Testing kept separate from removal
Ask whether the tester also sells abatement. A tester with no removal job riding on the result has no reason to shade it, which is the whole point of independent testing.
Free quote · Written price
Request a Testing Quote
Tell us the age of the property and what you plan to disturb. You get a sample plan and a written price. If the material is intact and you are not disturbing it, testing may not be worth your money.
What to include
The more of this you can tell us up front, the tighter the quote. None of it is mandatory, and a one-line message is fine if you would rather we ask the questions.
Year the building was constructed
This is the single most useful piece of information. Anything built or substantially remodelled before roughly 1980 is worth treating as suspect, and the build year tells us how thorough a survey needs to be. If you do not know it, the county assessor record usually does.
What you plan to disturb
Scraping a ceiling, pulling flooring, opening a wall, replacing a furnace, demolishing the whole structure. The work plan determines the sample plan. A targeted survey covering only the materials in scope costs less than a blanket one.
Your deadline
Laboratory turnaround is two to three business days as standard, with rush options available at a premium. If a demolition date is fixed, say so, so the schedule can work backwards from it, including the 10 day window the state notification needs.
Anything already flagged
If a home inspector, a contractor or a lender has already identified suspect material, say what it was and where. That often shortens the survey rather than lengthening it.
What good testing looks like
Written price before the visit
Ask for a sample count and a figure in writing before anyone drives to the property, so the estimate does not grow once the inspector is standing in your basement.
Honest no as an answer
If the material is intact and you are not disturbing it, EPA guidance says you do not need it tested. A good tester will say the same rather than sell you a survey.
Federal minimum sample counts
Sample counts follow 40 CFR 763.86, three, five or seven per homogeneous area of surfacing material. A quote that is cheaper because it cuts samples is not a real saving.
Accredited laboratory
Bulk samples are analysed by polarised light microscopy at an accredited laboratory, with the accreditation reference on the report where a regulator can see it.
Quantities in the report
Percentages plus estimated linear and square footage, so you can apply the 260, 160 and 35 thresholds rather than guess at them.
Before you send the form
If you are researching rather than booking, these pages will probably answer the question faster than we can. The cost page has Bismarck price ranges with the abatement figures that follow a positive result. The FAQ answers twenty of the most common questions. And the permit page sets out the demolition paperwork in the order it has to happen.
One thing worth repeating: if material in your home is intact and you have no plans to disturb it, you probably do not need this service.