Asbestos testing for your building materials.A mail-in sampling kit, analyzed by an accredited lab.
Take a small piece of the floor tile, ceiling texture or pipe wrap, seal it in a numbered bag and mail it back. The lab examines it under a polarized light microscope and reports whether asbestos is present, which type, and how much.
From $55 · lab analysis and shipping both ways included
Order your kit- NVLAP-accredited lab
- Lab report by email
- One sample per material
1Kitchen floor tile, 9×9, by the sink
| Layer | Asbestos | Other fibers | Non-fibrous |
|---|---|---|---|
| A · Vinyl tile, beige | Chrysotile 4% | <1% | 96% |
| B · Black mastic | Chrysotile 2% | <1% | 98% |
2Hallway ceiling texture
| Layer | Asbestos | Other fibers | Non-fibrous |
|---|---|---|---|
| A · Texture, white | None detected | <1% | 100% |
Each layer of each sample is reported separately: the asbestos type and percentage, other fibers, and non-fibrous material. Anything over 1% asbestos is asbestos-containing material under EPA rules. Example only.
How it works
Order your kit
Pick how many materials you want tested. Each one gets its own numbered sample bag. Kits ship within 1–2 business days.
Take a small sample
Wet the spot with water and a few drops of dish soap, cut a piece about the size of a quarter through all the layers, and seal it in its numbered bag. The instructions are the EPA and CPSC home-sampling steps.
Mail it back
Fill in the sample form on the tracking page, then put the sealed bags in the outer bag and the prepaid return mailer, and drop it off at USPS.
Get your results
The lab examines each sample under polarized light. Results take up to 5 business days once the lab has them, and we email you the report as soon as it’s ready.
What you can test
Any solid building material. These are the ones people most often want tested.
- Floor tile (9×9 and 12×12)and the black mastic under it
- Popcorn and textured ceilingsand textured walls
- Sheet vinyl and linoleumthe paper backing especially
- Joint compound and plasterdrywall mud, skim coats
- Pipe and duct wrapwhite or grey insulation, tape
- Siding and roofingcement shingles, roofing felt
- Ceiling tilesdrop ceilings, glued-up tiles
- Window glazing and caulkand old sealants
Asbestos was used in many building products through the 1980s. Looks and age don’t tell you whether a particular material contains it. Lab analysis does.
One sample per material: a floor tile and the mastic under it are two, while two rooms of the same tile are usually one. If a material has layers, cut through all of them in one piece so the lab can check each layer. The kit is for solid materials only, not air, dust or loose-fill (vermiculite) insulation, which needs a different lab method.
One price, lab included
The price covers the sampling kit, the lab analysis of every sample, and shipping both ways.
- A numbered sample bag for each material you want tested, and an outer bag
- Disposable gloves
- The sampling instructions (the EPA and CPSC steps) and the online sample form
- Lab analysis of every sample, with the report by email
- Shipping both ways included, with a prepaid return label
Pick how many materials at the next step. Secure checkout by Stripe. Cancel for a full refund any time before it ships. Results are for your information and don’t replace a professional asbestos survey.
What your results show
- Whether asbestos was found in each sample
- Which type, like chrysotile or amosite, and the percentage
- Each sample labeled with the material and room you wrote on the form
- A lab report you can keep or hand to a contractor
- It doesn’t test the air, so it can’t tell you whether fibers are loose in a room
- It only speaks for the materials you sampled, not the rest of the house
- It isn’t an inspection, a clearance test, or the asbestos survey that many cities and states require before a renovation or demolition
Under EPA rules, a material with more than 1% asbestos is asbestos-containing material. Some states treat any amount as a positive, and the report gives the exact percentage. If asbestos is detected, don’t sand, cut or remove the material yourself. Material that’s intact can often stay in place or be covered over, and removal is a job for a licensed asbestos abatement contractor; the lab report tells them what they’re dealing with.
Before you take a sample
The EPA and CPSC say to sample only material that’s damaged or about to be disturbed, and that a professional is the safer choice because sampling done wrong can release more fibers than leaving the material alone. If you take the sample yourself, these are their steps, and your kit’s instructions follow them.
- Clear the room and shut off the heat or AC. Nobody else in the room while you sample, and no air moving. Put on the gloves from your kit and lay a plastic sheet under the spot.
- Wet it first. Mist or dab the spot with water and a few drops of dish soap so dust can’t get into the air while you cut.
- Cut one small piece through the entire depth. Use a small knife (a utility knife or putty knife), don’t sand or scrape, and don’t disturb more than you need. Seal it in its numbered bag right away.
- Clean up wet, then patch the spot. Wipe the bag and the area with a damp paper towel, fold up the sheet, and bag the towel, sheet and gloves. Cover the spot with the smallest piece of duct tape that will seal it, and wash your hands.
These steps come from Asbestos in the Home, the EPA and CPSC guide, which also says never to dust, sweep or vacuum debris that may contain asbestos. The full instructions are here and printed in your kit. A licensed asbestos inspector can take the samples for you; many charge per sample plus a visit fee.