I have been searching the forums for recommendations on the labs and the last post was a couple of months ago so I wanted to see if anybody has changed there minds…
I am trying to decide between EMSL and Prolab. From what I see on the forums that EMSL is the best in the business and prolab has gotten nothing but bad reviews for the most part. I came across a post from prolab that said they are implementing some new changes over the next few month and wanted to see if anybody has experienced a difference with them. From what their sales rep told me is they are going to be a bit cheaper then EMSL if I prepay the lab services and buy at least 24 of them at one time. Also they are guaranteed a 24 hour turnaround or it is free and EMSL is 48 hours for the comparable price with a reasonable time frame. I know cheaper is not always better and I am willing to pay the $5 to $10 more a sample for an all around better experience. I also don’t have to prepay my labs with EMSL I can pay after the analysis so I have my clients check in hand to pay with instead of my own money. I know in the end it would all even out but starting a business is expensive as every body knows and coming up with another $500 for sampling could be hard to find when there is other things to spend the money on.
So I was just wondering if EMSL is still the king of the labs or if I should look at giving ProLab a chance.
I did a Google search to find a local lab, asked what kind of cartridge they like, and their prices. They gave me three options, 3 day, 24 hr, and 4 hour. I bought the cassettes on Amazon and I’m ready to go.
I use EMSL and have had nothing but great service with them. Of course, they have a lab local to me that I can just drop stuff off. I pay for the 24 hour turnaround, and I have never waited that long. I’ve had some results in my email 2 hours after drop off. Depends on how busy the lab is that day I guess. Another option that they offer is the free overnight shipping to the lab if you meet a certain order threshold ($100 I think). Three mold air samples covers that minimum.
How can an inspector justify testing mold?
If there is mold there is a moisture problem. Locate and correct the moisture issue. Clean or replace the affected area. Done.
Who gives a rat’s a__ what the Latin name of the mold is? Be it Stachybotrys or any other mold, it is all bad for people and needs to be corrected.
Mold testing is stealing from the fearful. I prefer to educate my clients.
Here is a great resource you can GIVE your clients and grow your business by being knowledgeable, honest, and helpful.
There are many other meaningful, ancillary services to increase our bottom lines but , for me, mold testing is not one of them.
I think reporting the mold species is important. Lab testing provides data that can be used to help answer the clients concerns. Get as much data as you can.
That lab run by a scam artist lacks credentials.
Any lab that charges half the price of accredited labs is a lawsuit waiting to happen.
No accreditation-no good.
I do not charge extra for the inspection with a home inspection since it is about doing the same thing. I charge extra for the samples I take or my time if they don’t do the home inspection. I also charge for the increase in liability that comes with talking about mold but I do not feel I am stealing from the fearful. If I think there is mold present on a home inspection I will still inform them and educate them and recommend testing and do the test. Then I will charge accordingly. It is not stealing if the are fully educated and decide as adults to pay for sampling.
How can you confirm that ALL of the mold is gone after remediation if you don’t test the environment. In California it’s a matter of liability. The property owner needs it to warrant to the buyer, or tenant, that the remediation was successful and complete. You can poo poo that all you want.
