A suspected drug lab. Leave and call the police. Do not go back in
Lab chemicals can be explosive, corrosive and toxic to breathe, and law enforcement has to secure and remove the lab before anyone assesses the building.
What is probably happening
- Chemical or solvent smell, glassware and tubing, stripped lithium batteries, propane tanks with blue-stained valves, stained sinks and tubs, covered windows.
- The EPA's voluntary guidelines describe the sequence: law enforcement secures the site and removes the lab, then a professional assessment, then remediation, then testing.
- Porous materials (carpet, drywall, furnishings, ductwork lining) are usually removed because residue cannot be cleaned out of them. Many states set their own cleanup standards and require a certified contractor.
Do this in the next five minutes
- Leave the building with everyone else and get pets out.
- Call 911 and say you suspect a drug lab.
- Do not re-enter until police say the lab has been removed and the building is released.
- Ask your state or local health department what cleanup standard applies and whether contractors must be certified in your state.
- Then call a contractor that does drug lab remediation and ask the questions below.
- Keep every police report and the assessment; you may need them to sell or rent the property later.
Do not
- Do not turn lights on or off, or use anything with a spark. Lab vapors can ignite.
- Do not open containers, and do not pour anything down a drain.
- Do not hire a general cleaner. Residue remains in surfaces and ducts and shows up on testing.
Who to call
A drug lab remediation contractor, certified where your state requires it
This is chemical decontamination under the EPA's voluntary lab cleanup guidelines and state rules, not a trauma cleanup or a house cleaning.
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What it should cost
$3,000 to $5,000 for a typical biohazard scene, with a high end of $25,000
Fixr general biohazard range; no neutral 2025 or 2026 figure specific to lab cleanup was found, so expect the assessment to set the price
Source: Fixr, biohazard cleanup cost, 2025. View source
National published range, not a quote for your job. The full cost table for this trade is on the biohazard page.
Ask this contractor, on the phone, before anyone comes out
Tap each one as you ask it.
- Is your company certified for meth or drug lab remediation in this state, and what is the certificate number?
- Which cleanup standard will you work to, and who does the post-remediation testing?
- What materials will be removed, including ductwork and appliances?
- Will I get a written scope, and a written clearance report at the end?
- How is the removed material transported and disposed of?
End the call if
- A contractor that will start before police have removed the lab and released the building.
- No named cleanup standard and no post-remediation testing.
- Cash only, or no written scope.