When you encounter hazardous materials at a building site it’s time to bring in an abatement or remediation contractor. Development and re-development projects can’t move forward without them.
In this article, we’ll review the abatement and remediation industry, factors affecting the market, and some of the top trade contractors specializing in abatement services. Then, we’ll dig into some of the oldest abatement contractors in the country to see what drives their success.
Abatement and Remediation Industry Overview and Outlook
Abatement and remediation go hand-in-hand. To put it simply, abatement removes the problem. Remediation makes sure it’s properly addressed.
- Abatement is the process of removing hazardous materials—like lead, asbestos, and mold—from surface areas. Abatement contractors are also responsible for sealing off affected areas, safely removing the contamination, and cleaning and disinfecting the area.
- Remediation goes steps further to stop, reverse, or prevent those toxic materials from causing further damage to contaminated buildings, soil, and groundwater.
The remediation industry, of which abatement is a subset, is a $24.2 billion industry as of 2024. It’s seen a healthy compound annual growth rate of 3.5% CAGR over the last five years, a trend which is expected to continue. This strong outlook comes as no surprise when you consider that about 20% of commercial buildings still contain asbestos, and lead statistics are pretty similar.
Nearly 94,000 people work in the abatement and remediation industry for around 5,000 businesses. This makes it a niche industry when compared to more mainstream trades like electrical, concrete, or roofing contractors.
Top 26 Abatement and Remediation Contractors
Niche or not, 5,000 companies are still a lot to sort through. And there aren’t a lot of “top abatement and remediation contractors” lists out there.
So we combed through a few sources—including ENR’s Top 600 Specialty Contractors, GC Magazine’s Best Remediation Contractors in the US, and Procore Network’s abatement contractors—to compile a list of abatement and remediation contractors who met a few key criteria:
- Specialty trade contractors for commercial projects
- Primary focus is abatement and remediation
- 50+ employees
- 20+ years in business
- Stellar reputations
So here’s our list of 26 top abatement and remediation contractors in the US.
6 Longest-Standing Abatement Contractors
Longevity was one of the factors we looked at when compiling this list. Given that over 82% of contractors go out of business before making it to the 20-year mark, it’s safe to say that those who survive this long are doing something right.
All of the contractors above have been around for at least two decades. A handful of them have at least doubled that. Here’s a look at six abatement and remediation contractors in the US that have been in business for at least 40 years.
1. Jackson Demolition Service Inc.
Headquarters: Schenectady, NY
Year Established: 1949
Jackson Demolition Service is a nationally renowned demolition contractor whose services include abatement and hazardous materials removal, dismantling and deconstruction, demolition, recycling, environmental remediation, and site restoration. Projects are concentrated in the institutional, industrial, manufacturing, petrochemical, commercial, government, and utilities industries.
This third-generation family-owned and operated company has grown from a small contractor with location operations to one of the country’s premier industrial, commercial, institutional, and municipal demolition contractors. It prides itself on helping clients recover millions of dollars through aggressive asset recovery and recycling programs.
Learn more on Jackson Demolition’s website.
2. Sessler Environmental Services
Headquarters: Macedon, NY
Year Established: 1958
Sessler Environmental Services (SES) is a multi-disciplinary specialty contractor offering environmental remediation, asbestos abatement, decontamination, and decommissioning services. Its portfolio includes projects for education, multi-family residential, industrial, parking structures, and utility sites across the Northeast, Mid-Atlantic, and Great Lakes regions.
SES is a family-owned and operated contractor. It now has four offices across New York, thanks to a recent acquisition of O’Rourke Incorporated, another New York contractor specializing in environmental remediation and demolition. You’ll also find Sessler ranked on our list of the fastest-growing asbestos contractors in the country.
Learn more on Sessler Environmental’s website.
3. Winter Environmental
Headquarters: Peachtree Corners, GA
Year Established: 1964
Winter Environmental is a full-service environmental services contractor. Services include asbestos, lead, and mold abatement, property rehabilitation, hazardous waste remediation, and industrial and nuclear decontamination, along with other cleanup and facility decontamination services. Projects span health care, government, industrial, nuclear, power, commercial, multi-family, and education facilities.
The company employs over 200 people from its headquarters. It has completed nearly 5,000 environmental cleanup projects across 24 states. Winter Environmental is also one of the fastest-growing abatement contractors in the country.
Learn more on Winter Environmental’s website.
4. Earth Services & Abatement
Headquarters: Commerce City, CO
Year Established: 1982
Earth Services & Abatement (ESA) is a leading environmental remediation and demolition firm in the Midwest and Rocky Mountain regions. It offers asbestos, lead, and mold abatement, demolition, soil and water remediation, biological decontamination, and disaster cleanups. Clients span commercial, industrial, and government clients.
ESA has the largest footprint of any contractor on this shortlist, with 29 offices in 12 states. The 40,000 projects it has completed span all sizes across 35 states. At this scale, ESA maintains a constant focus on cost efficiency, high ethical standards, safety, and environmentally friendly solutions.
Learn more on Earth Services & Abatement’s website.
5. AAC Contracting
Headquarters: Rochester, NY
Year Established: 1983
AAC Contracting specializes in environmental remediation, demolition, and fireproofing. Remediation services include asbestos, lead, mold, mercury, and PCB abatement, plus site remediation. It also provides site remediation to remove contaminated structures, excavate and dispose of contaminated soils, and complete full site closures. Projects span commercial, education, and healthcare buildings, multi-family housing, and cultural spaces.
AAC is a New York state women-owned enterprise that has completed more than 35,000 projects. The company holds a commitment to excellence in compliance, safety, innovation, and productivity—backed up by one of the lowest EMR ratings in the environmental services industry.
Learn more on AAC Contracting’s website.
6. Parc Environmental
Headquarters: Fresno, CA
Year Established: 1985
Parc Environmental is California’s leading full-service environmental contractor. It provides asbestos and lead abatement, microbial and mold remediation, onsite demolition, surface preparation, hazardous waste transportation and disposal, and emergency response services. Parc’s projects extend to cover Arizona, Oregon, Nevada, and Washington.
Parc has demonstrated a record of solid growth and consistent profitability, which is no easy feat for contractors. It operates three offices in California that complete over 2,000 projects and 1,000 emergency responses annually. The company maintains a commitment to high-quality, comprehensive, and cost-effective service.
Learn more on Parc Environmental’s website.
What Every Contractor Can Learn from These Leaders
So what does it take to make it over forty years as a trade contractor?
The number one reason construction companies go out of business is cash flow. They simply don’t have enough money to keep operating. Contractors that survive decades, navigating market downturns and a host of other challenges, generally have a better grip on their finances.
At Siteline, we work with a lot of contractors across various trades to shift their financial forecasts. By implementing smart billing practices and billing software built for trade contractors, they gain visibility into cash flow, can monitor financial health for every project, and ultimately get paid weeks faster.
If you’re looking for ways to build a healthier bottom line, we’d love to show you around Siteline. Schedule a demo here.
%202.webp)
