Tacoma Asbestos Removal handles asbestos plaster and drywall removal in Tacoma, WA, where a wall is rarely one material. Lath and plaster, skim coats, joint compound over taped drywall, patching compound and textured paint can all be stacked on the same surface, and any of them may test positive. When a remodel takes a wall to the studs, the material is wetted, removed in sections inside containment and bagged before it can dry out and spread as dust.
Tacoma has more pre-war housing than most cities in the region, which is why wall work comes up so often here: about 27% of its homes date from 1939 or earlier (ACS 2024). We remove wall and ceiling systems in Tacoma and surrounding communities, including University Place and Puyallup.
Plaster in older Tacoma houses was troweled over wood lath in base and finish coats, and later owners often added skim coats, texture or paint. A survey samples those layers separately, because one can be positive while another is not. Stripping a room means wetting and removing plaster and lath together, lowering debris instead of letting it fall, and sealing it the same shift. Troweled-on finishes count as friable surfacing material under PSCAA.
Mid-century houses moved to gypsum wallboard with tape and joint compound at the seams, often finished with sprayed or rolled texture. EPA names patching compounds and textured paints among asbestos-containing products, so the inspector samples seams, patches and texture, not just a plain section of board. Questions such as “does sheetrock have asbestos” are really questions about those finish layers.
Small cuts still count. A new outlet, a plumbing access hole or a widened window opening disturbs the wall, and if it tested positive the cut is an asbestos project. Below PSCAA’s 48-square-foot yearly threshold for friable material no agency notice is required, though the work practices still apply, and L&I’s notice starts above 48 square feet. Grouping openings into one planned job keeps the count accurate.
A leak or a small fire can leave asbestos plaster crumbling, sagging or soaked. Damaged material releases fibers more readily, so the room is closed off and left alone until it is sampled and removed. PSCAA can waive its waiting period when a sudden event creates a hazard or removal must proceed to limit property damage, but the notification is still filed.
The survey has to follow the remodel. Walls that come out, walls that get new openings and ceilings that are lowered all need to be in scope, along with layers hidden behind paneling or later drywall. A kitchen plan that changes after sampling should be checked against the report before the first cut.
Historic review is a separate track. Tacoma’s tip sheet describes it for demolition permits on buildings over 50 years old or in Mixed-Use Centers and National Register districts. Owners of designated landmarks or properties in historic districts should confirm with the City what any exterior or structural change needs.
Plaster is heavy, bulky waste. Generated inside the City of Tacoma, it can go to Tacoma Landfill on Mullen Street with a shipment record; outside city limits it goes to Hidden Valley Transfer Station or another facility on PSCAA’s list.
Wall layers that have not been sampled yet belong on a survey first; our page on asbestos testing and surveys sets out how that report is scoped for a remodel. For the ceiling above or the floor beneath the same wall, see the rest of Tacoma Asbestos Removal.
Which walls or ceilings will the remodel open, and is it plaster, drywall or a mix? Add the address and say whether any layer has been sampled yet. We'll get back to you soon with an estimate or any questions we have. Estimates are free and there's no obligation.
Call (253) 322-1760