Price to remove asbestos joint compound from one Ottawa room?

Published prices for asbestos drywall joint compound removal run $10 to $15 per square foot, with general asbestos removal in the $8 to $15 per square foot range (published Ontario contractor prices, read in September 2026). For a single room, measure the affected walls and ceiling before you call.

The Type the contractor assigns on site also matters. Under O. Reg. 278/05, removing less than one square metre of drywall where joint compound contains asbestos is Type 1. Removing one square metre or more of that drywall is Type 2. If the contractor disturbs more than one square metre of friable asbestos-containing material, the work becomes Type 3. Whether the compound is friable is decided on site, not from a description or a photo, and the no-splitting rule in section 12(5) means the total area worked consecutively in the room counts as one job, even if the contractor breaks it into smaller sessions.

The Type matters because it determines what the contractor must do by law. Type 3 requires that every worker have completed the Asbestos Abatement Worker Training Program and every supervisor the Asbestos Abatement Supervisor Training Program, and the constructor or employer must notify a Ministry of Labour inspector orally and in writing before starting. Type 3 also requires a clearance air test once the enclosure is dry; section 18 of the regulation sets the standard, and that test runs about $300 to $800 (published prices, September 2026). We found no clearance test requirement in the Type 1 or Type 2 sections of the regulation, though you can ask for one in the quote. Asbestos waste must leave the site in a rigid, impermeable, sealed container, transported by a driver trained in asbestos waste management, to a disposal site that has agreed to accept it in advance, under Ontario Regulation 347.

Before you get a quote, confirm the material actually contains asbestos. A pre-renovation inspection with testing runs roughly $250 to $1,300 depending on building size and number of samples (published prices, September 2026). If you already have a lab result showing 0.5 per cent or more asbestos by dry weight, the contractor can work from that.

A fair quote for this job should include the Type the contractor has assessed and why, the disposal site they have arranged, confirmation of Type 3 training records and the inspector notice if the work reaches that threshold, and whether a clearance air test is included or priced separately. Search the contractor's current WSIB clearance online before signing. Under the Consumer Protection Act, 2002, a direct agreement signed at home over $50 must be in writing, and you can cancel it within 10 days after receiving your copy; check the current rules.

When you speak to a contractor, ask them to name the disposal facility they have arranged for the waste and confirm it has agreed to accept asbestos before the job starts.