TB test in San Diego, CA: $91.99 QuantiFERON blood test at 22 Labcorp and Quest Diagnostics locations
Medically reviewed by Youmna DiStefano, MD · Last reviewed November 2026
A TB blood test in San Diego is $91.99 through TestWell plus one $6 lab processing fee — $97.99 in all, with the physician's order included and nothing to pay at the draw. It is the QuantiFERON-TB Gold Plus test, which tests for TB infection, drawn at any of the 22 Labcorp and Quest Diagnostics patient service centers within 20 miles of downtown San Diego; the nearest is Labcorp at 2970 5TH AVE, SUITE 140, San Diego, less than a mile from the center. Order online, choose Labcorp or Quest at checkout, and walk in with the emailed requisition and a photo ID — no doctor's visit, referral or insurance. It takes one visit, with no return trip for a reading, and results post in 3–5 business days.
- Price
- $91.99 + $6 per order
- Visits
- One, no return reading
- Results
- 3–5 business days
- Locations
- 22 within 20 mi
Have symptoms? See a clinician instead of testing.
If you have a cough lasting 3+ weeks, are coughing up blood, or have fever, night sweats, or unexplained weight loss, the right step is a clinical evaluation now — not ordering a test and waiting. A negative blood test does not rule out TB disease in someone with symptoms. Also: if you've had a documented positive TB test before, don't retest — bring your prior result to a clinician instead.
What a TB test costs in San Diego
The price for a draw at each lab in San Diego, the test number the lab prints on the requisition, and the total with the one $6 lab processing fee per order. Nothing is paid at the location.
| Lab | Test on the requisition | Price | With the $6 fee | Locations |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Labcorp | QuantiFERON-TB Gold Plus · test 182879 | $91.99 | $97.99 | 12 |
| Quest Diagnostics | QuantiFERON-TB Gold Plus, 1 Tube · test 36970 | $91.99 | $97.99 | 10 |
On the labs' own consumer sites, Labcorp OnDemand lists the same test at $149.00, and Quest Health at $149.00 plus a $6.00 physician service fee, $155.00 in all (checked November 10, 2026). Health departments are often low or no cost but limited in hours and eligibility. A clinic route — urgent care, travel clinic, campus health — commonly runs $150–$350 for the blood test once the visit fee is included, and the skin test adds a second visit. HSA and FSA cards are accepted; no insurance is needed. The full breakdown is in TB test cost.
Where to get the TB blood test drawn in San Diego
Go in the morning if you can. The QuantiFERON sample has to reach processing within 16 hours of collection, so a morning draw makes the same-day courier run to the lab. It is also one of the sample-handling reasons behind indeterminate results, so it is not a detail to fight.
14 of the 22 San Diego locations are open by 7:00 AM every weekday; the earliest, Labcorp at 4033 3rd Ave, Ste 100, San Diego, is open by 6:30 AM.
Nearest first, by distance from downtown San Diego (ZIP 92101). Hours as listed by the lab on October 22, 2026; confirm before a Saturday or holiday visit.
Labcorp — $91.99, test 182879
- Labcorp0 mi
2970 5TH AVE, SUITE 140, San Diego, CA 92103
Mon–Fri 8:00AM – 12:30PM & 1:30PM – 4:30PM · Sat–Sun closed
- Labcorp0 mi
3260 3rd Ave, San Diego, CA 92103
Mon–Fri 8:00AM – 12:00PM & 1:00PM – 4:00PM · Sat–Sun closed
- Labcorp1 mi
4033 3rd Ave, Ste 100, San Diego, CA 92103
Mon–Fri 6:30AM – 3:00PM · Sat–Sun closed
- Labcorp1 mi
4060 4th Ave, Ste 105, San Diego, CA 92103
Mon–Fri 7:00AM – 3:30PM · Sat–Sun closed
885 Euclid Ave, National City, CA 91950
Mon closed · Tue–Sat 8:00AM – 12:00PM & 1:00PM – 4:00PM · Sun closed
- Labcorp6 mi
3737 Moraga Ave, Ste A102, San Diego, CA 92117
Mon–Fri 7:00AM – 12:00PM & 1:00PM – 4:00PM · Sat 7:00AM – 11:00AM · Sun closed
Quest Diagnostics — $91.99, test 36970
1855 1st Ave, Ste 200-B, San Diego, CA 92101
Mon 9:00AM – 1:00PM & 1:30PM – 3:00PM · Tue–Thu 9:00AM – 1:00PM & 1:30PM – 2:30PM · Fri 9:00AM – 1:00PM & 1:30PM – 3:00PM · Sat–Sun closed
4060 4th Ave, Ste 125, San Diego, CA 92103
Mon–Fri 8:00AM – 5:00PM · Sat–Sun closed
2340 E 8th St, Ste F, National City, CA 91950
Mon–Fri 7:00AM – 4:00PM · Sat–Sun closed
480 Fourth Ave, Ste 101, Chula Vista, CA 91910
Mon–Fri 6:30AM – 3:30PM · Sat 8:00AM – 12:00PM · Sun closed
8881 Fletcher Pkwy, Ste 305, La Mesa, CA 91942
Mon–Fri 7:00AM – 4:00PM · Sat–Sun closed
- Quest Diagnostics10 mi
563 Telegraph Canyon Rd, Chula Vista, CA 91910
Mon–Fri 7:00AM – 4:00PM · Sat–Sun closed
How to get a TB test in San Diego
- Order online. The QuantiFERON-TB Gold Plus blood test is $91.99 through TestWell. A licensed physician reviews and authorizes the order — that is what makes a doctor's visit unnecessary — and the requisition arrives by email, usually within the hour.
- Walk into a San Diego patient service center. Pick Labcorp or Quest at checkout, then go to the closest location listed here. Most accept walk-ins; appointments are optional. Bring the requisition on your phone and a photo ID.
- Get results in 3–5 business days. The CLIA-certified lab report, with the quantitative values and interpretation, posts to your portal and is the document schools and employers ask you to upload.
Blood test or skin test: which one does your form need?
Two tests are in use. The skin test (TST, PPD or Mantoux) is placed on your forearm and must be read by a trained professional 48 to 72 hours later — miss the window and it has to be placed again. It can read falsely positive in anyone who received the BCG vaccine in childhood, which is most people born outside the United States. The blood test (an IGRA — QuantiFERON-TB Gold Plus is the common brand) is one draw, is read by a lab instrument, and is not affected by BCG.
CDC encourages the blood test generally and prefers it for people who were BCG-vaccinated or who may not return for a reading. Most US universities and employers accept it, and many now specify it. The skin test is still the right or required choice in some situations — children under 5, serial-testing programs, and any form that names PPD or Mantoux specifically. If your paperwork says PPD, check with whoever is requiring it before you order a blood test; some programs will not accept a substitute.
One thing neither test does: neither the blood test nor the skin test can tell the difference between latent TB infection and active TB disease. Sorting that out is a clinician's job, which is why a positive result on either test leads to an evaluation rather than to a second test.
The full comparison is in TB blood test vs. skin test, and the four-visit baseline that hospitals use is explained in the two-step TB test.
When to see a clinician instead of ordering a test
Ordering a test online is the right move for a healthy adult who needs a result for a form. It is the wrong move in a few situations:
- You have symptoms — a cough lasting three weeks or more, coughing up blood, fever, night sweats, or unexplained weight loss. Be seen by a clinician; don't order a test and wait. A negative blood test in someone with symptoms does not rule out TB disease.
- You had a known exposure in the last 8–10 weeks. Test now if a program requires it, but plan on the repeat at 8–10 weeks after the exposure — and tell the health department, which manages contact investigations.
- The test is for a child under 5. Current CDC guidance still points to the skin test for young children, and TestWell serves adults 18 and over; pediatric TB testing goes through a pediatrician.
- Your form names the skin test. A PPD or Mantoux requirement, or a two-step baseline, has to be placed and read by a clinic.
Frequently asked questions
- Where can I get a TB test in San Diego?
- You can get a TB test at a county health department, an urgent care or retail clinic, through an employer's occupational-health program, or — the fastest route for most adults — by ordering the QuantiFERON TB blood test online and walking into any of the 22 Labcorp and Quest Diagnostics patient service centers near San Diego, no appointment or doctor's visit needed. The blood test takes one visit and is not affected by the BCG vaccine; the skin test needs a return visit 48–72 hours later. Results post in 3–5 business days.
- How much does a TB test cost in San Diego?
- Anywhere from free at a county health department to $150–$350 through a clinic once the visit is included. The QuantiFERON blood test is $91.99 through TestWell plus one $6 lab processing fee, with no visit fee, drawn at any Labcorp or Quest Diagnostics location in San Diego. On the labs' own consumer sites, Labcorp OnDemand lists the same test at $149.00, and Quest Health at $149.00 plus a $6.00 physician service fee, $155.00 in all (checked November 10, 2026).
- Do I need an appointment for a TB blood test in San Diego?
- Usually not — most patient service centers accept walk-ins, and you can book a time online if you prefer. Bring the requisition on your phone and a photo ID. Morning draws are best because the QuantiFERON sample has to reach processing within 16 hours. 14 of the 22 San Diego locations are open by 7:00 AM every weekday; the earliest, Labcorp at 4033 3rd Ave, Ste 100, San Diego, is open by 6:30 AM.
- Can I get a TB test in San Diego without a doctor?
- Yes, with an order. Labcorp and Quest Diagnostics draw the QuantiFERON TB blood test at their patient service centers but need a physician's requisition; ordering through TestWell includes that authorization, and the requisition is emailed to you so you can walk in the same day. Most locations accept walk-ins; appointments are optional.
- How fast can I get a TB test result in San Diego?
- The skin test is read 48–72 hours after it is placed, so two to three days including the return visit. The blood test is one visit with results in 3–5 business days. Order in the morning and you can usually be drawn the same day.
- Will my employer or school accept the TB blood test?
- Most US universities and employers accept the blood test, and many now specify it. The skin test is still the right or required choice in some situations — children under 5, serial-testing programs, and any form that names PPD or Mantoux specifically. If your paperwork says PPD, check with whoever is requiring it before you order a blood test; some programs will not accept a substitute.
- What if my TB blood test result is indeterminate?
- An indeterminate result isn't positive or negative — it means the test didn't produce usable information, most often because of sample handling, sometimes because of an immune response that can't be measured normally or a recent live-virus vaccine. The usual next step is a repeat draw. TestWell's redraw policy: if your QuantiFERON result comes back indeterminate, contact support within 3 days of the result and we'll issue a free redraw requisition.
- I have a cough and night sweats. Should I order a TB test?
- No — be seen by a clinician. A cough lasting three weeks or more, coughing up blood, fever, night sweats, or unexplained weight loss need an evaluation, not an online order. A negative blood test in someone with symptoms does not rule out TB disease.
More on TB testing
- Tuberculosis (TB) Blood Test — order for $91.99
- All lab locations and prices in San Diego
- TB test at Labcorp: test code and price
- TB test at Quest Diagnostics: test code and price
- TB test cost
- TB blood test vs skin test
- How to read a QuantiFERON result
- TB test for employment
- TB test for university enrollment
- Two-step TB test
- TB test near me: every option compared