Pulmonary function tests (PFTs) are performed at hospital-based pulmonary labs, outpatient clinics, and pulmonology practices. Most people need a doctor’s order before scheduling one, and the type of facility you choose affects both cost and the range of tests available.
Types of Facilities That Offer PFTs
Three main settings perform pulmonary function testing, each with different capabilities and price points.
Pulmonology offices and local physician practices often have the equipment for basic spirometry and sometimes a fuller test battery. These tend to be the most affordable option for self-pay patients, typically running $150 to $350 without insurance. The tradeoff is that smaller offices may not have the sealed booth (called a body plethysmograph) needed for the most precise lung volume measurements.
Outpatient clinics and freestanding diagnostic centers frequently house dedicated pulmonary function laboratories staffed by trained pulmonary function technicians. These labs can usually perform the full three-part test: spirometry, lung volumes, and diffusion capacity. Expect to pay $200 to $500 without insurance at an outpatient facility.
Hospitals offer the most comprehensive testing and are often the setting for patients with complex lung disease or those who need testing coordinated with other procedures. Hospital-based labs charge the most, with out-of-pocket costs ranging from $500 to $1,200 for uninsured patients. If you’re already being seen at a hospital system for a lung condition, your pulmonologist will likely send you to the hospital’s own lab.
You’ll Typically Need a Doctor’s Order
You generally can’t walk into a lab and request a PFT on your own. Medicare and most private insurers require that a treating physician order the test for a specific medical reason, and the facility must have that referral on file. Your primary care doctor can write the order if they suspect a lung condition like asthma or COPD, or they may refer you to a pulmonologist who then orders the testing directly.
For insurance to cover the cost, the claim needs a diagnosis code that reflects your actual condition, and the overall clinical picture has to support why the test is necessary. A referral alone isn’t enough if there’s no documented medical reason. If you’re paying out of pocket, the facility still requires an order, but you won’t face the same insurance scrutiny over medical necessity.
What the Test Involves
A full PFT has three components. Spirometry measures how much air you can blow out and how quickly, which is the primary tool for diagnosing airway conditions like asthma and COPD. Lung volume testing measures the total amount of air your lungs can hold, sometimes using a sealed chamber you sit inside. The diffusion capacity test checks how efficiently oxygen passes from your lungs into your bloodstream.
None of these are painful. A pulmonary function technician guides you through each part and will ask you to breathe in and out with maximum effort. The entire session usually takes 30 to 90 minutes depending on which tests are ordered. Not every visit includes all three components. Your doctor may order only spirometry if that’s sufficient to answer the clinical question.
Home Spirometers Are Not a Substitute
Portable spirometers are available for home use, and some doctors prescribe them for ongoing monitoring of conditions like asthma. But research published in the journal Chest found that home spirometry readings were less consistent than clinic measurements, with poor agreement between the two. Unsupervised home readings are not interchangeable with clinical testing and won’t be accepted for a formal diagnosis. If you need a PFT for diagnostic purposes, pre-surgical clearance, or disability evaluation, it has to be done in a clinical setting.
How to Find a Quality Lab
Not all pulmonary function labs operate at the same standard. The American Thoracic Society and European Respiratory Society publish testing guidelines that high-quality labs follow, and the ATS maintains a voluntary registry of labs that commit to these standards. When choosing a facility, you can ask whether the lab follows ATS/ERS guidelines and whether the technicians performing your tests are credentialed respiratory therapists or certified pulmonary function technologists.
The quality of your results depends heavily on the person coaching you through the test. Trained technicians know how to get reliable, reproducible efforts from patients, and labs with strong training and supervision programs produce more accurate data. If you have a choice between facilities, a dedicated pulmonary function laboratory is generally preferable to a test performed as a side service in a general clinic.
Getting Your Results
After your test, a board-certified pulmonologist interprets the raw data. Your referring doctor typically receives the results within about three business days. Some facilities offer faster turnaround, especially if the ordering pulmonologist is in the same practice. The report will include your measured values compared to predicted normal ranges based on your age, height, sex, and ethnicity, along with the interpreting physician’s assessment of what the numbers mean.
If your doctor ordered repeat testing to track a chronic condition, follow-up PFTs are usually spaced months apart unless you’re in an acute flare. Weekly or monthly retesting is reserved for situations like rapidly progressing lung disease where frequent monitoring changes treatment decisions.