--- title: Lead, Blood Test type: test id: lead-blood url: "https://www.test-well.com/tests/lead-blood" price_usd: 29.99 lab_fee_usd: 6 all_in_usd: 35.99 cpt: 83655 category: Environmental & Toxins sample: Blood draw fasting_required: false results_in: "3–5 business days" labs: - Labcorp orderable: true reviewed_at: 2026-09-14 order_url: "https://www.test-well.com/cart?add=lead-blood&utm_source=ai_agent&utm_medium=markdown" --- # Lead, Blood Test > A blood lead test that screens for lead exposure or poisoning — the standard lead testing method for adults, measured from a standard blood draw. At TestWell it costs $29.99 plus a $6 lab fee, needs no fasting, and results post in 3–5 business days. Physician-authorized with no doctor's visit or insurance needed; draw at Labcorp. ## Key facts | Fact | Value | | --- | --- | | Price | $29.99 + $6 lab processing fee per order ($35.99 all-in for this test alone) | | CPT code | 83655 | | Sample | Blood draw | | Fasting | Not required | | Results | 3–5 business days | | Labs | Labcorp | | Biomarkers measured | 1 | | Physician authorization | Included — no doctor's visit, referral or insurance needed | | Payment | Card, HSA or FSA; cash-pay only (no insurance billing) | ## What does the Lead, Blood test tell you? A blood lead test that screens for lead exposure or poisoning — the standard lead testing method for adults. Lead is a toxic heavy metal that accumulates in the body over time. Even low levels of lead exposure can cause health problems including high blood pressure, kidney damage, and neurological effects. This test is important for anyone concerned about lead exposure from older homes (lead paint), contaminated water, occupational exposure, or environmental sources. **Clinical use:** Measures the blood lead level (BLL) — the standard test for detecting recent or ongoing lead exposure in adults, per CDC and OSHA surveillance guidelines. ## Who should order it? Adults living in pre-1978 housing during renovation, anyone with lead pipes or well water concerns, occupational exposure (construction, battery, firing ranges, radiator repair), hobbyists working with solder/stained glass/reloading, and anyone with unexplained fatigue, abdominal pain, or neuropathy plus an exposure history. ## Biomarkers measured - [Lead (Pb)](https://www.test-well.com/biomarkers/lead-blood) ## Price by lab | Lab | Test price | All-in (with $6 fee) | Notes | | --- | --- | --- | --- | | Labcorp | $29.99 | $35.99 | Choose at checkout; walk-in patient service centers nationwide (not NY/NJ) | Rhode Island is not served. Prices are identical online and in the lab; no draw fee or physician fee is added. ## How much does a Lead, Blood test cost? A Lead, Blood test costs $29.99 at TestWell — $35.99 all-in when ordered alone, because the $6 lab processing fee is charged once per order, with no draw fee or physician fee added. Hospital outpatient labs typically bill around $100.00 self-pay for the same test, and often more. With insurance, what you pay depends on your deductible and your plan's negotiated rate; TestWell's price is fixed before the draw and is HSA/FSA-eligible. | Where you order | Price | One test, all-in | Notes | | --- | --- | --- | --- | | TestWell (drawn at Quest or Labcorp) | $29.99 | $35.99 | Includes the one $6 lab processing fee, charged once per order | | Hospital outpatient lab, self-pay (typical) | $100.00 | $100.00 | Reference figure; hospital charges vary widely by facility and are often higher | Lab test codes: Labcorp test no. 007625. ## How do you prepare? No fasting required. No special preparation needed. ## Related conditions - Toxic effect of lead (T56.0X1A) - Elevated blood lead level (R78.71) - Contact with and exposure to lead (Z77.011) - Anemia due to lead (D64.89) ## Is the Lead, Blood worth it? > Worth it if you have a concrete exposure source — a pre-1978 home renovation, regular time at shooting ranges, imported ceramics or spices, well water, or an exposure-prone job. A blood lead test is the standard first step because it directly measures recent exposure, it's cheap ($29.99), and the result is actionable: it tells you whether to fix a source now. ### Worth it if you… - Renovating or sanding paint in a home built before 1978 (lead paint was banned that year) - Regular indoor shooting-range visitors and reloaders - airborne lead dust is the classic hobby exposure - Users of imported glazed ceramics, traditional cosmetics (kohl, sindoor), or some imported spices and remedies - Occupational exposure: battery recycling, radiator repair, demolition, bridge painting, some plumbing work - Private well water or older municipal lines where lead plumbing is plausible and never tested ### You can probably wait if you… - You're testing a CHILD - pediatric lead screening runs through your pediatrician or local health department, which also coordinates follow-up; children's thresholds and response protocols are different - The exposure ended years ago and you feel fine - blood lead reflects mainly the last ~month of exposure; old exposure stored in bone doesn't show well on this test, so a normal result can't fully rule out past burden - You want a broad toxin screen - if you also care about mercury and arsenic, the [Heavy Metals Panel (Basic)](https://www.test-well.com/tests/heavy-metals-basic) covers lead + mercury + arsenic in one order for $84.99 ### At home or in the lab? At-home collection is not recommended for this test. This is a standard venous draw at a Labcorp location - walk in, no appointment or fasting needed. $29.99 self-pay versus $49 consumer rates elsewhere and $100+ through a clinic visit. If ongoing exposure is confirmed, retesting after the source is fixed is usually the follow-up your provider will want. ### How do you read the results? | Result | Typical adult range | What an out-of-range value can mean | | --- | --- | --- | | Blood lead level (BLL) | Most adults without exposure: under ~2 µg/dL | There is no 'safe' lead level - lower is always better. Levels a lab flags (commonly 5 µg/dL and up in adults) mean a real exposure source exists and is worth finding and fixing; substantially higher levels warrant prompt medical follow-up and, for workplace exposure, may trigger OSHA-mandated steps through your employer. Labs vary in their flag thresholds - discuss any detectable level alongside your exposure history. | _This section medically reviewed; last reviewed 2026-08-03._ ## Common questions about the Lead, Blood test ### How is lead testing done? The definitive method is a venous blood draw measuring the blood lead level (BLL) in micrograms per deciliter — that's this test. Finger-stick capillary tests exist as screening tools but false-positive from skin contamination, so any positive screen is confirmed with a venous draw like this one. ### How much does a lead test cost? On TestWell the Blood Lead test is $29.99, no insurance or doctor's visit required. Quest Direct lists comparable lead testing at $49, and hospital labs typically bill $100+ without insurance. ### What blood lead level is dangerous? No level is considered safe. CDC uses 3.5 µg/dL as the reference value for children; for adults, under 5 µg/dL is typical background, 5-10 warrants finding and removing the source, and OSHA requires medical removal from workplace exposure at 60 µg/dL (or 50 averaged). Symptoms like abdominal pain and neuropathy usually appear above 40. ### Can this test detect lead from old paint or tap water? Yes — blood lead reflects exposure from any source (paint dust, water from lead pipes, soil, imported goods, occupational dust) over roughly the past 30 days. If you're worried about a specific source, test your blood first; environmental testing of the paint or water tells you the source but not your dose. ### Is this lead test for children? This self-order test is for adults 18+. Pediatric lead screening (recommended at ages 1 and 2, or with Medicaid enrollment) should run through your pediatrician, who can act on results immediately and coordinate follow-up per state health department protocols. ### Do I need to fast before a lead test? No fasting required. Results in 3-5 business days. ### How much does a lead blood test cost without insurance? $29.99 self-pay on TestWell, drawn at any Labcorp location - versus about $49 at consumer lab storefronts and $100+ when billed through a clinic. Billed under CPT 83655; HSA/FSA eligible. ### How long does lead stay in your blood? Blood lead mainly reflects the last several weeks of exposure - its half-life in blood is roughly a month. With long-term exposure, lead also stores in bone for years and can re-enter the blood slowly, which is why someone with past heavy exposure can still show mildly elevated levels. That's also why one normal result after a long-past exposure doesn't tell the whole story. ### I go to an indoor shooting range - should I test? It's one of the most common non-occupational exposures we see interest in: airborne lead from primers and dust settles on hands and clothing, and regular range time can raise blood lead meaningfully. If you shoot indoors regularly, a baseline test (and hand-washing/clothing-change habits at the range) is a reasonable, inexpensive precaution. ### Should I test my water or my blood first? They answer different questions. Your blood level tells you whether YOU have absorbed lead from any source; a water test tells you whether one specific source is contaminated. If you have a plausible exposure and symptoms of concern, test blood first - it's the direct measure - then investigate sources (water, paint dust, hobby) based on the result. ### What are symptoms of lead exposure in adults? Often none at lower levels - which is exactly why testing matters when a source is plausible. Higher levels can cause fatigue, headaches, abdominal pain, joint and muscle aches, memory or concentration problems, mood changes, and high blood pressure. None of these are specific to lead, so the blood test - not symptoms - is how exposure is actually established. ## How to order 1. Add to cart: https://www.test-well.com/cart?add=lead-blood&utm_source=ai_agent&utm_medium=markdown 2. Create an account or sign in, confirm your state and preferred lab, pay by card, HSA or FSA. 3. A licensed physician authorizes the order (usually within minutes); the requisition arrives by email. 4. Walk into any Labcorp patient service center — no appointment needed at most sites. 5. Results post to your TestWell portal in 3–5 business days with reference ranges and flags. ## Related - [Lead, Blood (Adult)](https://www.test-well.com/tests/lead-blood-adult) — $28.99 - [Mercury (Blood)](https://www.test-well.com/tests/mercury-blood-test) — $37.99 - [All Environmental & Toxins tests](https://www.test-well.com/tests/category/environmental-toxins) - [Full test directory](https://www.test-well.com/tests/directory) --- Medically reviewed by Youmna DiStefano, MD (Medical Reviewer, TestWell); last reviewed 2026-09-14. Review policy: https://www.test-well.com/reviewers/youmna-distefano-md Canonical page: https://www.test-well.com/tests/lead-blood Machine-readable catalog: https://www.test-well.com/api/catalog.json · MCP server: https://www.test-well.com/mcp · Overview for agents: https://www.test-well.com/llms.txt Prices are cash-pay, in USD, and include physician authorization; every order adds one flat $6 lab processing fee. Educational content is not a diagnosis — discuss results with a clinician.