State guides · Soil testing by state
Soil testing by state: where to send a sample and what it costs
The public soil lab for every state, what its basic home lawn and garden test costs, what the test covers and how to send a sample. Each state links to the page we checked.
31 states have a public university or state lab that tests homeowners’ soil. It’s free for residents in Arkansas and West Virginia and free most of the year in North Carolina; Clemson charges $6 in South Carolina and Kentucky and Mississippi charge $8. Most paid basic tests run $10 to $25. In 18 states, including California, Illinois, New York and Ohio, Extension sends you to a private or out-of-state lab. Checked Nov. 14, 2026.
Find your state’s soil lab
Prices are for one sample of the basic home test. Shipping, county handling fees and add-on tests cost extra where the lab says so.
Pick a state to see its lab, price and how to send a sample.
Soil testing labs in all 50 states
| State | Where to send it | Basic test | What you get and how |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | Auburn University Soil, Forage and Water Testing Laboratory | $10 | Routine soil analysis is $10 per sample. Pick up boxes and forms at your county Extension office and mail the sample to the lab in Auburn. Alabama Extension |
| Alaska | No university lab since 2016 | Varies | UAF closed its soil and forage testing lab at the Matanuska Experiment Farm in 2016. UAF Extension lists outside labs that use Alaska methods, and the Fairbanks Soil and Water Conservation District sends samples out for $40 each. UAF Extension |
| Arizona | No university lab for homeowners | Varies | University of Arizona Extension publication AZ1111 (April 2025) lists the private labs in Arizona that serve homeowners. UA Extension AZ1111 |
| Arkansas | University of Arkansas soil testing lab, Marianna | Free | Routine soil tests are free for Arkansas residents, paid for by fertilizer tonnage fees. Pick up a box at your county Extension office and drop the sample there. U of A Division of Agriculture |
| California | No free university lab | Varies | UC Master Gardeners say California has no free soil test facility; tests are done by commercial labs. UC Master Gardeners |
| Colorado | CSU Soil, Water and Plant Testing Laboratory, Denver | $40 | The S2 Basic test is $40: pH, salts, organic matter, nitrate, phosphorus, potassium and sulfate. Use the horticulture form; county Extension offices hand out bags. CSU price list |
| Connecticut | UConn Soil Nutrient Analysis Laboratory | $18 | The Standard Nutrient Analysis is $18 and includes pH, plant-available nutrients, a lead screen and lime and fertilizer recommendations for lawns and gardens. UConn price list |
| Delaware | University of Delaware Soil Testing Program | $22.50 | The Routine Soil Test with Lead for Home Gardeners is $22.50: pH, lime requirement, organic matter, nutrients and a lead screen. UD Soil Testing Program |
| Florida | UF/IFAS Analytical Services Laboratories | $10 | The Landscape and Vegetable Garden soil fertility test is $10 (pH, lime requirement, phosphorus, potassium and other nutrients). A pH and lime test alone is $3. UF/IFAS lab |
| Georgia | UGA Agricultural and Environmental Services Laboratories | $6 lab fee | The routine test is $6 at the lab. Submit through your county Extension office, which handles the bags and fees; shipping can add to it. UGA AESL |
| Hawaii | UH CTAHR Agricultural Diagnostic Service Center | $26 | Package 1, the Essential Soil Fertility Test, is $26: pH, salts, phosphorus, potassium, calcium, magnesium, sodium and a recommendation. UH ADSC |
| Idaho | No homeowner program | Varies | The University of Idaho Analytical Sciences Laboratory serves universities, agencies, nonprofits, veterinarians and farmers, and steers commercial clients to independent labs. University of Idaho ASL |
| Illinois | No university lab | Varies | Illinois Extension points to private labs certified by the Agricultural Laboratory Testing Association. Illinois Extension |
| Indiana | No university lab for homeowners | Varies | Purdue Extension says Purdue does not do soil testing for homeowners; county offices list private labs. Purdue Extension |
| Iowa | No university lab | Varies | Iowa State Extension says soil tests are not available from Iowa State University and lists labs for home gardeners. ISU Extension |
| Kansas | K-State Soil Testing Laboratory | $20 in Johnson Co. | Submit through your county Extension office. In Johnson County, Package 1 (pH, phosphorus, potassium) is $20 and residents get one free basic test per household. K-State Johnson County |
| Kentucky | University of Kentucky soil testing labs (Lexington and Princeton) | $8 | The routine soil test is $8 plus 6% sales tax: phosphorus, potassium, calcium, magnesium, zinc and pH. UK recommends submitting through your county Extension office. UK price list |
| Louisiana | LSU AgCenter Soil Testing and Plant Analysis Lab | Free kit, paid test | Kits are free at parish Extension offices and some garden stores; you pay for the test itself. LSU AgCenter |
| Maine | University of Maine Analytical Lab and Maine Soil Testing Service | $20 | The Standard Soil Test is $20 and includes pH, lime index, major and minor nutrients, organic matter, a metals scan and recommendations (price list revised June 2026). UMaine price list |
| Maryland | No university lab | Varies | University of Maryland Extension says the university no longer has a soil testing lab; its Home and Garden Information Center keeps a list of recommended labs. UMD Extension |
| Massachusetts | UMass Soil and Plant Nutrient Testing Laboratory | $20 | Routine Soil Analysis is $20; organic matter and soluble salts are $6 each extra. UMass lab services |
| Michigan | Michigan State University (MSU Soil Test Mailer) | $26 | The MSU Soil Test Mailer kit is $26 plus shipping from the MSU store; you mail the sample to MSU. MSU Soil Test |
| Minnesota | University of Minnesota Soil Testing Laboratory | $22 | The lawn and garden Regular Test is $22: phosphorus, potassium, pH with lime need, organic matter and estimated texture. A lead test is $23. UMN Soil Testing Lab |
| Mississippi | Mississippi State University Soil Testing Laboratory | $8 | MSU Extension lists the soil test at $8 per sample box. MSU Extension |
| Missouri | University of Missouri Soil and Plant Testing Laboratory | $15 at the lab | Package 1 (routine) is $15 at the lab. County Extension centers charge different amounts to cover shipping and handling. MU Extension |
| Montana | County offices use private labs | Varies | County Extension offices handle it. Lewis and Clark County uses Midwest Laboratories and charges $20 for a basic test. MSU Extension Lewis and Clark |
| Nebraska | Private labs | Varies | Nebraska Extension in Lancaster County points homeowners to private labs, including AgSource in Lincoln and Midwest Laboratories in Omaha. Nebraska Extension |
| Nevada | Out-of-state labs | Varies | University of Nevada, Reno Extension lists labs outside Nevada for home gardeners, including Utah State University’s lab, A&L Western and Western Laboratories. UNR Extension |
| New Hampshire | UNH Extension Soil Testing Service | $25 | The standard gardening test is $25 (since April 1, 2026): calcium, magnesium, potassium, phosphorus, pH, organic matter, a lead screen and conventional and organic recommendations. UNH price list |
| New Jersey | Rutgers Soil Testing Laboratory | $20 | The Landscape Fertility Test is $20: nutrients, pH and recommendations for two plantings. Rutgers lab fees |
| New Mexico | Outside labs | Varies | NMSU lists outside labs suited to New Mexico soils, with a suggested homeowner test for each. NMSU |
| New York | Cornell lab closed | Varies | Cornell’s Nutrient Analysis Laboratory has closed. Cornell points people to Penn State’s lab, the University of Maine’s lab and the Cornell Soil Health Lab. Cornell notice |
| North Carolina | NC Department of Agriculture Agronomic Division, Raleigh | Free off-peak | The standard soil test is free most of the year and $5 per sample in peak season, which starts Dec. 1 in 2026. NCDA&CS |
| North Dakota | NDSU Soil Testing Laboratory | $25 | The lawn and garden routine soil check is $25: nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium, pH, soluble salts and organic matter. NDSU form |
| Ohio | County kits | Varies | Some Ohio State Extension county offices sell kits. Summit County sells $15 kits for the standard analysis, and Franklin County’s go to Penn State’s lab. OSU Extension Summit County |
| Oklahoma | OSU Soil, Water and Forage Analytical Laboratory | $15 | The Routine Analysis is $15: pH, lime requirement, nitrate, phosphorus and potassium. Submit through your county Extension office. OSU price list |
| Oregon | Private labs | Varies | Oregon State Extension publishes guides to picking an analytical lab and the test methods that suit Oregon soils. OSU Extension |
| Pennsylvania | Penn State Agricultural Analytical Services Laboratory | $10 | The standard kit is $10 at county Penn State Extension offices, or print the form from the lab’s site. Results arrive by email in about 7 to 10 business days. Our Pennsylvania guide |
| Rhode Island | URI Cooperative Extension GIST | See URI | URI’s Gardening Information and Soil Testing service tests soil at community events and at a Kingston campus drop-off. For a full nutrient analysis, URI points to the UConn and UMass labs. URI Extension |
| South Carolina | Clemson University Agricultural Service Laboratory | $6 | The Standard Soil Test is $6: pH, buffer pH and extractable nutrients. Organic matter is $7 extra for in-state samples. Clemson lab |
| South Dakota | Nearby labs | Varies | SDSU Extension lists the University of Minnesota lab and nearby private labs (updated April 2025). SDSU Extension |
| Tennessee | UT Soil, Plant and Pest Center, Nashville | $15 | The soil nutrient test is $15 on the 2026 fee schedule. UT lab fees |
| Texas | Texas A&M AgriLife Soil, Water and Forage Testing Laboratory | $12 | The routine urban soil analysis is $12 (pH, nitrate, salts and major nutrients), priced through Dec. 31, 2026. Texas A&M lab |
| Utah | Utah State University Analytical Laboratories | $25 | The home soil Routine Test is $25. USU labs |
| Vermont | UVM Agricultural and Environmental Testing Lab | $17 | The basic soil test is $17 per sample. UVM Extension |
| Virginia | Virginia Tech Soil Testing Laboratory | $10 | The Routine Test Package is $10 for Virginia samples and $16 for out-of-state samples. Virginia Tech lab |
| Washington | Private labs | Varies | WSU Extension keeps a database of private labs and does not endorse any of them; county Master Gardener clinics help read results. WSU Extension |
| West Virginia | West Virginia University Soil Testing Laboratory | Free | Soil test reports are free for West Virginia residents; non-residents pay $10 for the basic analysis. Organic matter is $6 extra. WVU lab |
| Wisconsin | UW Soil and Forage Analysis Lab | $30 | The Lawn and Garden test is $30. UW lab fees |
| Wyoming | Colorado State’s lab | See CSU | University of Wyoming Extension says soil testing is now done at Colorado State’s lab; the Sheridan County office hands out kits. UW Extension Sheridan County |
“Varies” means there is no public homeowner lab in the state, so the price depends on the private lab you pick.
Free and low-cost public labs
- Free: Arkansas (residents), West Virginia (residents) and North Carolina outside peak season. In Johnson County, Kansas, residents get one free basic test per household.
- $5 to $8: North Carolina in peak season ($5), South Carolina ($6), Georgia ($6 lab fee), Kentucky ($8 plus tax) and Mississippi ($8).
- $10: Alabama, Florida, Pennsylvania and Virginia (in-state).
- Highest basic tests: Colorado ($40), Wisconsin ($30), Hawaii and Michigan ($26).
Among the 24 public labs with a flat price, the basic test runs $6 to $40, and 17 of them charge $10 to $25.
States without a public homeowner lab
Alaska, Arizona, California, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Maryland, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Mexico, New York, Ohio, Oregon, South Dakota, Washington, Wyoming. In these states, Extension publishes a list of private labs or points you to a lab in another state. Some public labs take out-of-state samples: Virginia Tech lists a $16 out-of-state price and West Virginia University charges non-residents $10. Cornell points New Yorkers to Penn State’s lab and the University of Maine’s. Rhode Island’s URI tests soil at events and sends gardeners to UConn or UMass for a full analysis.
How to take the sample
Every lab has its own form and bag, so follow its instructions. The basics are the same everywhere: take one sample per area (lawn, vegetable garden, beds), mix soil from many spots in that area into one sample, let it air-dry and send it with the form and payment. Our Pennsylvania soil testing guide walks through it step by step.
Questions
Which states test soil for free?
Arkansas tests soil free for residents, paid for by fertilizer tonnage fees. West Virginia University tests free for West Virginia residents. North Carolina’s state lab is free most of the year and charges $5 per sample in peak season, which starts Dec. 1 in 2026.
How much does a soil test cost?
At public labs, the basic home test runs from free to $40. Of the 24 labs with a flat price, 17 charge $10 to $25. Private labs set their own prices.
What if my state has no public soil lab?
Use the lab list your state Extension service publishes, or send it to a public lab in another state that takes outside samples. Virginia Tech lists a $16 out-of-state price, and West Virginia University charges non-residents $10.
What does a basic soil test include?
Nearly all include pH and lime need plus phosphorus and potassium, with fertilizer recommendations. Many add calcium, magnesium and micronutrients, and a few add organic matter or a lead screen.
Does a soil test check for lead?
Some basic tests include a lead screen: UConn’s standard test, Delaware’s home gardener test and UNH’s gardening test. Minnesota offers a separate lead test for $23.
Related guides
- Soil testing in Pennsylvania: the Penn State kit, cost and how to sample
- Hardiness zone by ZIP code
- Planting calendar by state
- When to plant grass seed by state
- Frost dates in all 50 states
- All state guides
Sources: each state’s row links the lab or Extension page we checked on Nov. 14, 2026 (Pennsylvania, New York and Ohio on Nov. 12). Prices change; confirm on the lab’s form before you mail a sample.
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Using this guide? Link to it or cite it. It’s free to use with a link back, and we keep it updated against official sources.
Cite as: Muthler Landscaping & Construction, “Soil Testing by State,” https://muthlerlandscaping.com/state-guides/soil-testing/ (last checked November 14, 2026).
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