The Upper East Side runs on pre-war co-ops and condos, townhouses, and large full-service apartment buildings — early-1900s construction, much of it renovated apartment by apartment, decade after decade. Buildings of that era were built and re-finished with asbestos-containing materials throughout, and nearly every renovation in them runs through a co-op or condo board alteration package before a contractor touches anything.
Clear Advisory has completed recent project work in the neighborhood, including surveys supporting board alteration packages and DOB filings. If you're planning work on an Upper East Side property, the survey belongs at the front of the package: inspections are scheduled within 1–2 days, and lab results typically return in about 24 hours.
Common Asbestos Materials in Upper East Side Co-ops, Condos, and Townhouses
- Pipe insulation on heating runs in cellars and throughout older steam systems
- Plaster and joint compound throughout pre-war interiors
- Vinyl floor tile and mastic, often layered over original flooring from successive renovations
- Boiler insulation in older heating plants
- Roofing materials — felts, flashing cement, and coatings on flat roofs
- Transite panels and cement board around boilers, panels, and shafts
- Window glazing and exterior caulking — facade materials that FISP repair work disturbs
Our Services on the Upper East Side
- Asbestos surveys and investigations before renovation, conversion, or demolition
- Asbestos testing — accredited lab analysis (PLM, with TEM confirmation where required)
- ACP-5 filings for DOB applications
- Project management and supervision of asbestos abatement
Surveys are priced from a $750 site visit plus lab analysis — you'll know the sample count and the expected total before the lab work runs. The ACP-5 filing fee is $50, billed when results come back.
FAQ
My co-op board's alteration package requires asbestos documentation. What exactly do they need? Typically the survey report and the filed ACP-5 for the materials your scope will disturb. We survey the work area, the lab analyzes the samples, and you get the report and filing that the board's architect or reviewing engineer asks for — in the format boards expect, so the package doesn't stall on this item.
We're gut-renovating an apartment. When does the survey happen? Before the board package is submitted and before the DOB filing. A gut renovation disturbs plaster, flooring, pipe insulation, and often roofing or facade materials, so the survey covers the full work area up front — results in about 24 hours, so it rarely holds the schedule.
Our building has FISP facade work coming up. Do the facade materials need testing? Yes — before facade repairs disturb roofing, flashing, window glazing, caulking, or masonry coatings, those materials need to be checked, and the ACP-5 supports the filing. Larger buildings usually sample representatively across the facade rather than at every location; we'll scope that with you.
How much does an Upper East Side survey cost? From $750 for the site visit, plus lab analysis per sample. A single-apartment renovation samples fewer materials than a townhouse or a facade scope, so the total follows the scope — you'll know the sample count before the lab work runs.
How fast can this fit into a board review timeline? Inspections are scheduled within 1–2 days, and lab results return in about 24 hours. Because boards and managing agents work on fixed review cycles, getting the survey done early keeps it from becoming the item that pushes your approval to the next cycle.
Schedule a Survey on the Upper East Side
Call (877) 586-7172 or email info@clearadvisory.org. 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.
Clear Advisory · 100 Jay St, Brooklyn, NY 11201 · (877) 586-7172