If you're filing a renovation or demolition job with the NYC Department of Buildings, the ACP-5 is usually on the critical path. No ACP-5, no permit — and no ACP-5 without a survey behind it.
Clear Advisory handles the whole sequence: the survey, the accredited lab analysis, and the ACP-5 filing. Inspections are scheduled within 1–2 days, and lab results typically return in about 24 hours.
What an ACP-5 Is
The ACP-5 is the Asbestos Assessment Report filed with the NYC Department of Environmental Protection (DEP). It certifies, based on a survey of the work area, that the project does not require a formal asbestos abatement project before construction can proceed. That's typically because:
- The survey found no asbestos-containing material in the materials the work will disturb, or
- Asbestos is present but will not be disturbed by the scope of work, or
- The amount to be disturbed is below the threshold that triggers a full asbestos project.
The ACP-5 is only as good as the survey under it — the lab results for the exact materials your scope will touch are what the form stands on.
Who Needs an ACP-5
- Owners and contractors filing DOB alteration or demolition applications where the work area contains suspect materials.
- Co-op and condo boards and managing agents assembling alteration packages for unit renovations.
- Architects and expediters whose DOB filings are stalled on the asbestos documentation.
- FISP projects where facade work will disturb roofing, flashing, or coatings that haven't been tested.
ACP-5 vs. ACP-7 — the Survey Decides
These two DEP forms are not interchangeable:
- ACP-5 — filed when the survey shows no abatement project is required (above). It clears the way for your DOB filing.
- ACP-7 — the Asbestos Project Notification, filed when the survey does find asbestos that will be disturbed above the project threshold (generally more than 10 square feet or 25 linear feet). It notifies DEP that a regulated abatement project will take place, before it starts.
Which form your project needs is determined by the lab results — never chosen in advance. Filing the wrong one, or filing an ACP-5 for a space that was never properly surveyed, leads to objections, violations, and stop-work delays.
How the Filing Works
- Survey. A certified inspector samples the suspect materials in the work area — floor tile and mastic, plaster, joint compound, pipe insulation, roofing, and similar.
- Lab analysis. An accredited lab analyzes the samples under chain of custody; results typically return in about 24 hours.
- Filing. Where the results support an ACP-5, the report is filed with DEP and provided for your DOB application. If the results point to an ACP-7 instead, we'll tell you exactly what was found, where, and what the abatement step looks like — early enough to build it into the schedule.
Pricing
The ACP-5 filing fee is $50, billed when the lab results come back. The filing requires the survey behind it:
- Survey site visit: from $750
- Lab analysis: priced by the number of samples your project needs — you'll know the count and the expected total before the lab work runs.
Most homes land between $900 and $1,500 in total for survey, lab, and filing, depending on how many materials need sampling.
FAQ
How long does an ACP-5 take? The survey is scheduled within 1–2 days, lab results return in about 24 hours, and the ACP-5 is filed once results are in. For most projects, days — not weeks.
Can an ACP-5 be filed without a survey? No. The form certifies the results of an assessment. Without samples and lab results for the materials your work will disturb, there is nothing to certify, and DOB and DEP reviewers will not accept it.
My expediter says I need an ACP-5. What do you need from me? The project address, the scope of work, and the drawings if you have them. That tells us which materials need sampling. Call (877) 586-7172 and we'll walk through it.
What if the survey finds asbestos? Then an ACP-5 may not be the right filing for the affected scope — above-threshold material that will be disturbed goes the ACP-7 route, with abatement by a licensed contractor first. Your report will show exactly which material is positive and how much the work disturbs, so the next step is scoped, not guessed.
Does the ACP-5 expire? The filing reflects conditions and scope at the time of the survey. If your scope changes to disturb materials that weren't sampled, those materials need testing before the filing can cover them.
Who files it? Clear Advisory handles the survey, lab coordination, and the filing as one engagement. Clear Advisory's team holds New York State DOL certifications as Asbestos Inspector, Asbestos Contractor, and Asbestos Supervisor, along with NYC DOB Site Safety Supervisor credentials, and brings hands-on experience project-managing and supervising asbestos abatement work.
Get Your Filing Moving
Call (877) 586-7172 or email info@clearadvisory.org to start with the survey your ACP-5 stands on.
Clear Advisory · 100 Jay St, Brooklyn, NY 11201 · (877) 586-7172