How to bid a new res panel where a 4” asbestos pipe is in the way?

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Welp I bid the job and told him he has to remove it, and that I’d seen other homeowners remove it by soaking and with PPE, but that I don’t recommend it . tried to contact local removal companies ..with no success. Either disconnected or phone just rang. So, he said he’d get back to me and understood. My guess is he won’t. I kind of have a feel for when they’re serious or just tire kickers….my guess is he’ll hire somebody else that’s willing to do it because someone told him the asbestos “ is OK, as long as it’s not disturbed” and I think he expects me to work around it without disturbing it. That’s ok, I don’t need that kind of customer. You can tell the serious ones from the hacks.

Sometimes there are jobs where it's better to just walk away from. They could remove the asbestos by having some hack just bang it off with a hammer and then while you're working there you're breathing it in because once it's disturbed it is all over the place.

I had a similar job once where a friend was renovating a first floor apartment. When I went to look at the job the demo guys had gutted most of the place and there were chunks of asbestos laying all over the floor and big pieces on the junk pile out in the yard. I told her that I wouldn't do the job unless they had a licensed abatement company come in and clean everything up which she did.