Asbestos Testing — PLM, PCM & Clearance Lab, Houston TX
Three accredited asbestos analyses under one roof at 10200 East Freeway, Houston TX 77029 — bulk material testing before the work, airborne fiber counting during it, and post-abatement clearance before anyone goes back in. NVLAP, PJLA and Texas DSHS credentials on the same laboratory. Not sure which one your project needs? Start here.
Which Asbestos Test Does Your Project Need?
Three different questions, three different analyses. Picking the wrong one wastes money, delays a permit, or produces data a regulator will not accept. Find your situation below.
Find your project in one line
Bulk Material, Airborne Fiber & Clearance Analysis
Most regulated renovation projects use all three — at different stages, against different criteria, producing different documents.
Bulk Material Analysis
Before the work. Answers “does this material contain asbestos, which type, and how much?” Each distinct layer analyzed and reported separately with an ACM determination. The analysis EPA NESHAP requires before demolition or renovation.
Airborne Fiber Counting
During the work. Answers “how many fibers are workers breathing right now?” Personal breathing-zone samples for the OSHA exposure record, area samples inside and outside containment to prove the engineering controls are holding.
Post-Abatement Clearance
After the work. Answers “is this space fit to hand back?” A written pass/fail clearance letter against the project criterion, accepted by Texas DSHS. 1-day rush turnaround, because the containment stays up until the number arrives.
Our Asbestos Testing Methods — Three Specialized Approaches
AGT Labs offers three distinct asbestos testing methods, each designed for a specific phase of the asbestos management lifecycle. Whether you need to identify asbestos in building materials before renovation, measure airborne fiber concentrations during abatement, or confirm safe re-occupancy after removal, our NVLAP-accredited laboratory delivers accurate results under strict chain-of-custody protocols.
Bulk Sample Analysis (PLM)
Polarized Light Microscopy identifies asbestos in building materials such as floor tile, insulation, ceiling texture, and joint compound. PLM analysis determines whether asbestos is present and quantifies the percentage by type — chrysotile, amosite, crocidolite, tremolite, actinolite, or anthophyllite. This is the first step before any renovation, demolition, or abatement project.
Best for: Pre-renovation surveys, building inspections, material identification
Method: EPA 600/R-93/116 · NVLAP accredited
Air Monitoring (PCM)
Phase Contrast Microscopy measures airborne asbestos fiber concentrations during and after abatement work. PCM analysis counts fibers per cubic centimeter of air on 25mm mixed cellulose ester (MCE) filters collected using calibrated sampling pumps. Results are compared against OSHA’s permissible exposure limit (PEL) of 0.1 f/cc and the excursion limit of 1.0 f/cc.
Best for: Personal exposure monitoring, area air sampling, abatement oversight
Method: NIOSH 7400
Clearance Testing
Clearance air sampling confirms that an abatement area is safe for re-occupancy after asbestos removal. Aggressive air sampling — using fans, leaf blowers, and physical disturbance — ensures any residual fibers are captured during the sampling period. Results must fall below 0.01 f/cc (EPA clearance criteria) before containment barriers can be removed and occupants return.
Best for: Post-abatement verification, re-occupancy clearance, regulatory compliance
Method: EPA AHERA · 40 CFR Part 763
PCM vs PLM — Which Asbestos Test Do You Need?
Choosing the right asbestos testing method depends on your sample type, regulatory requirements, and project phase. The table below compares the two primary analytical methods AGT Labs offers in-house — PLM for bulk material identification and PCM for airborne fiber counting.
| Feature | PLM (Bulk) | PCM (Air) |
|---|---|---|
| Sample Type | Building materials | Air filter cassettes |
| What It Measures | Asbestos presence & type (%) | Total fiber count (f/cc) |
| Analytical Method | EPA 600/R-93/116 | NIOSH 7400 |
| Resolution | ~1 µm (optical) | ~0.25 µm (optical) |
| Identifies Fiber Type? | Yes (6 regulated types) | No (counts all fibers) |
| Typical Use Case | Pre-renovation surveys | Worker exposure & clearance |
| Standard Turnaround | 5 business days | 5 business days |
| Rush Available? | 1- to 4-day rush | 1- to 4-day rush |
| OSHA PEL Threshold | 1% by weight | 0.1 f/cc (8-hr TWA) |
Not sure which test you need? Contact our technical team — we’ll help you select the right method based on your project scope, regulatory requirements, and timeline.
Why accredited asbestos analysis protects your business
EPA NESHAP Compliance
A bulk survey is legally required before commercial demolition or renovation, and civil penalties run per violation per day. Pre-demolition surveys of pre-1980 buildings should also screen for PCB-containing caulk and sealants.
Worker Safety Under OSHA
Air monitoring confirms exposure is below the OSHA PEL of 0.1 f/cc during abatement — the evidence that respiratory protection and engineering controls are actually working. Demolition dust also carries respirable silica.
Legal & Liability Record
Improper disposal or accidental disturbance of ACM leads to costly claims years later. NVLAP and TX DSHS-licensed reports are the documentation that gets produced when someone asks what you knew and when.
Clearance & Reoccupancy
Post-abatement clearance verifies airborne fibers have been removed before commercial or industrial reoccupancy — a legal requirement on most regulated Texas projects and the document that closes the job out.
Asbestos Testing for Clients in All 50 States
We accept ship-in asbestos samples from anywhere in the United States. Our laboratory accreditations are national credentials, not Texas-only ones — but a number of states run their own asbestos laboratory licensing on top of them, and that is worth knowing before you sample.
Samples From Any State
Prepaid return labels ship anywhere in the US. Samples received before 2:00 PM CT are logged the same day, whichever state they travelled from.
Federal, Not Regional, Accreditation
NVLAP is run by NIST, a federal agency. Lab Code 101793-0 carries no geographic restriction, and 40 CFR 763.87 makes NVLAP the accreditation AHERA requires for school samples in every state.
ISO/IEC 17025 Through ILAC-MRA Signatories
NVLAP, PJLA and AIHA-LAP are all signatories to the ILAC Mutual Recognition Arrangement, so your data is produced to an internationally recognized standard of technical competence.
Houston Courier, National Freight
Same-day courier pickup across Houston metro and the Ship Channel corridor. UPS Ground and overnight freight everywhere else in the country.
Some states require their own asbestos laboratory license
National accreditation is not the same as a license to operate in every state. Several jurisdictions require a laboratory to hold that state's own asbestos credential before analysing samples originating there — including New York, Pennsylvania (and the City of Philadelphia separately), Massachusetts, Vermont, Connecticut, Rhode Island, Maine, Virginia, West Virginia, Hawaii and Louisiana. New York in particular does not grant asbestos approval by reciprocity, so no amount of federal accreditation substitutes for it. We hold the Texas DSHS license (#300529). Tell us which state your samples are coming from and we will confirm coverage before you sample, rather than after.
Where Asbestos Hides in Buildings — ACM Reference Guide
Pre-1980 construction carries the highest ACM risk, but asbestos-containing products were used into the 1990s in some categories. Each material below needs bulk analysis first; the ones that get disturbed need air monitoring during the work too.
The Six Regulated Fiber Types We Identify
Fiber type drives health risk, regulatory treatment and how a material must be managed. All six are distinguished by refractive index, extinction angle, pleochroism and dispersion staining, and every one present is named in the report. Full detail on the bulk analysis page.
Four Independent Credentials on One Laboratory
Every asbestos result we issue rests on credentials a regulator, an insurer or a court can verify independently.
What We Do, and What We Do Not
Three things worth knowing before you send samples. We would rather tell you now than have you find out from a report.
We do not collect samples
AGT Labs is an analytical laboratory. We do not perform building inspections, site surveys or field sampling. You, your consultant or your abatement contractor collect the samples and send them in. In Texas, bulk sampling of a regulated facility must be done by a TX DSHS-licensed asbestos inspector. We supply the kits, the protocols and the analysis.
Turnaround Times & Free Asbestos Testing Kits
The same turnaround ladder applies across all three services. Detailed sampling protocols live on each service page, and the two field guides walk through collection step by step — collecting bulk samples and collecting air samples for PCM.
Free Asbestos Testing Kits
- 25 mm MCE cassettes (0.8 µm) for air sampling and clearance
- Pre-labeled airtight containers for bulk samples
- Field blank cassettes to meet the 10% QA requirement
- Layer documentation forms and a site sketch template
- Lot-certified, calibration-traceable media documentation
- Pre-numbered Asbestos Chain of Custody form
- Pre-paid UPS return shipping label (domestic)
Kits ship via UPS Ground — order with 5 business days notice. Houston metro courier pickup available: (713) 453-6090.
Standards That Require Accredited Asbestos Testing
Every report is structured to satisfy the applicable federal and Texas state requirements. The same renovation scope often triggers parallel obligations for lead, respirable crystalline silica and formaldehyde.
Who Relies on Our Asbestos Testing Lab
Pre-renovation surveys rarely stop at asbestos. Pre-1978 buildings often carry lead paint in the same assemblies, and industrial renovations add PAH from coal tar roofing.
Environmental Consultants
Pre-demolition surveys, point count for waste classification and complete monitoring packages across Texas and the Gulf Coast. Volume pricing for high-submission accounts, and PCB analysis on the same submission.
Abatement Contractors
Baseline surveys, personal and area monitoring through the job, and fast clearance letters so reoccupancy is never held up. Standing accounts with kits shipped ahead, scoped per job.
Schools & Government
AHERA surveys, three-year reinspection support and periodic surveillance for K–12 schools, universities and public buildings. NVLAP accreditation is mandatory for AHERA analysis — and held. See our dedicated education and government & municipal facilities testing programs for the full scope.
Industrial & Petrochemical
OSHA 1910.1001 exposure assessments for Houston Ship Channel refineries and chemical plants — thermal insulation surveys, gasket assessments and turnaround monitoring. Add mercury vapor for equipment decommissioning.
Insurance & Legal
Litigation-grade chain-of-custody documentation, expert microscopist declarations and annotated photomicrographs. NVLAP and PJLA accreditation is part of what makes a result defensible and credible in Texas courts.
Property Owners & Real Estate
Pre-purchase surveys, disclosure compliance, O&M program development and renovation clearance. Worth bundling with indoor air quality and mold testing for complete due diligence.
Asbestos Testing — Frequently Asked Questions
General questions answered here. Method-specific questions are on each service page.
Which asbestos test do I need?
When is asbestos testing legally required in Texas?
Is AGT Labs an accredited asbestos testing laboratory?
Do you collect the samples?
What materials most commonly contain asbestos?
How long does asbestos testing take?
How much does asbestos testing cost in Houston?
Do you supply sampling kits?
Do you offer accounts for abatement and demolition contractors?
Can I test my home for asbestos myself?
What's the difference between asbestos testing and an asbestos inspection?
What is the 3-5-7 rule for asbestos sampling?
What should I do if I find a small amount of asbestos in my home?
Asbestos Testing Lab Serving Houston's Built Environment
AGT Labs is at 10200 East Freeway, Suite 101, Houston TX 77029 — inside the Houston Ship Channel industrial corridor. All asbestos analysis is performed in-house by TX DSHS-licensed microscopists. No outsourcing, no send-outs.
Bulk · Air · Clearance
Credentials Held
Available
10200 E. Freeway
Not Sure Which Asbestos Test You Need?
Tell us what stage the project is at and we will tell you which analysis answers it. NVLAP 101793-0, PJLA 137751 and TX DSHS #300529 — free kits, 1-day rush available.