On your lab requisition: BioReference “Testosterone, Total/Free (LC/MS)” (test code K630-4)
The short answer
Measures only the biologically active free testosterone — the hormone your body can actually use, measured from a standard blood draw. At TestWell it costs $33.99 plus a $6 lab processing fee, needs no fasting, and results post in 3–6 business days. Physician-authorized with no doctor's visit or insurance needed; draw at Quest or Labcorp.
Hospital Lab
$180
cash pay
Other Labs
$60
+ lab fees
TestWell
$33.99
+ $6 lab processing fee
Free testosterone measures the small percentage of testosterone that is not bound to proteins (SHBG or albumin) and is available for tissues to use. It's particularly useful when total testosterone is borderline or normal but symptoms of low testosterone are present. Conditions like obesity, aging, and certain medications can increase SHBG binding, making free testosterone a more accurate measure.
Measures the unbound, biologically active testosterone in the bloodstream. Useful when Total testosterone is normal but symptoms persist, or when SHBG is abnormal.
Men with low T symptoms but normal Total testosterone, anyone with abnormal SHBG, men on TRT, women evaluating PCOS or unexplained hirsutism, anyone with thyroid disease (which alters binding).
Sample Type
Blood draw
Fasting
Not required
Results In
3–6 business days
Performed At
Quest or Labcorp
Your Testosterone, Free (Direct) results will include values for each of the 1 biomarker tested, along with reference ranges. Results are reviewed by a licensed physician before being released to your secure portal.
If any values fall outside the normal range, your report will include guidance on what that may mean and recommended next steps. You'll receive an email notification when your results are ready, typically within 3–6 business days.
Typical reference range layout
Lab reports show where your value sits relative to established reference intervals—your physician interprets this in context for you. Already have results? Analyze them with your AI assistant against our physician-reviewed ranges.
Best drawn in the morning (before 10 AM). No fasting required.
What can throw off this result
Physician-reviewed “Before your test” pages — what each factor does, for how long, and what to do about it.
A Free Testosterone (Direct) test costs $33.99 at TestWell — $39.99 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 $180.00 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) | $33.99 | $39.99 | Includes the one $6 lab processing fee, charged once per order |
| TestWell (drawn at Labcorp) | $36.99 | $42.99 | Labcorp's own cost for this test is higher; same order, same portal, same physician review |
| TestWell (drawn at BioReference — New York & New Jersey) | $36.99 | $42.99 | New York and New Jersey orders route to BioReference; Quest Health and Labcorp OnDemand don't take self-ordered draws in those states |
| Hospital outpatient lab, self-pay (typical) | $180.00 | $180.00 | Reference figure; hospital charges vary widely by facility and are often higher |
Lab test codes: Quest test code 18944 · Labcorp test no. 144980 · BioReference code K630-4. Competitor prices are read from the linked public pages and re-checked regularly; the labs' sites may add taxes or change prices without notice.
Compare more: Quest Diagnostics price list · Labcorp price list · Quest vs Labcorp · Lab test price checker
Total testosterone includes all the hormone in your blood — most is tightly bound to SHBG (inactive). Free testosterone measures the small unbound fraction (~1-2%) that tissues can actually use. Free is the more clinically relevant marker when SHBG is high or low, which happens in obesity, thyroid disease, liver disease, and aging.
Men 20-49: 5.0-21.0 ng/dL or 1.2-2.5% of total. Men 50+: 4.0-18.0 ng/dL. Women: 0.1-0.85 ng/dL. The percentage matters as much as the absolute number — Free T below 1.5% of Total in a symptomatic man often warrants treatment even if Total looks normal.
Both, ideally. Get the bundled Testosterone Free & Total for the complete picture. Order Free alone only if you've already established Total is normal and want to confirm bioavailability.
On TestWell, the Testosterone test (Free + Total combination) is $33.99. Quest Direct lists the same bundle at $60, walk-in hospital labs typically bill $150-180 without insurance.
The CPT code for Testosterone, Free is 84402. Total testosterone is 84403. When ordered together, both codes appear on the requisition.
Morning (7-10 AM) is the standard — testosterone peaks early. Two separate morning draws are recommended to confirm low T before starting treatment, per Endocrine Society guidelines.
Direct measurement uses equilibrium dialysis (gold standard, expensive). Most labs calculate Free T from Total testosterone + SHBG + albumin using the Vermeulen equation — accurate and far cheaper. Both methods are accepted clinically; calculated Free T is what most TRT clinics use.
Free Testosterone (Direct) test results are typically ready in 3–6 business days after your draw at Quest or Labcorp. TestWell emails you the moment they post, and your results dashboard shows each marker against its reference range with a plain-English explanation.
No, fasting is not required for a Free Testosterone (Direct) test — you can eat normally and book any time of day. Best drawn in the morning (before 10 AM). No fasting required.
Biotin supplements, exercise, time of day and common medications can change a Free Testosterone (Direct) test result without anything being wrong. Biotin supplements can shift Free Testosterone — stop biotin ≥72 hours; tell the lab if you can't. Exercise can raise Free Testosterone — draw in the morning before training. Time of day can shift Free Testosterone — draw 7–10 a.m.; confirm a low result with a second morning draw. Common medications can lower Free Testosterone — note the medication on hormone results. Each factor is covered on our physician-reviewed "Before your test" pages; when one applies, the fix is usually to remove it and retest.
Order the Free Testosterone (Direct) test online from TestWell for $33.99 (plus a $6 per-order lab processing fee) — no doctor's visit, referral or insurance needed. A licensed physician authorizes the order, then you walk into any Quest or Labcorp patient service center near you for the draw (the lab locator on our site lists the closest ones by ZIP code), and results arrive in 3–6 business days.
The Free Testosterone (Direct) test is Quest Diagnostics test code 18944, Labcorp test number 144980, BioReference code K630-4 ("Testosterone, Total/Free (LC/MS)") (CPT 84402). TestWell orders it under those codes for $33.99 at Quest, Labcorp or BioReference — no doctor's visit or insurance required, results in 3–6 business days. Codes verified against the labs' catalogs in 2026.
Medically reviewed by Youmna DiStefano, MD · Last reviewed September 2026
TestWell Price
$33.99
+ $6 lab processing fee at checkout
No insurance needed · HIPAA compliant
Better value: the TRT Quarterly Panel
Save $147.89This test is part of the TRT Quarterly Panel — 11 tests · 40 biomarkers for $179.00, $147.89 less than à la carte.
$179.00$326.89
11 tests · 40 biomarkers
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