Agency: Michigan EGLE Air Quality Division (Asbestos NESHAP); Michigan LEO / MIOSHA Asbestos Program (accreditation, licensing, abatement notifications)
Official program page
Michigan’s environmental agency has written down what a “thorough inspection” means in practice, which most states leave vague. EGLE’s Thorough Asbestos Inspection Guidance is the best single document to read before hiring an inspector for a regulated building in Michigan.
Two agencies
EPA delegated Asbestos NESHAP enforcement to EGLE’s Air Quality Division, and Michigan adopted the federal rule into its administrative code as Rule 942, so a federal violation is also a state violation (EGLE NESHAP fact sheet, PDF). MIOSHA’s Asbestos Program handles accreditation, contractor licensing, inspections, management plans and project notifications (MIOSHA Asbestos Program).
Who may do a NESHAP-compliant inspection
Individuals accredited as asbestos inspectors under the Michigan Asbestos Workers Accreditation Act (Act 440, P.A. 1988) can conduct NESHAP-compliant inspections; the MIOSHA Asbestos Program oversees licensing of inspectors, reviews inspection reports, and can address deficiencies (EGLE Thorough Asbestos Inspection Guidance, PDF).
What counts as thorough
EGLE’s guidance says all building materials except wood, metal, glass, fiberglass and rubber are suspect — including concrete, cinderblock, brick and their mortars — and must be sampled by PLM or assumed to contain more than 1% asbestos. At least two samples of each suspect miscellaneous material are needed to confirm a non-asbestos result. Friable materials reported at 1% or less, or “trace,” need 400-point count verification or must be removed as asbestos. New construction is not exempt, and areas not reached the first time (locked rooms, hoarding) must be inspected immediately before demolition (EGLE guidance, PDF).
Notification
Owners or contractors submit notifications through the MiEnviro Portal at least ten working days before regulated demolition or renovation, for all subject demolitions and for renovations at or above the federal thresholds (EGLE fact sheet, PDF; EGLE Asbestos NESHAP program). MIOSHA separately accepts abatement project notifications only through its Asbestos Notification System (MIOSHA Notifications).
Workplaces built before 1981
EGLE’s fact sheet explains that under the OSHA asbestos standards administered by MIOSHA, public and commercial buildings constructed before 1981 where employees may contact building materials must be inspected — including houses, garages, and apartments where employees work and may disturb asbestos — and vacant buildings scheduled for renovation or demolition need a survey first. Those inspections follow the AHERA protocol and must be done by a Michigan-accredited asbestos building inspector or a Certified Industrial Hygienist (EGLE fact sheet, PDF).
Does any of this apply to my Michigan home?
EGLE’s fact sheet says residential dwellings with four units or less under private control or ownership are not subject to the NESHAP — but privately owned dwellings demolished for urban renewal or as part of a public or commercial project are, as are groups of homes under one owner in the same project, farms, churches, apartment buildings with five or more units, and homes burned for fire training (EGLE fact sheet, PDF).
Even when the rule does not apply, EPA recommends a trained, accredited professional inspect before you remodel or if materials are damaged, and says sampling yourself is not recommended (EPA — Protect Your Family). If a contractor’s employees will disturb materials in your house, MIOSHA’s workplace rules described above can apply to them.
What to ask a Michigan inspector
- Are you accredited as an asbestos inspector in Michigan, and does it show on MIOSHA’s Verify and Search site?
- Will the survey be destructive where the project will open walls, as EGLE expects at known renovation and demolition sites (EGLE guidance)?
- How many samples per material, and will any ≤1% or trace friable result be point-counted?
- Will the report document location and quantity of every suspect material, with lab results, for the owner to keep (EGLE fact sheet)?
Common asbestos materials checklist
EPA and state agencies list these as places asbestos may be found. Checking a box does not mean the material in your building contains asbestos — only a laboratory analysis can determine that. Use this list to brief a licensed inspector, then request a match below.
Sources: EPA — Learn About Asbestos (where asbestos may be found); EPA — Protect Your Family; Maine DEP inspection FAQ and Rhode Island homeowner asbestos page, cited on those state pages.
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A licensed inspector can sample the items you care about and send them to an accredited lab. We are an educational match service, not a testing company.
Check any materials you are worried about. A short summary and match button will appear here.
Do I need asbestos testing in Michigan?
Answer three questions. The result cites EPA’s “don’t disturb it — use a trained and accredited professional” guidance, plus this state’s official rules. It is educational, not a legal determination.
If you are planning to remodel, do not assume the work is risk-free. EPA’s homeowner guidance says remodeling can disturb building materials and that a trained and accredited asbestos professional should take samples for analysis. EPA also says taking samples yourself is not recommended, because sampling done incorrectly can be more hazardous than leaving the material alone.
Federal Asbestos NESHAP rules require a thorough inspection where demolition or renovation will occur at a facility — structures, installations, and buildings, excluding residential buildings that have four or fewer dwelling units. Any demolition or renovation at an institutional, commercial, or industrial building is regulated; at a minimum the thorough inspection requirement applies. The owner or operator must notify the delegated agency (often the state) before any demolition, and before renovations of buildings that contain a threshold amount of regulated asbestos-containing material. NESHAP does not require regulated ACM to be removed before demolition or renovation if the total amount to be removed or disturbed is less than 260 linear feet, 160 square feet, or 35 cubic feet. Houses demolished as part of a commercial or public project are not treated as exempt. Your state can be stricter than this federal floor — read the state notes below.
EPA says that if building materials in your home are not damaged and will not be disturbed, you do not need to have the home tested for asbestos. Material that is in good condition and will not be disturbed (by remodeling, for example) should be left alone.
For an owner-occupied home, start with EPA’s rule of thumb: leave undamaged material alone, and use a trained and accredited professional if you will remodel or if material is more than slightly damaged (Protect Your Family from Exposures to Asbestos). State licensing, inspection, and notification rules can still apply when a contractor does the work or when you renovate — check your state page.
Rental housing and apartments are often treated more strictly than an owner-occupied single-family home. Landlords, property managers, and contractors more often need a licensed inspector and a licensed abatement contractor. OSHA regulates asbestos in construction and general industry; Maine DEP notes that OSHA rules apply whenever an employer/employee relationship exists. Read your state’s rental and multi-unit notes on this page.
EPA’s Asbestos NESHAP page states that any demolition or renovation operation at an institutional, commercial, or industrial building is regulated, and that at a minimum the thorough inspection requirement applies. Schools have extra duties under AHERA: inspections and response actions must be done by professionals trained under EPA’s Model Accreditation Plan, and school bulk samples and TEM clearance air samples must go to a NIST NVLAP-accredited laboratory. EPA also recommends accredited labs for non-school buildings.
Michigan: NESHAP inspections must be done by a MIOSHA-accredited asbestos inspector, and EGLE expects every suspect material — even brick and mortar — to be sampled or assumed (EGLE guidance).
EPA says asbestos-containing materials that are not damaged or disturbed are not likely to pose a health risk, and that the best step is usually to leave material alone if it is in good condition. Do leave undamaged asbestos-containing materials alone, and take every precaution to avoid damaging them.
If you suspect a material contains asbestos, EPA says not to touch it. Look for signs of wear or damage such as tears, abrasions, or water damage. Damaged material may release fibers, especially if it is hit, rubbed, handled, or exposed to vibration or airflow. If the material is more than slightly damaged, or you are going to make changes that might disturb it, repair or removal by a trained and accredited asbestos professional is needed.
EPA’s homeowner don’ts include: don’t dust, sweep, or vacuum debris that may contain asbestos; don’t saw, sand, scrape, or drill holes in asbestos-containing materials; and don’t use abrasive pads or a power stripper on flooring that may contain asbestos.
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Get Matched With a Licensed Tester — FreeMichigan asbestos testing FAQ
Who can do asbestos testing for a Michigan renovation or demolition?
For NESHAP purposes, an inspector accredited under Michigan’s Asbestos Workers Accreditation Act; MIOSHA oversees their licensing. Source: EGLE guidance (PDF).
Is new construction exempt from Michigan’s inspection requirement?
No. EGLE says the NESHAP does not exempt work based on construction date, so even new buildings need a thorough inspection before regulated renovation or demolition. Source: EGLE guidance (PDF).
Are concrete block and brick really sampled in Michigan?
Yes. EGLE treats all materials except wood, metal, glass, fiberglass and rubber as suspect, including concrete, cinderblock, brick and mortar. Source: EGLE guidance (PDF).
How do I file a Michigan asbestos notification?
Through EGLE’s MiEnviro Portal at least ten working days ahead; abatement notices to MIOSHA go through its Asbestos Notification System. Sources: EGLE, MIOSHA.
How do I verify a Michigan asbestos inspector?
Use MIOSHA’s Verify and Search website for accredited individuals, licensed contractors and training providers.
Every fact above is taken from official state, city/county, or EPA pages fetched for this site (last checked November 2026). If a detail could not be verified, it was left out.
Testing guides
Michigan’s guidance calls for PLM on every suspect material and point counting for trace results — our bulk-sampling guide explains those lab methods.