Test Kits & Labs

Tap Score vs Your State-Certified Lab vs DIY Strips

By the Private Well Guide TeamUpdated

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Illustration: a lab checklist on a clipboard and a flask
On this page
  1. The three options at a glance
  2. Option 1: Tap Score
  3. Option 2: Your local certified lab or health department
  4. Option 3: DIY strips and kits
  5. Our take
  6. Sources

The three options at a glance

Tap Score (mail-in lab) Local state-certified lab / health department DIY strips and kits
Who runs the test A lab Tap Score describes as independent and accredited A lab certified by your state for drinking water You
Cost Essential Well $209, Advanced Well $399 (listed Oct 11, 2026) Varies by county and lab; some health departments test for free (EPA) Usually the lowest cost; check current price
Lab turnaround 5 business days, per Tap Score Varies; ask the lab Minutes to 48 hours
Bacteria handling Advanced kit ships overnight to the lab in a cooler, per Tap Score Usually the shortest trip to the lab Typically presence/absence screening only
Help with results Online report with treatment suggestions, per Tap Score Health department staff can help interpret (CDC) Instructions on the package
Best for Broad panels without a local lab; convenience Annual baseline; required or official testing Monitoring between lab tests

Sources: Tap Score Essential, Tap Score Advanced.

Option 1: Tap Score

Tap Score is a mail-in service from SimpleLab. You order a kit, collect your sample at home, ship it with the included prepaid label, and get results online. According to the company:

  • Essential Well Water Test ($209): heavy metals (25), minerals (4), hardness, turbidity, silica, nitrate, nitrite, and coliform bacteria including E. coli. Lab turnaround is 5 business days. Tap Score: Essential well water test →
  • Advanced Well Water Test ($399): a broader panel, plus overnight shipping to the lab with an insulated cooler. Tap Score positions it for wells where bacterial contamination is suspected. Tap Score: Advanced well water test →
  • Reports include health and plumbing notes and treatment recommendations.

Pros: convenient; wide panels; no need to find a local lab. Watch for: price compared with your county’s fees, and shipping time for bacteria samples (especially with the Essential kit). If your test is for an official purpose, such as a state home-sale requirement, confirm the lab holds certification in your state.

Option 2: Your local certified lab or health department

CDC says to use a state-certified laboratory and notes that local or state health and environmental departments often test for nitrates, total coliforms, fecal coliforms, VOCs and pH. Find one through:

Pros: often the cheapest route for the annual baseline; short transit for bacteria samples; staff who know local contaminants. Watch for: panels and fees vary a lot by county. Some states require testing at a state-certified lab; New Jersey’s home-sale testing rule is one example.

Option 3: DIY strips and kits

A UMass Amherst study found home test kit quality “can vary widely,” with high variability among the eight kits it examined. DIY kits are useful for:

If a DIY result raises a concern, confirm it with a certified lab.

Our take

  • Annual baseline (coliform, nitrate, pH, TDS): check your health department or a local certified lab first.
  • First comprehensive test, or no convenient local lab: a mail-in lab panel like Tap Score’s is a reasonable choice. Pick the Advanced kit if bacteria is the main worry.
  • Between tests: DIY strips for the parameters your treatment system targets.

See all kit options: Best Well Water Test Kits 2026: DIY Kits vs Mail-In Labs · Reading your report: How to Read Your Well Water Test Results (MCLs, ppm and ppb Explained)

Sources