--- title: Testosterone, Free & Total + SHBG Test type: test id: testosterone-free-total-shbg url: "https://www.test-well.com/tests/testosterone-free-total-shbg" price_usd: 69.99 lab_fee_usd: 6 all_in_usd: 75.99 cpt: 84402, 84403, 84270 category: Hormones sample: Blood draw fasting_required: false results_in: "3–5 business days" labs: - Quest orderable: true reviewed_at: 2026-09-14 order_url: "https://www.test-well.com/cart?add=testosterone-free-total-shbg&utm_source=ai_agent&utm_medium=markdown" --- # Testosterone, Free & Total + SHBG Test > Testosterone, Free & Total + SHBG measures Total Testosterone, Free Testosterone and SHBG from a standard blood draw. At TestWell it costs $69.99 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 Quest. ## Key facts | Fact | Value | | --- | --- | | Price | $69.99 + $6 lab processing fee per order ($75.99 all-in for this test alone) | | CPT code | 84402, 84403, 84270 | | Sample | Blood draw | | Fasting | Not required | | Results | 3–5 business days | | Labs | Quest Diagnostics | | Biomarkers measured | 3 | | 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 Testosterone, Free & Total + SHBG test tell you? The complete testosterone workup in one draw — free (equilibrium dialysis) and total testosterone plus SHBG, the binding protein that determines how much testosterone your body can actually use. This test combines the gold-standard testosterone measurements — free testosterone by equilibrium dialysis and total testosterone by LC/MS — with Sex Hormone Binding Globulin (SHBG) in a single blood draw. SHBG is the liver-made protein that binds most of your circulating testosterone; when it's high or low, total testosterone alone can be misleading. Measuring all three together shows not just how much testosterone you have, but how much is biologically available — the picture clinicians actually use when evaluating symptoms, monitoring TRT, or investigating hormone imbalance. **Clinical use:** Hormone testing measures the chemical messengers that regulate energy, mood, sex drive, weight, and reproduction — helping pinpoint imbalances that cause a wide range of symptoms. ## Who should order it? Anyone with unexplained fatigue, mood changes, libido changes, weight changes, irregular cycles, or considering hormone replacement therapy. ## Biomarkers measured - [Total Testosterone](https://www.test-well.com/biomarkers/total-testosterone) - [Free Testosterone](https://www.test-well.com/biomarkers/free-testosterone) - [SHBG](https://www.test-well.com/biomarkers/shbg) ## Price by lab | Lab | Test price | All-in (with $6 fee) | Notes | | --- | --- | --- | --- | | Quest Diagnostics | $69.99 | $75.99 | 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 Testosterone, Free & Total + SHBG test cost? A Testosterone, Free & Total + SHBG test costs $69.99 at TestWell — $75.99 all-in when ordered alone, because the $6 lab processing fee is charged once per order, with no draw fee or physician fee added. Ordered directly from the labs' own consumer sites, the closest equivalent lists at $159.00 at Labcorp OnDemand (list prices checked Sep 12, 2026; see the notes on how the products differ). Hospital outpatient labs typically bill around $370.00 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) | $69.99 | $75.99 | Includes the one $6 lab processing fee, charged once per order | | Labcorp OnDemand (Labcorp's own site) | $159.00 | $159.00 | Marker lists differ; both are total + free testosterone with SHBG · [list price checked 2026-09-12](https://www.ondemand.labcorp.com/lab-tests/comprehensive-testosterone-test) | | Hospital outpatient lab, self-pay (typical) | $370.00 | $370.00 | Reference figure; hospital charges vary widely by facility and are often higher | Lab test codes: Quest test code 37073. ## How do you prepare? Best drawn in the morning (before 10 AM). No fasting required. ## Related conditions - Endocrine disorder (E34.9) - Hormonal imbalance (E34.9) ## Is the Testosterone, Free & Total + SHBG worth it? > The right first test when you want testosterone results a clinician can actually interpret in one pass. Total testosterone alone misleads whenever SHBG is high or low - which is exactly what happens with age, weight, thyroid issues, and many medications. This draw measures the total, the free (dialysis method), and the SHBG that connects them, for $15 more than free-and-total alone. ### Worth it if you… - Symptoms of low T (fatigue, low libido, reduced drive) - especially with a previous 'normal' total testosterone that never quite matched how you feel - Men 40+ - SHBG rises with age, so total T increasingly overstates what's actually available - Anyone considering or being evaluated for TRT who wants the complete baseline a prescriber will ask for anyway - Conditions and medications that move SHBG: thyroid disorders, obesity, insulin resistance, some anticonvulsants ### You can probably wait if you… - You just want a cheap periodic screen and felt fine at your last draw - [Testosterone, Total ($33.99)](https://www.test-well.com/tests/testosterone-total) answers the screening question - You're already ON testosterone therapy - the [TRT Quarterly Panel ($179)](https://www.test-well.com/tests/trt-quarterly-panel) adds the safety markers (hematocrit, PSA, estradiol) that matter on treatment - You're investigating fertility specifically - LH/FSH and semen analysis lead that workup; testosterone testing alone won't answer it ### At home or in the lab? At-home collection is not recommended for this test. Standard venous draw at a Quest location, best before 10 AM when testosterone peaks. No fasting. $69.99 self-pay for all three measurements from one tube - assembling the same pair of tests at Quest's consumer store runs about $144. ### How do you read the results? | Result | Typical adult range | What an out-of-range value can mean | | --- | --- | --- | | Total testosterone | ~300-1000 ng/dL (adult men; labs vary) | All circulating testosterone, bound and unbound. The screening number - but the one most distorted by SHBG shifts. | | Free testosterone (equilibrium dialysis) | ~5-21 ng/dL (adult men; labs vary) | The unbound, biologically active fraction, measured by the reference method rather than estimated. Low free T with symptoms is the pattern that matters clinically even when total looks acceptable. | | SHBG | ~10-57 nmol/L (adult men; labs vary) | The liver-made protein binding most of your testosterone. High SHBG (age, hyperthyroidism, some medications) = normal total but low free. Low SHBG (obesity, insulin resistance) = the reverse. This number explains discordant results. | _This section medically reviewed; last reviewed 2026-08-04._ ## Common questions about the Testosterone, Free & Total + SHBG test ### How long do Testosterone, Free & Total + SHBG results take? Most Testosterone, Free & Total + SHBG results are available in 3–5 business days after your specimen arrives at the lab. You'll get an email the moment results are ready, with everything viewable in your TestWell portal. ### What sample is collected for the Testosterone, Free & Total + SHBG? Blood draw. Sample is collected at a Quest, Labcorp, or BioReference patient service center near you, or via at-home phlebotomy where available. ### How much does the Testosterone, Free & Total + SHBG cost without insurance? On TestWell, the Testosterone, Free & Total + SHBG is $69.99. Quest Direct lists comparable tests at $144. Walk-in hospital labs typically bill $370 or more without insurance. Insurance is not required — pay one all-in price. ### Do I need to fast before the Testosterone, Free & Total + SHBG? No fasting required for the Testosterone, Free & Total + SHBG. Best drawn in the morning (before 10 AM). No fasting required. ### Where can I get the Testosterone, Free & Total + SHBG done? The Testosterone, Free & Total + SHBG is available at Quest patient service centers nationwide. Order online at TestWell, pick your preferred lab, and we'll generate a digital requisition for the location closest to you. ### Why add SHBG instead of just testing free and total? Because SHBG is the explanation layer. Free and total tell you WHAT your levels are; SHBG tells you WHY they disagree when they do - and points at the cause (thyroid, weight, medications, age). For $15 more on the same draw, it's the difference between a result and an interpretation. ### How much does testosterone testing with SHBG cost? $69.99 self-pay on TestWell for all three markers from one draw. Buying free+total ($85) and SHBG ($59) separately at Quest's consumer storefront runs about $144. HSA/FSA eligible, no doctor's visit needed. ### Do I need to fast or stop anything first? No fasting. Draw in the morning, ideally before 10 AM, when testosterone peaks - afternoon draws read misleadingly low. If you're on biotin supplements, skip them for 48 hours (they can interfere with some hormone assays). ### My total testosterone was 'normal' but I have symptoms - can this test explain that? That's precisely the case it's built for. Rising SHBG - with age, thyroid changes, or certain medications - binds more of your total, so the free fraction quietly falls while the total stays in range. Measuring all three shows whether that's your pattern; bring the results to your clinician for the treatment conversation. ## How to order 1. Add to cart: https://www.test-well.com/cart?add=testosterone-free-total-shbg&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 Quest Diagnostics 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 - [Adiponectin](https://www.test-well.com/tests/adiponectin) — $36.99 - [Aldosterone](https://www.test-well.com/tests/aldosterone-test) — $61.99 - [Antidiuretic Hormone (ADH) Profile](https://www.test-well.com/tests/antidiuretic-hormone-profile) — $109.99 - [Cortisol](https://www.test-well.com/tests/cortisol-labcorp) — $32.99 - [Cortisol (AM)](https://www.test-well.com/tests/cortisol-am) — $26.99 - [All Hormones tests](https://www.test-well.com/tests/category/hormones) - [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/testosterone-free-total-shbg 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.