THE PRIME GROUP ASSOCIATES INC

Initially, Vince, the owner, came out to review my situation.  He was  calm, polite, and very knowledgeable.  He read the Analyst's lab report, and said he would be able to remove everything pointed out in the report.  He provided a prompt estimate of the cost, and the work was scheduled quickly, after I obtained the permit.  The crew of Bill and Jeff showed up on time, and promptly went to work.  They were skilled and professional, obviously knowing exactly what to do.  Bill, the foreman, was very knowledgeable and courteous.  He was able to answer all of the additional questions I had.  Prime arranged to have an independent lab take air samples after the work was completed.  They also, at my request, had the lab Analyst take an additional air sample on my first floor.  The Analyst reported back that the air samples came back good, and that the work was completed correctly.  The lab will be sending a separate report to me on these findings.

There was a little initial confusion about the date that the work was going to happen, but in the end Prime Group made sure they fit me in and the work was done in the same week I had planned. The team that did the work was on time, professional, and fast!

I contacted Prime Group after reading a review on Angie's List (thank you to whoever posted that). It was a little difficult to get a response and schedule an estimate, given how busy they are (I assume). So, I went out and got two other estimates for the work. At the time, I wasn't aware of the asbestos heat shield, so the information I provided to all the bidders included just the 30-40 feet of pipe I knew was wrapped in asbestos. After receiving two estimates for more than $2,000, I did hear back from Paul at Prime Group, who provided an over-the-phone ballpark of $1,200 for the work (testing included). He came out the next day to take a look and told me that they would honor that ballpark estimate (a credit to him, since I think I had underestimated the amount of piping involved). Paul was very easy to work with and very straightforward and honest. He actually advised us that we really didn't need to take out the asbestos he inspected, since it was so well-encased! We went ahead with it nonetheless, and Paul and his team came out while we were out of town to do the work. We came back to find the work area clean and asbestos-free (they sent the certification proving it, by mail). They had also removed the heat shield, which hadn't been noticed until they started testing (if I remember correctly), at no extra cost. I was very happy with the work, and with the bill.

Asbestos removal is not cheap. I had several estimates over $1000.00 - Many companies had a $1200 MINIMUM !!!! Prime QUOTED $450.00 and CHARGED $450.00. They had to give a six day notification period (government regulations.) They showed up promptly on day seven as scheduled. Two polite fellows showed up and did the removal. When I went down to the basement I saw that it was taped off like a toxic spill. Another gentlemen came back a few hours later (as scheduled) and removed the test equipment and curtains. A few days later, I received the bill. $300 for the removal and $100 for the air testing. Obviously, government regs make this an expensive proposition, but The Prime Group took a lot of the sting out of doing the right thing. Don't think I wasn't tempted to put on a face mask, get a 30 gallon trash bag and do the job myself.