The Upper West Side is pre-war apartment buildings and brownstones — late-1800s and early-1900s construction along the avenues and the side streets, much of it co-op or condo, and much of it under steady renovation: apartment gut jobs, unit combinations, and brownstone conversions. Buildings of that era were built and re-finished with asbestos-containing materials for decades, and a renovation disturbs most of them.
Clear Advisory has completed recent project work in the neighborhood, including surveys documented for co-op and condo board packages. If you're planning work on an Upper West Side property, the survey belongs at the front of the schedule: inspections are scheduled within 1–2 days, and lab results typically return in about 24 hours.
Common Asbestos Materials in Upper West Side Pre-War Buildings and Brownstones
- 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
Our Services on the Upper West 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
What documentation does my co-op or condo board need for a renovation? Typically the survey report and the filed ACP-5 covering the materials your scope will disturb. Boards review these as part of the alteration package, so we produce the report and filing in the standard format managing agents and board reviewers work with — no back-and-forth about what's missing.
We're combining two apartments. Does that change the survey? The survey follows the scope, and a combination is a big scope — walls come down, plumbing and heating get re-routed, floors come up across both units. Expect the full list of suspect materials in both apartments to be sampled before the DOB filing.
We're converting a brownstone — back to single-family, or into multiple units. When is the survey done? Before demolition starts and before the filing goes in. The requirement follows the work, not the end use: a conversion opens walls, redoes floors, and disturbs pipe insulation and plaster throughout, so it's surveyed like any gut renovation.
How much does an Upper West Side survey cost? From $750 for the site visit, plus lab analysis per sample. A kitchen-and-bath scope samples fewer materials than a full gut or a brownstone, so the total follows the scope — you'll know the sample count before the lab work runs.
How fast are results? Inspections scheduled within 1–2 days; lab results in about 24 hours. Most filings are ready within days of the call — useful when a board package or a contractor start date is already set.
Schedule a Survey on the Upper West 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