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Colorado and Denver asbestos rules, explained
Colorado's asbestos rules are run by the state health department (CDPHE), not the City of Denver. Here is what they require, in plain English, with a link to the official page for every rule.
1. When you need a test
A Colorado-certified Asbestos Building Inspector, working for a state-registered consulting firm, must inspect before work disturbs more than these amounts:
| Building | Pipe insulation | Other surfaces | Loose material |
|---|---|---|---|
| Single-family home | 50 linear feet of pipe | 32 square feet of other surfaces | one 55-gallon drum |
| Commercial, public or school building | 260 linear feet of pipe | 160 square feet of other surfaces | one 55-gallon drum |
- Below those amounts, the state recommends a test but doesn't require one. You may also choose to treat the material as asbestos without testing.
- Before any demolition, an inspection is required no matter how much material is involved.
- Buildings built after October 12, 1988 can skip the inspection if an architect, project engineer or certified inspector signs the state form saying no asbestos was used.
2. When a state permit is required
If the inspector finds crumbly ("friable") asbestos above the amounts in the table, a state-certified General Abatement Contractor must remove it under a CDPHE permit. The contractor files the notice and pays the fee. Work can start only after a 10-working-day notice period (emergencies can ask for a waiver).
Non-crumbly ("non-friable") material can be removed by other contractors as long as it stays intact, with an $80 notice.
| Single-family home (above the home amounts, up to the commercial amounts) | Fee |
|---|---|
| Notice | $60 |
| 30-day permit | $180 |
| 90-day permit | $300 |
| 1-year permit | $420 |
| Commercial, public, school, or a home above the commercial amounts | Fee |
|---|---|
| 30-day permit | $400 |
| 90-day permit | $800 |
| 1-year permit | $1,200 |
| Non-friable notice | $80 |
3. Demolition
- Every demolition needs a state demolition notice, even when no asbestos is found. The fee is $50 plus $5 for every 1,000 square feet demolished.
- In Denver, you must get state approval before you apply for a Denver demolition permit, for houses and commercial buildings alike.
- Denver doesn't require its own demolition permit for structures of 200 square feet or less and 8 feet or less in height, unless they are landmarks or in a historic district.
- Colorado law requires every city's remodel and demolition permit form to ask whether the property was inspected for asbestos.
4. Doing it yourself
Colorado law exempts a person who removes asbestos from the single-family home that is their own primary residence. The state says homeowners who plan to rent, sell or demolish the home should call it first (720-507-5136). The exact conditions in the current rule are not yet confirmed on this site. Waste rules still apply to everyone: crumbly waste goes in two sealed, labeled 6-mil plastic bags, and only to a landfill approved to take it, with its OK in advance.
5. Checking a company's certification
CDPHE publishes lists you can search: certified abatement contractors and certified inspectors and workers. Ask any company for its certification number and check it.
6. Nearby cities with extra paperwork
- Englewood wants proof of state abatement and clearance, plus an approved state demolition notice, for demolitions above the trigger amounts.
- Castle Pines wants test results and clearance letters with remodel or demolition permit applications, whatever the building's age.
- Boulder County follows the state process.
- For Aurora, Lakewood, Arvada, Westminster, Thornton and Centennial we found no extra city asbestos rules. That is not yet confirmed; ask the city's permit office.
Questions for the state
CDPHE asbestos program: 720-507-5136 · [email protected].