Asbestos Removal Grants in Michigan: Eligibility, Costs, Rules

There are no asbestos removal grants in Michigan for homeowners or private property owners. The only state funding stream that can pay for asbestos abatement is the Brownfield Redevelopment Grants and Loans program run by the Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy (EGLE), and it is open only to local units of government redeveloping contaminated properties. If you own a house, a rental, or a commercial building with asbestos, you will almost certainly pay for removal yourself, and you still have to follow Michigan’s licensing, notification, and disposal rules.

The Only Michigan Grant That Touches Asbestos

EGLE’s Brownfield Redevelopment Grants and Loans program lists asbestos abatement as an eligible cost, but only “when certain criteria are met.”¹ The same program also funds environmental investigations, underground storage tank removal, demolition, and lead and mold abatement. Grants reach up to $1 million per project, with another $1 million available as a loan.

The purpose is economic redevelopment of abandoned or contaminated sites, not residential relief. A grant cannot benefit the party responsible for causing the contamination. If you are a homeowner who found asbestos insulation in an attic, this program was not built for your situation and will not fund your project.

Who Can Actually Apply

Eligibility is limited to local units of government: brownfield redevelopment authorities, economic development corporations, and other public bodies created under state law.¹ Individual homeowners cannot apply. Neither can private businesses or nonprofits. The practical route is through a municipality: if a city or township wants to redevelop a contaminated parcel, its brownfield authority can apply, and asbestos abatement costs can ride along inside that application.

Nothing in the file points to a dedicated Michigan grant for residential asbestos removal. If you want to look further, local assistance programs sometimes exist at the county or city level, but they are not part of the state program described here.

What Property Owners Actually Pay For

With no grant available, plan on covering the full cost of the project yourself. The work typically falls into three stages.

First, a professional inspection. A certified inspector takes samples and sends them to a laboratory for analysis. Do not disturb suspected asbestos materials yourself; even minor disturbance can release fibers. Residential inspection costs run a few hundred dollars depending on property size and the number of samples.

Second, a decision about whether to remove at all. Material in good condition that will not be disturbed can often be managed in place. Abatement becomes necessary when the material is damaged, deteriorating, or sitting where future work will hit it. Get estimates from more than one licensed asbestos abatement contractor.

Third, independent air clearance testing after the removal, done by someone other than the abatement contractor so there is no conflict of interest. Cost depends on sample count and laboratory turnaround.

Before hiring anyone, verify their Michigan asbestos abatement license, ask for proof of employee training credentials, and confirm liability insurance. The licensing act requires applicants to disclose their insurance status on the application, but insurance is not mandatory for licensure, so the contractor may or may not carry it. If an uninsured job goes wrong, you can end up holding the bill for cleanup and health claims.

Rules You Still Have to Follow

Paying out of pocket does not get you out of the regulatory process. Three sets of rules apply to almost every project.

Federal NESHAP Notification

The EPA’s National Emission Standard for Asbestos sets thresholds that trigger full notification. Written notice to the EPA is required at least 10 working days before work starts when a demolition or renovation involves at least 260 linear feet of asbestos on pipes, at least 160 square feet on other building components, or at least 35 cubic feet of asbestos material that cannot be measured by length or area.² Smaller projects still carry a notification obligation at a reduced level. Emergency renovations caused by a sudden event that creates a safety or health hazard must be reported as early as possible and no later than the next working day.³ If the amount of asbestos involved changes by 20 percent or more during the project, update the notification.

Michigan’s EGLE Notification System

Michigan layers its own notification on top of the federal one. In March 2025, EGLE launched an online notification system through the MiEnviro portal, replacing the paper process. The system collects project information, tracks transportation and disposal of asbestos-containing materials, and handles fees. Michigan law requires contractors to pay a fee for each notification submitted.⁴ Filing on time also protects you if anyone later questions whether proper procedures were followed.

Contractor Licensing

Michigan’s Asbestos Abatement Contractors Licensing Act (1986 PA 135) requires any contractor doing demolition, renovation, or encapsulation of friable asbestos materials to hold a state license before beginning work. Friable asbestos is any material containing more than 1% asbestos by weight that can be crumbled or reduced to powder by hand pressure when dry.⁵

Applicants must show Michigan workers’ disability compensation insurance and prove that all employees have completed accredited training under the Asbestos Workers Accreditation Act.⁵ Training runs 32 hours for abatement workers and 40 hours for contractors and supervisors, and course providers must be state-approved.⁶ License fees are $200 for contractors with four or fewer employees and $400 for five or more; renewals are $100 and $300.

There is a narrow exception. Businesses already licensed as residential builders, maintenance and alteration contractors, or under several articles of the Skilled Trades Regulation Act do not need a separate asbestos abatement license if the asbestos work is incidental to their primary trade and involves no more than 160 square feet or 260 linear feet of friable asbestos material.⁵ Those thresholds match the federal NESHAP numbers, so once a project crosses them, licensing and full NESHAP compliance both switch on at once.

Disposal

Asbestos waste cannot go in a regular dumpster. Federal rules require it to be wetted and sealed in leak-tight containers, with no visible emissions during collection, packaging, or transport.² Michigan law adds that asbestos waste may only go to landfills complying with the federal standard at 40 CFR 61.154.⁷ Not every Michigan landfill accepts asbestos. Confirm the receiving facility is authorized before your contractor loads a truck.

What Non-Compliance Costs

Penalties run on two tracks. On the civil side, the Asbestos Abatement Contractors Licensing Act authorizes fines of up to $10,000 per day for general violations. For working without a license, the ceiling rises to $25,000 per day, following the EPA’s civil penalty policy for asbestos demolition and renovation.⁵

Criminal penalties are separate. A contractor who performs asbestos abatement without a license, or anyone who violates the act and fails to correct the problem after notice, faces a misdemeanor. A first offense carries a fine of up to $500. Later convictions raise the ceiling to $1,000 and allow imprisonment of up to six months.⁵ The criminal numbers look small next to the civil ones, but a misdemeanor on a contractor’s record can effectively close the door on licensed work.

1
Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy. Brownfield Redevelopment Grants and Loans Fact Sheet
2
eCFR. 40 CFR Part 61 Subpart M – National Emission Standard for Asbestos
3
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. Less-Than-10-Day Notifications Under the Asbestos NESHAP Regulations
4
Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy. EGLE Launches New Online Asbestos Notification System
5
Michigan Legislature. Asbestos Abatement Contractors Licensing Act, Act 135 of 1986
6
Michigan Department of Labor and Economic Opportunity. Training Courses – Asbestos Program
7
Michigan Legislature. Michigan Natural Resources and Environmental Protection Act, MCL 324.11514