Finishing a basement, replacing a furnace or tearing down an older house or garage in Savage can disturb materials that hold asbestos. Sampling comes first. When results are positive we do the removal, see that the state notice is filed and keep the disposal records for your file.
Savage grew late. Its busiest building decade was the 1990s, which produced close to 3 in 10 of the homes standing today, while only about 1 in 8 predates 1980.
Asbestos removed from a 1970s house before it is replaced with a one-level home for three generations
Example project
Home
1970s house in Savage with popcorn ceilings and an original kitchen
Original request
Take the house down and build a new one with a main-floor suite for a parent
Testing
An MDH-certified inspector surveys every room, the basement, the exterior and the roof
Found
Positive ceiling texture, kitchen sheet vinyl and furnace duct tape
Clear
Wall joint compound, siding and roof shingles
Timeline
Survey, MPCA form 10 days before the permit application, MDH notice, three days of removal, two days before wrecking
Cost
$13,500
In this example, a family in Savage buys a 1970s house to take down and replace with a one-level home that has a suite for a parent. The whole house is surveyed first, and the ceilings, the kitchen floor and the furnace duct tape come back positive.
Only a lab can say whether a material contains asbestos. Book asbestos testing before a remodel or a teardown.
Textured ceilings
Recessed lights and smooth, flat ceilings both start with drilling or sanding, so send a texture sample to the lab first. A positive result leads to popcorn ceiling removal, where the sealed-room work is explained.
Demolishing a house or outbuilding? Our demolition abatement page explains the state timing.
Savage housing
Housing in Savage is mostly recent. Close to 9 in 10 homes were built in 1980 or later, the median home dates from 1997, and about 9 in 10 are one-unit homes. Around 1 in 7 occupied homes is rented.
Fewer than 1,500 homes in the city were built before 1980. If yours is one of them, have the materials sampled before you renovate or demolish.
Savage’s demolition permit application has a Hazardous Materials table with a line for asbestos, where you name the contractor disposing of it and the disposal site. The checklist on the back asks you to send MPCA a Notification of Intent to Perform a Demolition 10 days before you apply for the city permit.
Book the inspection and any removal early, so that paperwork is ready by the time you apply.
It depends on the build date. MDH lets a building finished after October 1988 skip the inspection when the architect or contractor provides a letter saying no asbestos was used. The median Savage home dates from 1997, so at least half the homes here are past that line, but anything older is inspected by an MDH-certified inspector before renovation or demolition.
Who files the state notice?
That job belongs to the Minnesota-licensed asbestos contractor alone, so a homeowner or a remodeler without that license can’t send it in. MDH needs it at least five calendar days before regulated work begins on your Savage property.
Can I remove asbestos from my own house?
Yes, if you own the house, it is a single-family home and you live in it. That is Minnesota’s owner exemption, and it applies in Savage like everywhere else, with no license or permit fee needed. It does not cover a rental, a duplex or an apartment building. MDH still strongly recommends that every homeowner use a licensed asbestos contractor.
Prior Lake handles teardowns through a combined demolition and house moving application, covered on asbestos removal in Prior Lake. For the full list of six services, go to the home page.
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