When property owners first discover that their home contains meth, they’re often distressed, confused, and even angry. Many wonder how meth contaminated their property in the first place.
The first and most obvious answer is that meth labs are sometimes unnoticed and unreported. Furthermore, meth residue can accumulate from someone smoking over a short period of time. That may include visitors, a contractor working in your home, or even someone breaking into the property.
Meth residue doesn’t dissipate quickly. A property busted as a meth lab ten or even fifteen years ago may still test positive. Once a property does test positive, Utah law requires that the property owner ensure proper decontamination takes place.
Bidding a Meth Decontamination Job
Meth clean-up involves several steps, varrying with each property depending upon the circumstances. These circumstances include:
1) The size of the property/square footage
Property size is important. Decontamination requires that we scrub and rinse all surfaces multiple times. This means walls, ceilings, floors, cabinets, countertops, etc. As such, calculating costs requires the entire square footage, including all floors and basements.
2) The amount of belongings/debris inside the property
Sometimes a property is sold as-is, leaving the landlord with a house full of personal property. In Utah, the Certified Decontamination Specialist generally disposes of these items as special waste. This can add high costs to the job.
We can decontaminate some non-porous items. However, it’s sometimes less expensive to simply replace the items in question.
3) The cleanliness of the property
The cleanliness of the property can change the cost of meth decontamination. For example, many layers of dirt and grease result in a biofilm that resists soaps and cleaners. This may require special formulas and added time or labor.
4) The amount of porous material to be disposed of
According to Utah regulations, all porous materials must be disposed of as special waste. This includes all carpet, carpet pads, draperies, unfinished wood, and so forth. As such, the amount of porous material can affect the price of meth removal.
5) The number of furnaces
Multiple furnaces will increase the number of duct runs that require decontamination. (And yes, it is possible to remediate an HVAC system. That is sometimes cheaper than replacing it outright.)
6) The level or amount of residue found during pre-testing
Before we can accurately estimate the costs, we need to evaluate your lab report. For example, a property that tests a 2.0ug/100cm² requires a slightly different approach than a property that tests a 200.0ug/100cm². Though the process and steps remain essentially the same, the 200ug property will significantly increase the amount of time spent on each step, therefore increasing the bid price.
7) The property location
Be aware that state, county, and even city regulations and permits vary. Of course, these cost changes aren’t generally significant. However, it is important that your contractor obtains the correct permits and licensing.
8) The number of required post-tests
The number of post-tests varies greatly. Utah law generally requires a complete three-point composite sample in each room or designated space. This includes bedrooms, bathrooms, living room, family room, etc. (That also includes the furnace/HVAC system and each remaining appliance.)
Also, the state requires at least one control sample or lab blank to test the contractor’s sampling supplies. Therefore, a four-bedroom, two-bathroom home could easily generate twelve to fifteen post-tests. (Rushing the lab tests will also add additional fees.)
How to Request Your Bid
We can gather some of this information through a phone call or email. With that information, we can offer a ballpark figure for meth clean-up. However, to give a definitive number for meth decontamination, we may require a site visit or an evaluation of the test results.
Still not sure what bidding a meth decontamination job means for you? Then feel free to contact AEI Decon to schedule a site visit or inquire about pricing, 801-888-6698.