Asbestos testing labs in Colorado

Colorado asbestos rules in brief

• Who runs the program: Colorado's asbestos rules are Air Quality Control Commission Regulation Number 8, Part B (5 CCR 1001-10), a Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment regulation administered by the Air Pollution Control Division. (5 CCR 1001-10, Regulation Number 8, Part B) source
• Licensing: Colorado requires anyone who inspects a facility or facility component for asbestos to be Colorado-certified as a Building Inspector (the regulation's definition of facility includes residential buildings). On abatement projects that need a General Abatement Contractor, all abatement workers and supervisors must be certified. (5 CCR 1001-10, Part B, III.B.2) source
• Notice before work: Notifications must be postmarked or delivered to the Colorado Air Pollution Control Division at least 10 working days before an abatement or demolition project; the regulation sets this 10-working-day rule both for single-family homes and for other facilities. A single-family home needs no abatement permit when the owner does the work themselves in the home they live in as their primary residence, or when the homeowner has opted out of 'area of public access' status. The opt-out is not available if the home will be demolished, sold or rented after the project. (5 CCR 1001-10, Part B, III.E.1.a and III.G.5) source
• Homeowners: A homeowner who removes asbestos in the single-family home where they live as their primary residence is exempt from the rule that requires a General Abatement Contractor with certified supervisors and workers. (5 CCR 1001-10, Part B, III.B.1.c) source

Read on the official pages linked, November 15, 2026, and re-checked by a second reader. A summary, not legal advice: rules change, so confirm with the agency before work starts.

Older homes in Colorado and where the labs are

In Colorado, 1,028,788 of 2,589,053 housing units (40%) were built before 1980, rank 36 of 45 states and DC by that share (Census ACS 2020–2024, table B25034). Homes of that age are the ones most likely to contain asbestos-containing materials such as insulation, flooring and popcorn ceilings. The counties with the most older homes, and how far each is from the nearest NVLAP-accredited asbestos lab site:

Every county in the table has a listed site within 50 miles. Distance runs from the county’s centre (mean of its ZIP-code points) to the lab’s ZIP-code point, in a straight line. Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, table B25034 (Year structure built), county level, downloaded November 15, 2026.

How far the labs stretch in Colorado

Colorado has 6 listed asbestos lab sites for about 1,028,788 homes built before 1980: one site per 171,465 older homes, the 29th most stretched of 35 states with a listed site (the middle state has one per 455,948).

• 6 of the 6 sites are accredited for material samples by PLM (pieces of popcorn ceiling, vinyl floor tile, pipe wrap or other building material).
• 2 of the 6 sites are accredited for air samples by TEM (air samples, such as the clearance test after asbestos removal).

Counts from the accreditation list; homes from Census ACS 2020–2024 (B25034). A site count, not capacity: one lab can process many samples, and many accept samples by mail.

Labs here that print a homeowner price

• EMSL Analytical, Inc.: $95.00 per sample · lab’s page

As printed on the lab’s website, read November 13, 2026. Confirm the price and the test with the lab. Compare all published prices, including labs in other states.