How Canary works

Six steps between "something in my home might be making me sick" and a signed report your doctor will accept. Most patients finish in 8-14 days. HSA and FSA pay for most of it.

1 · Tell us what's going on

You answer eight questions about your symptoms, your home, and what you've already tried. The questions take 4 minutes. Diagnosis, symptoms, and medications are encrypted on submit and only visible to the provider reviewing your LMN — inspectors do not see this.

Why we ask: the LMN your provider signs has to describe a real clinical indication for the testing. Vague answers mean a vague LMN and slow HSA reimbursement.

2 · Pick the right test

You don't have to know what to test for. We map your answers to a starter panel — usually allergens + indoor air quality, or water + lead for older homes. You can always add to it.

3 · A licensed provider reviews your LMN

If you selected HSA/FSA payment, a licensed clinician in our provider network — a physician (MD/DO) or nurse practitioner — reads your questionnaire and signs a Letter of Medical Necessity. Most LMNs are signed within one business day. If your case isn't a clear medical indication, the provider may decline; you can still pay out-of-pocket and have the inspection done.

The LMN is signed by an independent licensed provider — not by Canary. We're a marketplace; the provider is the clinician.

4 · A certified inspector picks up samples

The first approved inspector in your ZIP claims the booking and contacts you to confirm timing. Inspectors hold one or more of the following credentials, depending on the service you booked: CIH (Certified Industrial Hygienist), CIEC (Council-certified Indoor Environmental Consultant), CMI (Certified Mold Inspector), and active state inspector licenses. What each credential means →

5 · Samples go to an accredited lab

Samples ship on chain-of-custody to an AIHA-LAP accredited environmental lab (or equivalent EPA-recognized program for the analyte tested). The lab name and accreditation number print on every result. Most analyses turn around in 3-7 business days; rush turnaround is available for pre-purchase situations.

6 · You get a report you can hand to your doctor

The PDF lands in the app. Open it with a 15-minute signed download link — never a public URL. The report includes:

• The lab's analytical results.
• The action levels we're benchmarking against (EPA, OSHA, AIHA, or Canary-derived — always cited).
• The inspector's interpretation in plain English.
• Suggested next steps: medical follow-up (handle with your clinician), remediation (handle with a contractor), or both.
• The signed LMN, if HSA/FSA was used.

What this looks like end-to-end

Privacy is a feature, not a footer

Every PHI surface in the app shows a one-line inline reminder of what's stored, what's encrypted, and who can see it. You can download everything we hold about you with one tap. You can request amendments to anything you believe is inaccurate. You can pull a six-year accounting of every PHI access on your record.

Inspectors only see your full name, phone, and street address after they've accepted your booking. Before then they see your first initial, your city, and your state — enough to decide whether the job is in scope, not enough to identify you. Full privacy practices →

What it costs

Median patient out-of-pocket on a starter panel is $215-$445 depending on the service. After HSA (24% marginal rate), the same panel costs $163-$338. See full pricing at /what-we-test. We never charge for the questionnaire, the LMN review, or the booking itself — only for the actual sampling + lab + report.

Ready?

Create an account and start the questionnaire. Or find an allergist or pulmonologist who can refer you in.