Clearance air test after asbestos work, Ottawa price range?

A clearance air test after asbestos work costs about $300 to $800 in published Ontario contractor prices read in September 2026.

Under O. Reg. 278/05, section 18, clearance air testing applies to Type 3 work only. The sections covering Type 1 and Type 2 work (sections 14 to 17) contain no clearance test requirement, so if your contractor's scope is Type 1 or Type 2, the regulation does not require one. You can still ask for a clearance test to be included in the quote for any job, and it is worth doing so in writing.

For Type 3 work, the test must be conducted by a competent worker once the enclosure is dry. Two methods are permitted. With PCM, every air sample collected must show a fibre concentration that does not exceed 0.01 fibres per cubic centimetre of air, with at least 2,400 litres of air drawn per filter. With TEM, the area passes if the inside average is statistically less than the outside average, or if there is no statistical difference between them. Results must be posted within 24 hours of the test. One exception applies: a building that is to be demolished and will not be entered by anyone except the workers does not require clearance air testing.

The owner is required to keep a copy of the clearance results for at least one year. That copy, alongside the lab report confirming whether your material contained asbestos at or above 0.5 per cent by dry weight (the threshold under section 3(4) of the regulation), and the written Type the contractor assessed for the job, are the documents worth holding onto once the work is done.

The form on this page lets you request quotes from contractors listed in the Ottawa Construction Network directory.

Before the job closes, ask the contractor to confirm in writing which analysis method was used, what each sample result was, and when the results were posted.