year, over a period of several years. This option minimizes the impact in each financial year, but it lengthens the timeline over which ACM remains a problem.
One potential pitfall of this option is the repeated impact on residents during the removal, as the work areas are made off-limits. Some associations would rather inconvenience residents once, in a larger way, rather than many smaller inconveniences over a period of years.
The final option, and one that many associations choose by default, is to simply leave the ACM in place until they need to work on the areas where asbestos is present. As any association that has ACM in place is now 50 years old or older, many of those areas containing asbestos are now at the end of their expected lifetime, particularly pipes with asbestos insulation.
This means that when the associations undergo plumbing replacement projects, or other repairs to areas with asbestos, project costs can balloon. This is especially true when the presence of ACM is a surprise.
If ACM is found during the course of a regular pipe replacement, for example, the work must be stopped until a mitigation company can come out and remove the asbestos. This often results in long delays and significant cost overruns. In the worst-case scenario, this can leave residents without important services for much longer than anticipated.
However, with some forethought and preparation, these delays and cost overruns can be avoided. If your association has chosen to remove ACM on an as-needed basis, proper planning can prevent poor results.
Before the work begins, walk the work area with an environmental consultant, and have any suspicious materials tested. Then, schedule the removal of ACM, and only then begin the underlying work.
It is important that your association budgets for the potential for additional costs related to ACM removal for any project that might require it. A separate line item in the reserve budget for ACM mitigation is one way to prepare for these additional costs, or each line item can be increased to account for the price of mitigation.
No matter how your association plans for asbestos mitigation, it is imperative that only certified contractors be hired to perform the work. Hiring a company without the proper skills, certifications, and expertise opens associations up to liability and higher overall costs.
The last thing anyone wants before embarking on a road trip is to find their car blocked in while contractors in jumpsuits and respirators are spraying the pipes above to prepare them for ACM removal, so planning is imperative, even if the ACM is in a garage. Fortunately, if your association is prepared with an ACM mitigation plan and has maintained relationships with qualified contractors, these dangers can be largely avoided.
14 | COMMON INTEREST® • Fall 2026 • A Publication of CAI-Illinois Chapter
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