Asbestos testing cost: lab samples, inspections and kits

For a complete home visit that includes lab analysis, expect to pay $250 to $850. Since general home inspectors offer just visual assessments, you will pay $200 to $800 to add a dedicated asbestos inspector.

You usually need tests only if materials show damage or are about to be disturbed. Unless a material has a label, you cannot identify asbestos just by looking. The Environmental Protection Agency states that intact building materials left undisturbed do not require testing.

Before you demolish, sand, or remodel a pre-1980 home, or whenever drywall and insulation crumble, get testing done. Homeowners most frequently test ceilings and insulation. When standard results fall below 1 percent, using a more sensitive electron microscope adds $100 to $200 per sample.

Depending on the area size, inspectors gather 3 to 7 samples from large sprayed surfaces. They normally collect 3 samples for each homogeneous area, which means the material shares the same texture, color, and install date. Therefore, a house with two suspect materials generally requires about six samples.

With lab fees included, a home kit costs about $40 to $100 per sample, although self-sampling is not advised. Taking samples the wrong way can endanger your family more than leaving the material alone. Samples from home kits require mailing to a lab, carry contamination risks, and might not serve as legal evidence. Federal protocols guide professional testing, which yields legally credible results and averages $300 to $850.

Inspectors charge more in large cities and in rural locations distant from their base. When hiring, take a few steps to keep your family safe:

• Hire 2 different firms for removal and inspection to prevent a conflict of interest.
• Request accreditation proof from every worker, meaning official certification from safety training approved by the state or federal government.
• Verify that an accredited lab gets the samples and you obtain a written evaluation with recommendations.
• Review the firm's history at your local worker-safety agency, air pollution control board, and Better Business Bureau.

Gathering a direct sample takes under 20 minutes, while the lab typically sends results back in 1 to 2 days. Getting rush turnaround from the lab costs a flat extra fee. Once removal ends, an independent contractor can perform air clearance testing to check the air, billing this separately.