CATEGORY:
Drug lab cleanup
Summary:
The cost of meth lab cleanup can vary widely depending on factors such as the size of the home, level of contamination, and whether it was used for smoking meth or producing it. Jobs can range from $5,000 to $120,000, with an average of $15,000 to $20,000. The location of the property and state regulations can also affect the cost. It is important to hire professionals for meth lab cleanup rather than attempting to do it yourself as it requires special equipment and expertise to ensure complete removal of toxic particles. Inexperienced cleaners can leave the property uninhabitable and end up costing more in the long run. Hiring established cleaning companies provides guarantees and insurances to ensure the property is safe and habitable.
The cost of contamination can vary widely depending on the size of the home, the level of contamination, and if it was used for smoking meth or a meth lab. We have jobs as low as $5,000 but have seen jobs that cost up to $120,000 but a very general average is between $15,000 and $20,000. Many times insurance will cover these costs. The costs range widely so make sure to read further about understanding these costs and feel free to reach out for a quote from Spaulding Decon.
Investing in real estate is a risky but potentially lucrative endeavor. Prices can skyrocket and plummet in a relatively short time-frame, but if you know the ins and outs of the market you operate in, you can successfully make a profit by fixing and flipping a house. Every once in a while, there comes an opportunity so lucrative, that it makes you wonder if it’s too good to be true. Well, that’s because it probably is. Low prices on properties that are seemingly in pristine condition are usually a tell-tale sign that something suspicious was going on there before it was listed for sale.
More than often, these houses were used as methamphetamine labs, and are, as a result, completely uninhabitable. That is, until they are remedied by a professional meth lab cleanup service. But how much does it cost to clean a meth house, and can you still make a profit out of it? That’s a topic we’re going to tackle today, so read along if you’re interested in purchasing such property for yourself or for reselling purposes.
In order to know if a contaminated property is worth going after, you’ll need to know the costs of meth mitigation and what are the factors that drive up the expenses. Throwing numbers at you is not exactly helpful as costs can vary on a case-by-case basis. First and foremost, you’ll want to get a meth testing kit to get an idea of the amount of contamination. This will also make it easier for cleaning companies to give you a rough estimate. The level of contamination is crucial to determining the overall cost of the cleaning job as it will directly dictate the approach and equipment required to get the job done. Depending on the amount of contamination, cleaning companies will send more or fewer staff members and will apply different techniques.
For instance, cleaning a house that has had meth smoked in will likely be more cost-effective than cleaning a house that was used for production purposes. The reason for this is that during the cooking process, meth producers mix together anhydrous ammonia, lithium, and ether. Each of these ingredients on their own poses a great threat to human health, so you can imagine how dangerous they are when mixed together. On top of that, sulfuric acid and table salt are also added to the mixture, releasing an invisible toxic gas that then enters every porous item in the house.
Another factor that could potentially drive the costs up is the location. If you’re purchasing a house in a state that requires the use of special equipment and has stricter regulations that dictate the maximum allowed amount of meth residue, you should expect to pay more. In other words, each state has a different clearance mandate that affects if a house is considered habitable.
It’s worth mentioning that some retailers try to figure out how to clean meth residue on their own. They use bleach and other disinfectants or hire uncertified and amateur cleaning companies in an effort to cut down costs and save some money. It goes without saying that this practice ends up costing them more in the long run. The problem with meth residue is that it’s not as visible as people think it is. Unlike tobacco smoke that leaves a yellowish stain on the walls, meth is a well-hidden health and environmental threat.
By hiring skilled and experienced professionals, you are giving yourself the highest chance for restoring your property to its previous shine. Meth lab cleanup is a comprehensive process that is best left to the professionals. Aside from experience and skill, meth lab remediation crews use special equipment that guarantees the removal of all toxic airborne particles. This equipment includes Industrial HEPA vacuums, negative air scrubber machines, special detergent water solutions, and, most importantly, various safety equipment.
Another reason why you want to consider hiring an established cleaning company is the guarantees and insurances they provide. You can feel confident you’re getting an all-in-one package when dealing with highly-trained and well-equipped professionals.
While you might be tempted to lower the meth lab cleanup costs by resorting to more affordable options, we would strongly recommend against this as it has been proven time after time that inexperienced cleaners will leave your property inhabitable.
Hire experts you can trust and increase the chances of flipping a property or making it your home.
If you would like to know more about restoring properties and reselling them at a profit, or if you’re interested in finding out more about complex cleaning processes, make sure to check out our other articles.
Contrary to what some people may think, meth labs aren’t some super high-tech facilities with dozens of scientists and multi-million dollar equipment. In fact, most meth labs are nothing but poorly executed improvisations that are usually a health hazard to everything around them. Some people turn their RVs into a meth lab, whereas others turn their whole house into a functional laboratory. Whatever the case may be, the important thing to remember is to stay away from such scenarios and probably report it to the police.
Would you recognize a drug lab if you walked by it every day?The sad truth is that most meth labs hide in plain sight. And that is because the average person doesn’t know how to recognize the tell-tale signs of what has been going on there. What are the signs of a clandestine drug lab? Keep reading to discover the answers!
Meth lab cleanup training is required for all personnel working in a decontamination capacity. When law enforcement busts a meth lab environmental contractors will do what is called a “pack out”. A pack out is the removal of gross contaminates like precursors and chemicals. This is often a dangerous job due to the flammability of some of the chemicals.
