Before the visit
- Get your price and request a time. The instant quote takes about a minute. I confirm the time by text or email.
- Invoice. You get an invoice before the visit. Pay by card, Venmo, Zelle or check.
- Prep the unit. I send the prep checklist when you book. Focus on windowsills and floors in each bedroom and the common room.
- Tell your tenant. Let them know the date and time window, and ask them not to sweep or dry-dust right before.
During the visit
Someone needs to let me in: you, the tenant, an agent, or a lockbox. Nobody has to stay with me the whole time.
- Visual check. I walk the unit looking for peeling, chipped or deteriorated paint.
- Dust wipes. In each bedroom and one common room (living room or kitchen), I take one sample from the floor and one from a windowsill. Each sample comes from a measured area, using a wipe that looks a lot like a moist towelette.
- A blank control goes in with the samples so the lab can confirm nothing was contaminated in handling.
- Notes. I record each sample’s room and surface, so if anything fails we know exactly where.
Most visits take under an hour. A 4-bedroom unit is about 11 samples: two per room plus the control.
At the lab
Samples go to Accurate Analytical Testing LLC, an accredited laboratory (accreditation 100986). Turnaround is counted from when the lab receives them:
- Standard: 3–5 business days
- Rush: 48 hours, 24 hours or same day (shipped overnight)
Results
If you pass, I email the Certification of Lead Safe Status, the lab report, and step-by-step instructions to upload them to the City’s portal. In Philadelphia the certificate is valid for four years.
If a spot fails, I tell you which room and surface, why it likely failed, and how to fix it. The re-test is 20% off. See what to do after a failed test.
Afterwards
Give your tenant a copy of the certificate and file it with the City. We keep track of the expiration date and text you before it’s time to renew.