Popcorn Ceiling Asbestos Self-Removal

[Kevin Gladstone]

Hi all,

I'm working on a fix and flip in the Bay Area. Some of the easier tasks we were hoping to take care of ourselves and contract out the rest. On paper popcorn ceiling removal should be a breeze, but our asbestos test came back 1-5% in our ceiling sample. 

I'm finding conflicting reports online about homeowner removing own asbestos (taking the proper precautions of course). One line in particular confused me: 

"I am a homeowner renovating my house; can I remove the asbestos myself from my house? Yes, but only if you are the legal owner and a resident of this house (single unit family dwelling), and you are personally performing the asbestos removal" - Rule 1403 Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) Section 1.3

If this is a fix and flip, the house has no resident. Is the law saying that because we don't live there we can't perform the job ourselves or is it saying that if it's tenant-occupied then we can't perform the task?

Any additional advice or help understanding the legality of asbestos removal would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks in advance!
Kevin

[Marcia Maynard]

No definitive proof there's asbestos in the popcorn ceiling? A 1-5% possibility? What's the error factor of the test itself? No tenants? You're the owner of the property? Go for it!