- 1
- Lab marker
- 7
- Days until results
Lead Paint Chip Test
Air lab test kit
Price
$86
Whether the paint itself contains lead, tested through every layer down to the substrate.
- 30-day money-back guarantee
- Free shipping in 3-5 business days
What’s included
- All sampling materials
- Easy-to-follow instructions
- Full contaminant details for your address
- Prepaid 2-day return shipping
- Accredited lab network
- Regulatory analytical methods
- Per-location results
- Scored against EPA + CDC standards
- HSA/FSA eligible via TrueMed
It’s worth testing for if…
- You are about to sand, strip or renovate old paint
- Your home predates the 1978 residential lead-paint ban
- You want to know before the dust exists, not after
What are Metals?
1 measurement
Lead was added to paint for durability and colour, in concentrations up to half the paint by weight, and was not banned for residential use in the United States until 1978. It is usually buried now, under newer layers, which is why the chip is cut through every coat down to the substrate. Knowing before you sand or strip is the entire point: the lead is harmless in the wall and hazardous in the air.
How to Test
Cut a small chip through every layer of paint, down to the surface underneath, and seal it in the bag. All the layers matter — the lead is usually in an old one, under newer paint.
Supports concern around
Cancer, development in children, fertility and reproduction, short-term toxic effects at high doses, the brain and nervous system.
The substance this kit measures has a hazard classification on file.
Every measurement, explained
At Nestwell, we provide science backed ranges for all the exposures in your home, allowing for personalized suggestions of in home remediation.
One measure, written up by our advisors.
Lead, arsenic, copper and their neighbours on the periodic table. Some arrive with the water from the ground it came out of, some dissolve out of your own plumbing on the way to the tap, and some settle into soil and house dust and stay there.
What these substances are linked to
Health effects that researchers have associated with the substances on this panel, from the EPA's CompTox database. This describes the substances themselves — not your home. Whether any of them are present, and at what level, is what the test is for.
Lead has been associated with cancer, development in children, fertility and reproduction, short-term toxic effects at high doses and the brain and nervous system.
The substance this kit measures has a hazard classification on file. A classification means a substance has been associated with an effect in published research — usually at doses well above what a home test would find. It is not a diagnosis, and it is not a prediction.
Designed To Understand Your Whole House
A single kit answers one question properly rather than several vaguely. Whichever you start with, it is the same lab, the same methods, and the same reporting — so results from one kit sit beside results from the next, in one place, on the same scale.
Accredited labs, regulatory methods
Every sample is analyzed by an accredited environmental lab with the same methods regulatory testing uses.
Numbers with regulatory context
Results come back as a measured value next to the standard it is judged against, not just a "detected".
One box, no home visit
Everything arrives at once and we tell you both where and how to sample, no outside home inspection needed.
How Nestwell Testing Works
How Collection Works
Collect
Cut a small chip through every layer of paint, down to the surface underneath, and seal it in the bag. All the layers matter — the lead is usually in an old one, under newer paint.
Mail
Everything goes back in the same box with the prepaid return label. No appointment, nobody in your house, and easy to send back when convenient for you.
Read
Results land in your Nestwell dashboard in about 7 days, each scored against the standard that applies to it.
Why Nestwell?
| Capability | Nestwell | Hardware Store Strips | In Person Inspector |
|---|---|---|---|
| Samples from across your home | Yes | One sample, one place | Yes |
| Real exposure concentrations | Yes | Paper colour key | Sometimes |
| Accredited lab, regulatory methods | Yes | No | Sometimes |
| Nobody has to come into your home | Yes | Yes | No |
| Results tracked over time in one place | Yes | No | One time result |
A number is only useful next to its limit.
At Nestwell, we provide science backed ranges for all the exposures in your home, allowing for personalized suggestions of in home remediation.
Accredited labs only
Samples are analysed by accredited environmental laboratories using the analytical methods used for regulatory compliance work: the same reading a professional consultant would order.
Each result has a standard
A number on its own is not an answer. The EPA action level for lead in water is 15 ppb; the CDC states there is no safe level of lead exposure for children. Each finding is shown against the limit that applies to it.
Where there is no limit, we say so
The EPA sets no numeric limit for mold, and moisture control is the real remedy. Mold results are reported as what is growing and at what relative level, never as just a pass or a fail.
Built with leading medical experts
Dr. Malathi Srinivasan
Clinical Professor of Medicine, Primary Care and Population Health
Stanford University
“Our physical & home environment is a direct determinant of our health, and is immunoregulatory. In a year, we breathe about 6 million times, drink 250 gallons of liquid, and eat almost 2 tons of food, with hundreds of compounds interacting on our skin and immune systems. Small environmental changes make a big difference, especially in early childhood development and for vulnerable adults.”
Frequently Asked Questions
Have questions? Find answers to common customer concerns below.
What does the Lead Paint Chip Test actually measure?
The panel runs 1 measure, covering Metals. Every one is listed on this page with its detection limit, so you can check for a specific substance before you buy.
How do I take the sample?
Cut a small chip through every layer of paint, down to the surface underneath, and seal it in the bag. All the layers matter — the lead is usually in an old one, under newer paint. It takes about 5 minutes, and everything you need comes in the box.
How long until I get results?
The kit reaches you in about 3 days. Once the lab receives your sample, results appear in your Nestwell account in about 7 days. Return shipping is prepaid and included.
Who analyses the sample?
An accredited environmental laboratory, using published analytical methods — the same methods and the same labs used for regulatory and commercial testing. Nestwell does not run the analysis itself.
What happens if something comes back high?
Your results are shown against the relevant reference values rather than as a bare number, so you can see which measures stand out and by how much. The lab reports what it measured; it does not diagnose, and a lab result is not medical advice.
Can I pay with an HSA or FSA?
Most Nestwell kits are HSA/FSA eligible through Truemed. Eligibility is shown on the kit page at checkout, and where it applies you can pay with pre-tax dollars.
