Five steps before you hire
Ask in writing
Request the business's certification and the individual certifications of the people who will be on site: inspector, supervisor and workers, as applicable.
Get specifics
Names exactly as they appear on the certification, the certification type and number, and the expiration date.
Confirm with CDPHE
Use the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment's asbestos program resources to confirm each certification is current. If you cannot find a lookup, contact the program directly.
Match people to roles
An inspector certification does not authorize someone to supervise abatement, and a worker certification is not a supervisor certification. Check that each person's credential fits what they will do.
Recheck if dates slip
If your project is delayed for weeks or months, confirm nothing has expired before work begins.
What proves certification and what does not
Worth checking
- A certification number you can confirm with CDPHE
- An individual certification matching the person on site
- An expiration date after your project ends
- A written scope that names the certified supervisor
Not proof on its own
- Years of experience or a long client list
- Training certificates from a course, without state certification
- A general contractor's license or business registration
- Online reviews, logos or a statement that the business is 'fully qualified'
Red flags during hiring
- Reluctance to share certification numbers or names of on-site personnel.
- An offer to skip testing because the material 'obviously' is or is not asbestos.
- Suggestions to remove material quickly before anyone notices.
- No mention of containment, wet methods or disposal paperwork.
- One price for everything with no written scope.
- Pressure to sign the same day.
Independence is a separate question
Certification answers whether someone is allowed to do the work. It does not answer whether the person checking the work has a stake in the outcome. Many owners hire the inspector and the clearance air monitoring firm separately from the abatement contractor, so the party confirming the area is clean is not the one being paid to clean it.
That arrangement is a choice, not a universal requirement for every job, but it is worth asking about. If one business offers to do everything, ask how they keep testing and removal separate.
General information for the Denver area, not a quote or professional advice. In an emergency, call 911.