How we compare
Every cost table and buying guide on Assbestos says what it's based on and when it was last checked. Here's the method.
Costs
Our cost figures come from published cost guides (Angi and HomeAdvisor, HomeGuide, Forbes Home and Fixr). They survey customers and contractors in different ways and don't always agree, so we show each source with its date rather than inventing one number. The estimator uses the middle of the published ranges. Real quotes depend on your home, your area and the job: always get written quotes.
Test kits and labs
We compare kits on the total cost (kit plus lab fee), turnaround, and whether the lab appears in NIST's NVLAP directory of accredited asbestos labs. We say when we couldn't confirm something. We haven't tested kits hands-on yet, and a guide will only say we tested something when someone actually did.
Contractor-quote services
Some pages link to services that connect you with local contractors. We don't vet individual contractors. Whoever you hire, check their state license and accreditation, and follow EPA's checklist.
Cheap and free options first
Often the right answer costs nothing: EPA says intact asbestos you're leaving alone doesn't need testing or removal. Our guides say so, even though it earns us nothing.
What we never do
- Recommend lawyers or carry lawsuit ads.
- Put offers or promotions on the health page or the "I disturbed asbestos" page.
- Say a material is safe without a lab test.
Affiliate links
Some links pay us a commission. That never changes what we say. See our affiliate disclosure.