Asbestos, lead and demolition work in the City of St. Louis

Who handles asbestos and demolition notices in the City of St. Louis?

The City of St. Louis Department of Health, Air Pollution Control Program, handles them. It acts as the delegated authority under an agreement with Missouri DNR. Contractors report demolition, renovation and abatement projects on the STL City Permits website, and state rules still set the notice period.

Missouri DNR requires notice at least 10 working days before crews start work on a regulated structure. Most single-family homes are exempt, but commercial buildings and some residential structures are covered. A demolition notice is required even when no asbestos is found, and the inspection report goes with it.

Advanced Environmental Services (AES) is registered with Missouri DNR as an asbestos contractor (registration 27-06-0640) and, in its own words, has “a good working relationship” with St. Louis City Air Pollution Control. Our office sits at 3100 Gravois Ave, about 3.2 miles from City Hall without traffic. That is an OSRM free-flow estimate, so real drive times vary.

What do city asbestos and demolition notices cost?

As of October 2026 the City lists $100 for a demolition notification and $200 for an asbestos project notification at the NESHAP level. The fee schedule below comes from the city’s own page. Check it before you file, because fees change.

The city accepts payment by business check or money order at 1520 Market St., Room 4051, Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 12 p.m. Read the NESHAP entry if the acronym is new to you. Our St. Louis City asbestos abatement permit post walks through the filing steps.

How old are the homes in the City of St. Louis, and why does it matter?

About 87.1% of the city’s 174,694 housing units were built before 1980, and 81.7% before 1970, according to the 2024 American Community Survey. Older buildings often have asbestos-containing floor tile, pipe insulation or plaster, and lead paint on trim, doors and windows.

The Census groups homes by decade, so it cannot count homes built before 1978, the cutoff for lead rules, exactly. Missouri DHSS estimates that 60% of homes built from 1960 to 1978 have lead-based paint. It puts the share at 80% for 1940 to 1959 homes and up to 90% for homes built before 1949.

Material in good shape and left alone is a smaller risk than material that is cracked, wet or about to be cut. Break it up and the fibers can reach the air. Learn the terms in our glossary: friable asbestos crumbles by hand, while non-friable asbestos is bound in hard material such as floor tile.

What should I know about lead paint in St. Louis City?

Start with a licensed inspection, not a scraper. EPA’s RRP rule requires certified firms for paid work that disturbs paint in homes built before 1978, and Missouri DHSS licenses lead abatement professionals. See lead-based paint for the basics and our lead paint in pre-1978 homes guide.

The city has its own help. The Building Division inspects residential city properties free of charge where a child under six or a pregnant woman lives. Call CSB at 622-4800 to ask. Owners may also qualify for financial assistance based on income, children under six and owner occupancy.

Do not sand, scrape or burn old paint yourself. If you need abatement work, AES offers lead abatement services.

Is St. Louis City drinking water tested for PFAS?

Yes. The City Water Division has sampled for PFAS since 2020 and takes part in EPA’s fifth Unregulated Contaminant Monitoring Rule, which tests for 29 PFAS. Its most recent samples, from both treatment plants in June 2024, showed all PFAS below detection limits.

That result covers the city’s treated water. It does not say anything about a specific building, a private well or soil at an industrial site. PFAS can show up near past manufacturing, firefighting foam use or landfills. For site questions, AES offers PFAS testing and PFAS remediation.

Are there older industrial sites near the city I should know about?

Yes, and the history is public. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers says the Mallinckrodt plant in downtown St. Louis processed uranium during the 1940s, and that site is now known as the St. Louis Downtown Site. The Corps leads that cleanup under its FUSRAP program, not a private contractor.

Missouri DNR’s list of National Priorities List sites shows no entry for the City of St. Louis itself. The St. Louis Airport Site is listed under St. Louis County. See our St. Louis County page for those sites. If you plan to buy, renovate or demolish an older industrial building, a survey before the first permit saves money later. Read about an asbestos survey and our asbestos survey service.

Which AES services do St. Louis City property owners ask about most?

AES lists these services on its own site, and most city projects fall under one of them.

• Asbestos abatement and asbestos testing before renovation or demolition.
• Demolition, including interior demolition.
• Lead abatement.
• Mold remediation after leaks or flooding.
• Fire and water restoration.

AES works with residential, commercial, industrial, governmental and healthcare customers, and says it has never had a citation from the EPA or OSHA. For work outside the city limits, see St. Louis County, St. Charles, Missouri and Columbia.

Next step

Call (314) 865-2662 or send the quote form at /contact with your address, building age and the work you plan. Start with the asbestos abatement page to see how AES handles a City of St. Louis project.