You can get a DUTCH test either by ordering a kit directly from the manufacturer’s website or by going through a healthcare provider who offers it. The test itself is a dried urine collection you do at home, so there’s no lab visit or blood draw involved. Prices range from $299 to $700 depending on which panel you choose, and the test is not covered by most insurance plans.
Two Ways to Order
The most straightforward route is ordering directly from the DUTCH Test online shop at shop.dutchtest.com. You pick the test you want, add it to your cart, and a collection kit ships to your home. No referral or prescription is required for direct orders.
The second option is ordering through a licensed practitioner. DUTCH maintains a “Find a Provider” directory on their website where you can search for practitioners near you. The providers listed in that directory have ordered multiple DUTCH tests and hold active healthcare licenses, so they’re familiar with the process and, more importantly, can walk you through your results. If you already see a naturopath, functional medicine doctor, or integrative health practitioner, there’s a good chance they can order it for you directly.
The practical difference between these two paths comes down to interpretation. If you order on your own, you’ll receive a detailed report, but making sense of hormone metabolite patterns without clinical training can be difficult. Going through a provider means someone qualified reviews the results with you and can recommend next steps.
Which Test to Choose
DUTCH offers several panels at different price points, and the right one depends on what you’re trying to learn about your hormones.
- DUTCH Complete ($499): The most popular option. It covers sex hormones (estrogen, progesterone, testosterone) and their metabolites, plus a full cortisol pattern throughout the day. This is the go-to panel for a broad look at hormonal health.
- DUTCH Plus ($650): Everything in the Complete, plus a cortisol awakening response measured through additional saliva samples. This gives a more detailed picture of how your stress hormones behave in the first hour after waking.
- DUTCH Cycle Mapping ($550): Designed for women who need to track estrogen and progesterone across an entire menstrual cycle rather than at a single point. Useful for irregular periods, PMS, or fertility concerns.
- Cycle Mapping & Complete Bundle ($650): Combines the full cycle tracking with the comprehensive hormone and cortisol panel.
- Cortisol Awakening Response ($299): The most affordable option, focused solely on your cortisol pattern. A good starting point if stress and energy levels are your main concern.
- DUTCH Sex Hormone Metabolites ($399): Covers sex hormones and their breakdown products without the cortisol component.
- DUTCH Adrenal ($399): Focuses on cortisol and cortisone patterns throughout the day, plus melatonin.
What the Collection Process Looks Like
Once your kit arrives, you’ll collect small urine samples on filter paper strips at specific times over the course of a day, typically starting in the evening and finishing the next morning. Most panels require four or five samples timed around bedtime, waking, and a couple of hours into your morning. The DUTCH Plus panel adds saliva swabs collected around waking for the cortisol awakening response.
You let each strip dry completely (the kit includes instructions for drying times), then seal them in the provided packaging and mail everything back to Precision Analytical’s lab in Oregon using the prepaid shipping label. The entire collection takes less than 24 hours, and most people find it far easier than coordinating multiple blood draws or 24-hour urine jugs.
How Long Results Take
After the lab receives your samples, expect results in roughly 5 to 10 business days. The report is detailed, with color-coded charts showing where each hormone and metabolite falls relative to reference ranges. If you ordered through a provider, your results typically go to their office first so they can schedule a review appointment.
Insurance Typically Does Not Cover It
DUTCH testing is considered out-of-network and experimental by most major insurance carriers. Aetna, for example, explicitly classifies dried urine hormone testing as unproven and does not assign it a covered billing code. Other large insurers generally follow the same position. You should plan to pay out of pocket.
Some people successfully use HSA or FSA funds to cover the cost, though eligibility depends on your specific plan administrator. If this matters to you, check with your benefits provider before ordering. A letter of medical necessity from your practitioner can sometimes help with reimbursement claims, but approval is not guaranteed.
Why Dried Urine Instead of Blood or Saliva
A standard blood draw captures your hormone levels at a single moment. Saliva testing can track cortisol across a day but has limitations with certain hormones, particularly estrogen in women using topical hormone therapy. Saliva results for estradiol can spike dramatically with gels and creams in ways that don’t reflect actual tissue exposure, while dried urine and blood measurements stay more consistent with clinical outcomes.
Dried urine’s main advantage is that it captures both the parent hormones and their metabolites, the breakdown products your body creates as it processes those hormones. This matters because two people can have the same estrogen level but metabolize it through very different pathways, some of which carry more health significance than others. A blood test won’t show you that distinction. Research published in the journal Menopause in late 2023 by Precision Analytical’s team provided the first three-way comparison of estrogen exposure from patches, gels, and creams, demonstrating that dried urine testing can effectively monitor hormone replacement therapy.
Getting the Most From Your Results
The single biggest factor in whether a DUTCH test is worth the investment is having someone qualified interpret it. The reports contain dozens of markers, and the clinical value comes from reading patterns across those markers rather than looking at any single number in isolation. If you order directly without a provider, use the DUTCH provider directory afterward to find a practitioner who can review results with you, even via telehealth. Many functional medicine providers offer one-time consult appointments specifically for this purpose, typically ranging from $150 to $300 for a results review session.
Before collecting your sample, follow any preparation instructions that come with the kit. Certain supplements, medications, and even foods like licorice can influence cortisol readings. Biotin supplements are a common culprit that can interfere with hormone assays, so most providers recommend stopping biotin at least 72 hours before collection.