How Much Does a CRP Test Cost? 2026 Cash Prices

Q: How much does a CRP test cost without insurance?

Ordered directly from an online lab service, a high-sensitivity CRP (hs-CRP) test costs $37 to $83 cash plus a $0 to $6 checkout fee, and a standard CRP test costs about $49 (prices verified September 26, 2026, with four providers recorded August 2, 2026). The lowest hs-CRP price we recorded was Ulta Lab Tests at $36.95; the lowest we could re-verify on the day stated was Walk-In Lab at $51 all-in. Through a doctor's office, the cost depends on your deductible and whether the visit is billed separately.

Q: What is the difference between a CRP test and an hs-CRP test?

Both measure C-reactive protein, a marker of inflammation, but at different ranges. A standard CRP test detects the large rises caused by infection, injury, or inflammatory disease and is reported in a range that starts around 3 to 10 mg/L. A high-sensitivity CRP test measures the low-grade inflammation associated with cardiovascular risk, accurately down to 0.3 mg/L or lower. For heart-risk assessment you need the hs-CRP version; for checking an active infection or a flare of an inflammatory condition, the standard test is the right one.

Q: What is a normal hs-CRP level?

The American Heart Association and CDC categories are: below 1.0 mg/L, lower cardiovascular risk; 1.0 to 3.0 mg/L, average risk; above 3.0 mg/L, higher risk. A result above 10 mg/L usually means a temporary source of inflammation such as an infection, and the test should be repeated about two weeks later when you are well. Guidelines recommend averaging two measurements taken two weeks apart for a stable baseline.

Q: Do I need to fast before a CRP test?

No. Neither the standard nor the high-sensitivity CRP test requires fasting. Avoid testing during or within two weeks of a cold, infection, injury, or dental work, because any acute inflammation raises CRP and makes a cardiovascular-risk reading meaningless. If you are ordering hs-CRP alongside a lipid panel, the lipid panel may have its own fasting instructions.

A high-sensitivity CRP (hs-CRP) test costs $37–$83 cash at online lab services, and a standard CRP test costs about $49, each plus a $0–$6 checkout fee — prices verified September 26, 2026. The catch is that they are two different tests. The cheaper-sounding standard CRP cannot measure the low-grade inflammation that cardiovascular risk scoring depends on, and the hs-CRP is wasted if you order it while fighting a cold. Here's the full price table for both, the cutoffs that make an hs-CRP result mean something, and the two-week rule that decides when to draw it.

Published: September 26, 2026 · Prices verified September 2026 · Edited by LabTestInsight Editorial Team · How we test

Cheapest partner route for hs-CRP (price recorded Aug 2026): the C-Reactive Protein High Sensitivity Blood Test at RequestATest — $59 plus a $4 per-order service fee ($63 all-in), no fasting, no doctor visit or insurance needed. Two non-partner services list it lower; both are in the table below.

Order the hs-CRP Test — $63 All-In → Standard CRP at HealthLabs — $49 →

The Numbers

CRP Test Prices Compared: Advertised Cash Prices (September 2026)

Prices below are the advertised direct-pay cash prices recorded from each provider's public product page, using the same method as our quarterly Lab Test Price Index. HealthLabs, Walk-In Lab and Labcorp OnDemand were re-read on September 26, 2026; RequestATest, DiscountedLabs, Personalabs and Ulta Lab Tests are shown at the price recorded August 2, 2026 because those sites blocked automated re-verification. "All-in" adds the per-order fee each provider discloses at checkout. We list the advertised list price, not temporary sale prices.

High-sensitivity CRP (cardiovascular risk)

Provider	Test as listed	Cash price	Checkout fee	All-in	Turnaround listed
Ulta Lab Tests	hs-CRP Test	$36.95 (Aug 2026)	Not stated	$36.95 Lowest recorded	Not stated
Walk-In Lab	C-Reactive Protein (CRP) Blood Test, High Sensitivity, Cardiac Risk Assessment	$45	$6 physician fee	$51	3–5 business days
RequestATest	C-Reactive Protein High Sensitivity (HS CRP) Blood Test	$59 (Aug 2026)	$4 service fee	$63 Lowest partner	1–3 business days	Check Price →
DiscountedLabs	C-Reactive Protein — High Sensitivity hs-CRP	$66 (Aug 2026)	Not stated	$66	Not stated
Labcorp OnDemand	hs-CRP Test	$69 (list; on sale for less on the day read)	None listed	$69	1–4 days
HealthLabs	C-Reactive Protein Test, High Sensitivity	$79	None listed	$79	1–3 business days	Check Price →
Personalabs	C-Reactive Protein (cardiac CRP), High Sensitivity — Labcorp	$83 (Aug 2026)	Not stated	$83	Not stated

Standard CRP (infection and inflammatory disease)

Provider	Test as listed	Cash price	Checkout fee	All-in	Turnaround listed
HealthLabs	CRP Test (C-Reactive Protein)	$49	None listed	$49	1–3 business days	Check Price →

A note on the table: HealthLabs is our default pick on most tests because it is usually cheapest; on hs-CRP it is not, and we have ranked the table by price rather than by partnership. Ulta Lab Tests and Walk-In Lab are not affiliates of this site. Quest Health was excluded because we could not read a price from a public product page on the day stated.

Which test answers which question

Test	What it measures	Good for	Cash price range
hs-CRP (high-sensitivity)	Low-grade inflammation, accurate down to about 0.3 mg/L	Cardiovascular risk assessment alongside a lipid panel or ApoB; tracking a baseline over years	$37–$83
Standard CRP	Large rises in inflammation, typically reported from about 3–10 mg/L upward	Checking for an active infection or a flare of an inflammatory condition (arthritis, IBD); monitoring treatment	$49
hs-CRP drawn while sick	Whatever the cold, injury, or dental work pushed it to — often above 10 mg/L	Nothing. Repeat two weeks after recovery.	Wasted

The practical order: for heart-risk purposes, hs-CRP from the cheapest service you trust, drawn when you have been well for two weeks, ideally in the same order as a lipid panel or ApoB test. For "do I have an infection or a flare," the $49 standard CRP at HealthLabs is the right tool and the hs-CRP is the wrong one.

Order hs-CRP at RequestATest — $59 + $4 fee →

What You're Paying For

Why hs-CRP Is a Risk Marker, Not a Diagnosis, and the Two-Week Rule That Matters

C-reactive protein is made by the liver in response to inflammation anywhere in the body. In an infection or injury it rises tenfold or more within a day or two, which is what the standard test is built to catch. The high-sensitivity assay was developed because chronic, low-grade inflammation in the artery wall, far below the range of the standard test, turned out to track with heart attack and stroke risk independently of cholesterol. That is the only reason to pay for the hs-CRP version: it reads the bottom of the scale accurately.

Current U.S. cholesterol guidelines treat an hs-CRP of 2.0 mg/L or higher as a "risk-enhancing factor," one of the things that can tip a borderline decision about starting a statin. It is not a standalone screen. Ordered on its own with no lipid panel, no blood pressure, and no family history, the number has little to act on; ordered alongside those, it sharpens the picture. The large statin trials that established the marker enrolled people with an hs-CRP of 2 mg/L or more.

The cutoffs: below 1.0 mg/L lower risk, 1.0–3.0 mg/L average, above 3.0 mg/L higher risk (American Heart Association and CDC categories). Above 10 mg/L almost always means an acute cause, and the result should be discarded and repeated.
The two-week rule: any infection, injury, dental work, or recent hard exercise raises CRP. Draw hs-CRP only when you have been well for two weeks, and for a baseline take two readings two weeks apart and average them, as the guidelines recommend. This is the single most common way an hs-CRP result gets misread.
What moves it: excess weight, smoking, poor sleep, and untreated gum disease all raise hs-CRP; weight loss, exercise, and statins lower it. Estrogen-containing contraceptives and hormone therapy raise it, which is worth telling your clinician before they interpret a result.
Reading a standard CRP: reported in mg/L or mg/dL depending on the lab. Values above about 10 mg/L (1.0 mg/dL) point to an active inflammatory process; very high values (over 100 mg/L) are more typical of bacterial infection. The trend over days matters more than one number when tracking treatment.
What it can't do: neither test says where the inflammation is coming from. An unexpectedly high result on either version is a reason to see a clinician, not a reason to order more tests.

Common Questions

CRP Test Cost FAQ

How much does a CRP test cost without insurance?

Direct-pay: $37–$83 for a high-sensitivity CRP test and about $49 for a standard CRP test, each plus a $0–$6 checkout fee, verified September 26, 2026 (four providers at their August 2, 2026 prices). Ulta Lab Tests at $36.95 was the lowest price recorded; Walk-In Lab at $51 all-in was the lowest we could re-read on the day; RequestATest at $63 all-in was the lowest among the services we partner with.

What is the difference between a CRP test and an hs-CRP test?

Same protein, different measuring range. Standard CRP catches the big rises from infection and inflammatory disease. High-sensitivity CRP reads the low-grade inflammation linked to cardiovascular risk, accurately down to about 0.3 mg/L. Heart-risk assessment needs the hs-CRP version; an infection or flare check needs the standard one.

What is a normal hs-CRP level?

Below 1.0 mg/L lower risk, 1.0–3.0 mg/L average, above 3.0 mg/L higher risk. Above 10 mg/L usually means a temporary cause and should be repeated two weeks after you are well. Guidelines recommend averaging two readings two weeks apart.

Do I need to fast before a CRP test?

No, for either version. Do avoid testing during or within two weeks of any illness, injury, or dental work. If hs-CRP is bundled with a lipid panel, follow the lipid panel's fasting instructions.

Can I use HSA or FSA funds for a CRP test?

Lab tests for medical care are generally HSA/FSA-eligible (IRS Publication 502) — check with your plan administrator. HealthLabs accepts HSA/FSA cards at checkout; for other services, pay normally and submit the itemized receipt. Our HSA/FSA lab testing guide covers the mechanics.