Lead paint testing labs in Pennsylvania
4 labs on EPA’s NLLAP list · updated October 14, 2026
About this list
EPA’s NLLAP list (October, 2026 Round 132, Month 3 of 3, updated October 14, 2026) names 4 commercially available labs in Pennsylvania. The list prints company, city and phone only.
Sorted A to Z. A listing is not an endorsement and does not say whether the lab takes samples from homeowners. Confirm the test you need with the lab before you send samples.
Accreditation as listed by EPA NLLAP on October 14, 2026; confirm with the lab.
Commercially available lead labs in Pennsylvania (4)
| Lab | City | Recognized for | Accrediting organization | Phone |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Criterion Laboratories, Inc. | Bensalem | dust wipes | AIHA Laboratory Accreditation Programs | (215) 244-1300 |
| Intertek-PSI, Inc. | Pittsburgh | paint chips, dust wipes, soil | AIHA Laboratory Accreditation Programs | (412) 922-4000 |
| Lab Street LLC | Narberth | dust wipes | Perry Johnson Laboratory Accreditation | (610) 764-5315 |
| R. J. Lee Group, Inc. | Monroeville | paint chips, dust wipes, soil | AIHA Laboratory Accreditation Programs | (724) 387-1995 |
Pennsylvania lead rules in brief
- Who runs the program: The PA Department of Labor and Industry certifies lead abatement workers, supervisors, project designers, inspectors and risk assessors under the Lead Certification Act. (Lead Certification Act (Act 44 of 1995)) source
- Renovation and abatement rules: Pennsylvania is not on EPA's list of states authorized to run their own RRP program, so EPA runs the RRP program there, and it has an EPA-authorized lead-based paint (abatement, inspection and risk assessment) program. (TSCA sections 402 and 404; 40 CFR Part 745) source
- State rule to know: In Pennsylvania, when lead-based paint is removed or abated with a method meant to last more than 20 years, in housing where children under 6 are present or in pre-1978 'target housing', the work must be done by persons certified by the Department of Labor and Industry, and L&I must be notified at least five days before work starts (emergency waivers are possible). There is no minimum amount of lead-based paint for this notification. Removal done as part of a renovation or alteration project needs no notification. (Lead Certification Act (Act 44 of 1995)) 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 Pennsylvania and where the labs are
In Pennsylvania, 3,903,515 of 5,806,452 housing units (67%) were built before 1980, rank 5 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 lead-based paint (EPA: homes built before 1978). The counties with the most older homes, and how far each is from the nearest NLLAP-recognized lead lab:
| County | Homes built before 1980 | Share of homes | Nearest listed lab site |
|---|---|---|---|
| Philadelphia County | 623,430 | 83% | 8 mi: EMSL Analytical, Inc., Cinnaminson |
| Allegheny County | 468,114 | 77% | 5 mi: Intertek-PSI, Inc., Pittsburgh |
| Montgomery County | 214,192 | 61% | 21 mi: Criterion Laboratories, Inc., Bensalem |
| Delaware County | 182,139 | 79% | 20 mi: EMSL Analytical, Inc., Cinnaminson |
| Bucks County | 148,221 | 58% | 17 mi: Criterion Laboratories, Inc., Bensalem |
| Westmoreland County | 120,108 | 71% | 14 mi: R. J. Lee Group, Inc., Monroeville |
| Lancaster County | 115,012 | 52% | 39 mi: Batta Laboratories, LLC, Newark |
| Luzerne County | 112,616 | 74% | 91 mi: Criterion Laboratories, Inc., Bensalem |
Over 50 miles from the nearest listed site: Luzerne County. Many labs accept samples by mail; ask before you ship. Distance runs from the county’s centre (mean of its ZIP-code points) to the lab’s ZIP-code point, in a straight line. EPA’s NLLAP list prints a city but no ZIP code; a lab known only from that list is placed at its city’s most common ZIP code. 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 Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania has 4 listed lead lab sites for about 3,903,515 homes built before 1980: one site per 975,879 older homes, the 9th most stretched of 32 states with a listed site (the middle state has one per 717,498).
- 2 of the 4 sites are accredited for paint chips (paint chips scraped from walls, trim or windows).
- 4 of the 4 sites are accredited for dust wipes (dust wipes from floors and window sills, the test used after renovation).
- 2 of the 4 sites are accredited for soil (soil from play areas and the drip line around the house).
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
- Criterion Laboratories, Inc.: $14.00 per sample · 1 week · lab’s page
As printed on the lab’s website, read November 13, 2026. Confirm the price and the test with the lab.
Other states: all states.
Other home hazard tests: Asbestos testing · Mold testing.