Home Inspection Firm

Professional Lead Testing

Lead Surface Testing and Evaluation

Instant Result Surface Lead Testing

Lead testing can be the most costly of the inspections needed during the home sale process. To do a lead screening and tests for an entire house, you would need to test every painted surface. This can be very costly to collect and send off each sample to a lab for analysis. So costly that virtually no one does it.

 Sure, we are initially asked about lead testing, but once the price is quoted we are hung up on faster than a telemarketer. Typical cost for a whole house lead screening is around $900.00 and up.

The professionals at DC Home Inspection Service in cooperation with our testing laboratory has found a way to beat the system. For lead testing in a Real Estate transaction, samples must be taken and analyzed by a certified testing laboratory. Our process eliminates the guess work and unnecessary testing fees by doing a preliminary lead surface screening with a specially  treated swab for instant results. If the tested surface shows lead is present, than just that painted surface needs to be sampled and sent off to the lab for further analysis. Painted surfaces that does not test positive need not be sent in for analysis. The cost savings are staggering and finally, we can protect our children from lead poisoning without applying for a second mortgage.

What Is Instant Result Surface Lead testing?

This type of testing is performed with a specially treated swabs that will detect and change colors if lead is present. The test is simple and inexpensive. It involves a small cut through the painted surface, rubbing the treated swab on the area to be tested, and check for color change -- it's that simple.  Its cost affective and fast...

What Does It Mean To Have A Lead Sample Sent To A Lab For testing?

The most accurate way to tell if paint is lead based is to take a sample or a chip of the paint and sent it into our lab for analysis. The chemical compound it then broken down and analyzed. The findings are then put into report format and available for viewing. This type of testing is costly and takes about five days to receive the results, however, may be required for real estate transactions or for medical purposes.

How much does it cost?

INSTANT SWAB TEST - Our testing procedures consists of up to 10 instant swab tests for $125.00 when combined with a home inspection ($150.00 if an instant lead screening is performed without a home inspection).  If a swab test comes back positive, a follow up lab test can be performed, but only on surfaces suspected of lead. This inexpensive approach to lead testing can save time and money. Our goal is to help eliminate the need for excessive & unnecessary lab fees.

LAB TESTING - If samples are sent off to our lab for analysis the cost is $50.00 each with a minimum 4 samples per lab report. We suggest swab testing be performed and only the areas testing positive for lead be sampled and sent in for analysis. As opposed to sampling every painted surface in the house at a minimum of $900.00.  

Which homes should get Lead tested?

Any home built before 1985. Home's built in the 70's or before probably have lead based paint somewhere in the house. Home's built after that could still have lead paint from old buckets of paint left over from previous jobs...we all have old buckets of paint in the basement. Our instant tests results will help determine which areas need further testing or are lead paint.