Agency: WV Department of Health — Office of Environmental Health Services, Radiation, Toxics & Indoor Air Division (licensing, 64CSR63); WV DEP Division of Air Quality (Asbestos NESHAP, 45CSR15)
Official program page
Typical order of steps in West Virginia
- Hire a West Virginia licensed asbestos inspector for the areas the project will affect; the inspector gives you a written report (WV DEP brochure, PDF).
- No asbestos found? Renovation can proceed once local requirements are met. Demolition still needs a written notice and a 10-working-day wait (brochure).
- Asbestos found? Only a West Virginia licensed asbestos abatement contractor may abate it (Asbestos in Your Home, PDF).
- File notifications through DEP’s Electronic Submission System at least 10 working days before startup — one account reaches both DEP and the health department (WV DEP DAQ).
- After abatement, a licensed clearance air monitor confirms the area meets the clearance standard (64CSR63, PDF).
The owner’s inspection duty
Under 64CSR63 the owner must ensure that each building or other man-made structure he or she owns is inspected for asbestos by a licensed asbestos inspector before any renovation or demolition. “Building or other man-made structure” includes a pipeline, barn, shed, trailer, or any appurtenance to a building (WV Asbestos in Your Home, PDF; WV DEP brochure, PDF). Licensed inspectors must thoroughly inspect interior and exterior suspect materials that may be affected and sample them unless they are assumed to contain asbestos (64CSR63 §7.1, PDF).
Who is licensed
West Virginia licenses asbestos analytical laboratories, clearance air monitors, contractors, inspectors, management planners, project designers, supervisors, workers, and resilient floor covering workers (64CSR63, PDF). An inspector license requires an EPA-approved inspector training course and an application to the state (W. Va. Code §16-32-8).
Small maintenance jobs
Removing less than 3 square feet or 3 linear feet of asbestos-containing material during a maintenance activity not intended solely as abatement is not considered an asbestos abatement project (64CSR63 definition quoted in Asbestos in Your Home, PDF).
Notification
All Notifications of Abatement, Demolition or Renovation to DEP’s Division of Air Quality and to the health department go through DEP’s Electronic Submission System (ESS) and must be received at least 10 working days (Monday–Friday) before project startup. Demolitions need notice whether asbestos was present or not; renovations need it when regulated material reaches 260 linear feet on pipes, 160 square feet on other components, or 35 cubic feet (WV DEP DAQ Compliance and Enforcement). The health department notes that notification fees increased on April 28, 2024 and that notices no longer go to EPA Region 3 (OEHS Asbestos).
Single-family flooring exception
A business that contracts to remove resilient floor covering (floor tile, sheet vinyl and adhesives over 1% asbestos) in single-family dwellings is not required to be licensed as an asbestos contractor, and that removal is exempt from the rule’s notification and fee requirements; the workers themselves are a licensed category (64CSR63 §§2, 10.4, PDF).
Find a licensed inspector or contractor
The health department’s Licensing Program page publishes complete listings of licensed asbestos professionals, businesses and laboratories, and the state says you can call 1-800-922-1255 for a written list (Asbestos in Your Home, PDF).
Clearance testing in West Virginia
West Virginia defines an asbestos clearance air monitor as the person who performs air monitoring to confirm an area is safe to re-occupy after an abatement project, and licenses that role separately. For a building that is not a school, a contained work area may be cleared when the required samples each meet 0.01 fibers per cubic centimeter by PCM or 0.02 structures per cubic centimeter by TEM. Clearance air monitoring is not required when the structure is scheduled for immediate demolition (64CSR63 §§2.8, 6, PDF).
What West Virginia homes are likely to contain
The DEP brochure lists exterior window putty, caulking, roof felt and shingles, roofing mastic, cement siding shingles and silver roofing paint; interior popcorn ceilings, plaster, textured paint, wallboard joint compound and wiring insulation; heating-system coverings, gaskets, pipe insulation and duct wrap; and flooring including sheet vinyl, 9- and 12-inch floor tiles and felt underlayment (WV DEP brochure, PDF). The health department’s homeowner booklet adds boiler and pipe blankets, cement sheet around wood stoves, and stove door gaskets (Asbestos in Your Home, PDF).
EPA’s advice still applies to all of it: material that is in good condition and will not be disturbed should be left alone, and sampling by an untrained person can be more hazardous than leaving it in place (EPA — Protect Your Family).
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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Do I need asbestos testing in West Virginia?
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.
West Virginia: the owner must have each building or man-made structure inspected by a licensed asbestos inspector before renovation or demolition (WV Asbestos in Your Home).
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.
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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West Virginia asbestos testing FAQ
Do I need a licensed asbestos inspector before remodeling in West Virginia?
West Virginia’s rule puts the duty on the owner of each building or man-made structure to have it inspected by a licensed asbestos inspector before renovation or demolition. Sources: WV Asbestos in Your Home, WV DEP brochure.
Does a shed, barn or trailer count?
Yes. The definition of building or other man-made structure includes a pipeline, barn, shed, trailer, or any appurtenance. Source: WV DEP brochure (PDF).
How far ahead must a West Virginia demolition be reported?
Notices must be received at least 10 working days before startup through DEP’s ESS, even if no asbestos was found. Source: WV DEP DAQ.
What clearance level does West Virginia use?
For non-school buildings: 0.01 f/cc per sample by PCM or 0.02 s/cc by TEM, measured by a licensed clearance air monitor. Source: 64CSR63 (PDF).
Where can I find a licensed West Virginia inspector?
The OEHS Licensing Program publishes licensee listings; the state also offers a written list at 1-800-922-1255.
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
West Virginia licenses clearance air monitors separately from abatement contractors — read the clearance and air-testing guides to see what they measure.