Find an NVLAP-accredited lab that can analyze asbestos — then a licensed contractor if the report says to remove it.
You cannot tell asbestos by looking. EPA says a trained professional should take samples for laboratory analysis. Start with a lab accredited under NIST’s National Voluntary Laboratory Accreditation Program for Asbestos Fiber Analysis. Hire a licensed abatement contractor only after the numbers, and only if the report (and a qualified inspector) says the material should be repaired or removed.
The live NIST directory is a search form. This version could not extract a complete lab table without JavaScript, so we do not invent rows. Use the official search, then confirm the lab code and expiration.
Open NVLAP labsTranscribed from the Kansas Department of Health and Environment licensed-contractor PDF dated August 2026. Name, address, city, state, and phone as printed. Order is the state’s, not a ranking.
Open Kansas contractorsTranscribed from Pennsylvania Department of Labor & Industry’s Certified Asbestos Abatement Companies list, revised 27 August 2026. Certification number, name, phone, address, and expiration as printed.
Open Pennsylvania contractorsAll states — Kansas and Pennsylvania contractor lists live; NVLAP is national; others coming soon.
NIST’s Asbestos Fiber Analysis program accredits labs to analyze samples with polarized light microscopy (PLM) and/or transmission electron microscopy (TEM). AHERA requires NVLAP accreditation for labs that analyze samples from public or private elementary or secondary schools. How to search NVLAP.
EPA: asbestos-containing material in good condition that will not be disturbed is not likely to pose a health risk. Usually the best thing is to leave it alone. Repair or removal is for material that is more than slightly damaged, or that a remodel would disturb. When to test vs. when to hire.
EPA: use two different firms so the inspector who assesses the need for work is not connected to the firm that does the repair or removal. This site lists state licensees as the state printed them. We do not rank abatement companies.
Decide whether you need a test at all. EPA says you usually can't tell whether a material contains asbestos by looking at it. If building materials aren't damaged and won't be disturbed, you don't need to test. EPA suggests an inspection before a remodel or when materials are damaged, and does not recommend taking samples yourself (EPA, Protect Your Family from Exposures to Asbestos).
Send samples to an accredited lab. NIST's NVLAP program accredits labs for asbestos fiber analysis. Search it yourself with the program set to Asbestos Fiber Analysis (NIST NVLAP directory search).
Keep the inspector and the contractor separate. EPA advises using two different firms, so whoever assesses the need for work is not tied to the firm that does it. Ask each worker for proof of federal or state-approved training. Federal law does not require accreditation for work in detached single-family homes, but some states and localities do, and EPA says state agencies have the most current lists.
Get it in writing. EPA says to get a written contract covering the work plan, cleanup, and applicable regulations, and written assurance at the end that all procedures were followed.
These are the state pages published so far. Every other state is on the state agency list.
We do not invent laboratories, contractors, phone numbers, accreditations, or licenses. If a field is not on the official list, it is marked unknown or omitted. We do not publish “best asbestos company” roundups, coupons, or live affiliate or click-to-call tracking. Call links appear only when the official list already printed a phone number.