Anyone?

What State/Province do you live in? How big is the area? What is the floor that is there? What is the replacement you want to use?

There are SOME situations where you can FOREGO the abatement....BUT you will need to give more details. A small situation (like 130sf or so) can be dealt with by the homeowner in CERTAIN STATES....but you need to know your local ordinances.

More details here will give us a better understanding of what can be done.

I am in Ohio. its about 240 sq ft. Dont know exactly what kind of tiles they are but were looking to replace with vinyl.

We need to have it removed - the question is does it need a full licensed company to come and charge 1,200 or can a handyman on his own come and do it for $150.

Your state will have requirements. There are a few states (not all) that have a MAXIMUM amount that can be removed WITHOUT professional remediation (homeowner can DIY). Other states have a "zero" tolerance for asbestos. It MUST be removed by professionals no matter how big/small the project.

I believe the MAXIMUM allowed is LESS than your square footage. As I mentioned, it is around 130sf is the MAXIMUM allowable (depending on the state). Your square footage is above that. That means you have a 99.99% chance you MUST do the professional remediation.

There is a place you can go to ask this question:

www.thefloorpro.com

There are several experts who are WELL VERSED in Asbestos remediation rules for multiple states. I have read their posts multiple times and "130sf" sticks in my mind.

And just to be clear....sheet vinyl or sheet linoleum can go over top of these types of tiles. If you want a floating floor/tile/glue down floor then you must deal with the asbestos tiles before doing anything. That's why I was asking what type of flooring you have planned for the space.

I would ask what type of protection the "handy man" will give your house (sheet plastic over all walls, vents/doors/windows), positive air pressure, clean up/disposal (the disposal of the asbestos tiles can be in the $100 range all by itself). And then ask yourself what your responsibility will be should the handy man ever come down with mesothelioma (the cancer caused by Asbestos exposure) and if you can be sued later on to cover medical related costs.

But first things first: find out your state's requirements/laws about asbestos removal and homeowner DIY allotment.

Get online and read the local and state regulations. In my state, homeowners can legally remove asbestos tiles but the challenge is in disposal. There is only one landfill operator that handles asbestos in my area and they are strictly regulated, so it's not easy to meet their disposal requirements. I started the removal process in my basement, but once I figured out the regulations I stopped work. When I can afford it, I'll bite the bullet and hire pros. Good luck.