestos siding or its removal affects resale value. We found no Missouri rule that says asbestos on a house must be disclosed. HomeLight, a company that connects home sellers with agents (blog updated 2026-10-08), says a Missouri seller who knows of an adverse material fact may have a duty to disclose it, and that such facts may include environmental hazards. It does not mention asbestos and is a secondary source, not the law. Keep the lab result, the removal scope and the disposal paperwork in one folder, and ask your agent or a Missouri real estate attorney what you must disclose when you sell.
Local rules
Missouri rules for asbestos siding removal: registered contractor and notification thresholds
These come from Missouri DNR and federal sources. They are not legal advice.
- Who does regulated work. On a regulated project, DNR's fact sheet says abatement must be done by a Missouri registered asbestos abatement contractor. That contractor may only employ workers trained and certified by the department.
- Which buildings are regulated. DNR says the rules apply to commercial structures and some residential structures, and that most single-family residences are exempt. Its fact sheet says the exception is a single residential structure with four or fewer dwelling units. Projects with two or more residential structures or two or more mobile homes are not exempt, and neither is any structure used for non-residential purposes.
- Amounts. The thresholds are 160 square feet, 260 linear feet or 35 cubic feet of regulated material. DNR's fact sheet says that at or above them all regulated material must be removed. Whether a siding or roofing job reaches those amounts depends on the material and the property. We found no source that settles it, so ask the inspector or the local agency.
- Notice. Notice is due at least 10 working days before a regulated project starts. DNR says it is the obligation of the owner and any contractors involved to make sure notices are given. Review fees exist, but the pages we read do not give amounts.
- Inspection. A regulated structure must be thoroughly inspected by a Missouri certified asbestos inspector before demolition or renovation.
An exemption from the state rule does not make the material harmless. The local agencies are covered in the next section. To check a company, ask for its registration number and look it up on DNR's public contractor list, which shows expiration date and status. See our asbestos abatement page for the full process.
St. Louis County and City: who to ask before work starts
PUB2157, DNR's fact sheet on demolition and renovation, names two local agencies that process notifications for this area: the St. Louis County Health Department and the City of St. Louis Division of Air Pollution Control (Air Quality Program). Ask them which one covers your address. DNR tells owners to contact the appropriate agency before performing a project in one of these jurisdictions.
What the St. Louis County rules cover
In the county, the Air Pollution Control Program's asbestos program issues permits, inspects asbestos removal sites and investigates reports of illegal removal. Its county asbestos page lists the forms, the fees and the office's contact details. It is a government office to ask, not a contact for St Louis Asbestos Removal.
The county's rules (Asbestos Abatement Rules and Regulations, reformatted June 2024) define an abatement project as work to encapsulate, enclose or remove 10 square feet or 16 linear feet or more of friable asbestos-containing material. That is a lower trigger than the state's 160 square feet, 260 linear feet or 35 cubic feet, so the county reaches smaller jobs. The word that matters is friable. Cement siding and roofing shingles are usually nonfriable when intact (Minnesota Department of Health, above), so do not assume the county rule applies to a siding job. The county rules also define "building" to exclude single-family, owner-occupied dwellings. How your siding or roofing job is classified is a question for the county office, so ask it before you sign.
For a project the county rules do cover, the rules and fee page say:
- Notice. Written notice to the county at least 10 working days before the project, plus a notice when it is finished.
- Fees (county fee page, in force since January 1, 2026). An abatement permit costs $120 for a project under 160 square feet, 260 linear feet or 35 cubic feet, and $240 at or above those amounts. An asbestos inspection costs $230, with a limit of two billable inspections. The notification fee is nonrefundable and charged for each project.
- Registration and certification. Whoever conducts the project must be registered with Missouri DNR, and no one may work on a project or inspect for asbestos-containing building material in the county unless currently certified by DNR. On site, the crew must show proof of registration and certification, the latest air sampling results, photo ID and proof of training.
- Emergencies. For an emergency project, notify the county by telephone within 24 hours of the start and get approval of emergency status.
- Clearance air monitoring. For indoor projects of 160 square feet or 260 linear feet or more, a third-party air sampling professional must do the final clearance monitoring. Smaller projects may use the contractor's own air sampling professional.
City of St. Louis
The City has its own agency, the Division of Air Pollution Control (Air Quality Program), named in DNR's PUB2157. We have not read the City's rules, so we state none here. Ask that agency for your address.
Census Reporter's profile for the city (ACS 2024 1-year) shows 174,694 housing units and a median owner-occupied value of $214,500. It has no year-built table, so we cannot say how many homes have asbestos-cement siding. The test on your own walls settles it.
Checklist
How to choose a company for asbestos siding removal
- Ask for the lab result, or for who will test and when.
- Ask for the DNR registration number, and check it on the public list.
- Ask who files any required notice and who pays any fee.
- Ask for a written scope that names the walls or roof sections, the material and the disposal site.
- Ask who removes and who re-sides or re-roofs, and who coordinates them.
- Ask for a start date and a finish date in writing.
- Ask for the disposal paperwork afterward.
Ask for the same list from each company so the quotes line up. We take calls from St. Louis, Florissant, University City and Kirkwood. Have your test result and measurements ready. The request goes faster when you do. Send the quote form on this page. Or call, and if no one picks up, leave a voicemail; the contact page has the details.
Asbestos siding questions homeowners ask
Is asbestos siding dangerous?
The concern is damaged or disturbed material. If pieces are cracked or broken, stay away from them and get a professional to look at them.
Do I have to remove asbestos siding?
Not always. It depends on condition, planned work and the rules for your property. Start with a test, then ask the local agency what applies.
How much does asbestos siding removal cost?
HomeAdvisor's guide (updated 2026-06-20) gives $708 to $5,696 per job for siding removal or replacement. Its removal guide (updated 2026-06-17) gives $3 to $15 per square foot, and Bob Vila and Fixr give $7 to $9. None is a St. Louis price. See the table above.
How are asbestos siding shingles removed?
The federal rules for regulated work say the material is kept wet while it is stripped, lowered without dropping or sliding, sealed in leak-tight containers or wrapping, labeled and taken to a landfill qualified to receive asbestos. Ask each company how it keeps the material wet and avoids breaking it. We have no official source that describes a step-by-step method for siding, so we do not describe one.
How long does it take to remove and replace asbestos siding?
No source covers siding specifically. General cost guides say an asbestos removal job takes a day or two (Bob Vila), up to a week for larger jobs. Ask for the schedule in writing.
Can I take down asbestos shingles myself?
EPA advises that removal and major repair be done by people trained and qualified in handling asbestos, and says taking samples yourself is not recommended. The DNR pages we read do not address owners doing this work, so ask the county office (or the City's air agency) before any work on your own.
How do I check a company's Missouri registration?
DNR's public contractor list shows each firm's registration number, expiration date and status. Ask the company for its number, then find it on the list.
Who files the notice for a regulated job?
DNR says it is the obligation of the owner and any contractors involved to ensure the notices are provided. Ask in advance who will file and who pays any review fee.
Do I need a permit or notice in St. Louis County?
The county's rules apply to friable material at 10 square feet or 16 linear feet or more, and they exclude owner-occupied single-family dwellings from "building". Intact siding in good condition is usually nonfriable (Minnesota Department of Health), so ask the county office whether your job is covered. If it is, notice goes in 10 working days ahead and the 2026 permit fee is $120 or $240, depending on size. The City's rules are unread.
Can I put new siding over asbestos siding?
Sometimes, depending on local building codes (Minnesota Department of Health). We found no St. Louis source on it, so ask your building office before you pay for it.
Do I have to tell a buyer about asbestos siding?
We found no Missouri rule that names asbestos. HomeLight says a Missouri seller who knows of an adverse material fact may have a duty to disclose it. Keep the lab result and disposal paperwork, and ask an agent or Missouri real estate attorney.
How do I get an asbestos siding removal quote?
Send the quote form on this page or call. We call you back within one business day, and St Louis Asbestos Removal writes the quote. You pay St Louis Asbestos Removal nothing for the call or the request. Have your lab result and wall measurements ready.
Sources
- EPA, Protect your family from exposures to asbestos (retrieved 2026-10-18)
- EPA, Asbestos NESHAP (retrieved 2026-10-18)
- Missouri DNR, PUB2157 (retrieved 2026-10-18)
- Missouri DNR, PUB2121 (retrieved 2026-10-18)
- Missouri DNR, Asbestos (retrieved 2026-10-18)
- Missouri DNR, Asbestos contractors list (retrieved 2026-10-18)
- 40 CFR 61.141 via Cornell LII (retrieved 2026-10-18)
- Minnesota Department of Health, Asbestos in roofing and siding (page updated 2025-05-22, retrieved 2026-10-23)
- Missouri DNR, Asbestos occupation certification (retrieved 2026-10-18)
- Missouri DNR, Operating solid waste landfills (retrieved 2026-10-18)
- EPA, Learn about asbestos (retrieved 2026-10-23)
- CPSC, Asbestos in the Home (retrieved 2026-10-23)
- 40 CFR 61.145 via Cornell LII (retrieved 2026-10-18 and 2026-10-23)
- 40 CFR 61.150 via Cornell LII (retrieved 2026-10-23)
- 29 CFR 1926.1101 via Cornell LII (retrieved 2026-10-23)
- HomeAdvisor, asbestos siding cost (guide updated 2026-06-20; figures recorded 2026-10-18)
- HomeAdvisor, asbestos removal cost (guide updated 2026-06-17; figures recorded 2026-10-18)
- Bob Vila, Factors and Considerations That Go Into Asbestos Removal Cost (updated 2023-12-21; retrieved 2026-10-24)
- Fixr, Asbestos Removal Cost | Asbestos Abatement Cost (updated 2022-08-18; retrieved 2026-10-24)
- The Asbestos Institute, asbestos siding removal costs (dated 2024-01-08; retrieved 2026-10-24)
- HomeLight, selling a house as-is in Missouri (updated 2026-10-08; retrieved 2026-10-24)
- St. Louis County, Air Pollution Control, Asbestos program and fees (retrieved 2026-10-24)
- St. Louis County, Asbestos Abatement Rules and Regulations (reformatted June 2024; retrieved 2026-10-24)
- Census Reporter, St. Louis city profile (ACS 2024 1-year) (retrieved 2026-10-18)