Test Your Garden Soil for Lead for $20–$30

Direct-to-consumer testing companies charge up to $289 for mail-in soil test kits. State land-grant university and accredited environmental testing facilities utilize standard EPA analytical methods (e.g. EPA Method 3050B acid digestion and EPA Method 6010 ICP-OES) with North American Proficiency Testing (NAPT-PAP) verification for under $30 using a standard zipper-seal freezer bag.

Nationwide Mail-In Testing Notice: Soil testing is conducted entirely by postal mail. You do not need to choose a laboratory in your home state. All 17 verified university, commercial, and kit testing laboratories listed in this directory accept mail-in samples from any U.S. address via standard USPS Ground Advantage ($4.50–$6.00). Physical lab location is generally not a selection criterion unless dropping off samples in person.
EPA Update: Recommended residential soil lead screening level lowered to 200 ppm (100 ppm in multi-source areas).
Laboratory / Provider Lead Test Fee Analytical Method Turnaround & Intake Details & Form
University of Maine Soil Testing Service
Land-Grant University 📍 Orono, ME
$12.00 Est. Total: ~$17.00 w/ ship Lead Scan (Nitric Acid Extraction)
Full metals: $60.00
 10-14 business days
Ziplock bag: Yes
 View & Submit
Penn State Agricultural Analytical Services Laboratory
Land-Grant University 📍 University Park, PA
$30.00 Est. Total: ~$37.00 w/ ship Total Lead by EPA Method 3050B + 6010
Full metals: $90.00
 10-14 business days
Ziplock bag: Yes
 View & Submit
UMass Amherst CAFE Soil and Plant Nutrient Testing Lab
Land-Grant University 📍 Amherst, MA
$20.00 Est. Total: ~$25.00 w/ ship Routine Soil Fertility Analysis with Lead (Pb) Screen
Full metals: $55.00
 10-14 business days
Ziplock bag: Yes
 View & Submit
Rutgers Soil Testing Laboratory
Land-Grant University 📍 New Brunswick, NJ
$18.00 Est. Total: ~$28.00 w/ ship Lead Screening by Mehlich 3 Extraction
Full metals: $55.00
 7-10 business days
Ziplock bag: Kit included
 View & Submit
University of Delaware Soil Testing Program
Land-Grant University 📍 Newark, DE
$17.00 Est. Total: ~$22.00 w/ ship Routine Soil Fertility + Mehlich-3 ICP Lead Screen
Full metals: $45.00
 7-12 business days
Ziplock bag: Yes
 View & Submit
University of Connecticut Soil Nutrient Analysis Laboratory
Land-Grant University 📍 Storrs, CT
$20.00 Est. Total: ~$25.00 w/ ship Standard Nutrient Test with Lead Screening
Full metals: $55.00
 10-14 business days
Ziplock bag: Yes
 View & Submit
University of Minnesota Soil Testing Laboratory
Land-Grant University 📍 St. Paul, MN
$21.00 Est. Total: ~$26.00 w/ ship Lawn and Garden Soil Test with Lead Screen
Full metals: N/A
 7-10 business days
Ziplock bag: Yes
 View & Submit
Wisconsin Occupational Health Laboratory
State Public Health Lab 📍 Madison, WI
$40.00 Est. Total: ~$45.00 w/ ship Total Lead in Soil (EPA 7000/6010)
Full metals: $110.00
 7-10 business days
Ziplock bag: Yes
 View & Submit
Dairy One Soil Testing Laboratory / Cornell Waste Management
Cooperative / NAPT-PAP Accredited 📍 Ithaca, NY
$35.00 Est. Total: ~$40.00 w/ ship Total Sorbed Lead Analysis (EPA 3050B)
Full metals: $75.00
 5-7 business days
Ziplock bag: Kit included
 View & Submit
Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Soil, Water and Forage Testing Lab
Land-Grant University 📍 College Station, TX
$35.00 Est. Total: ~$40.00 w/ ship Heavy Metal Micronutrient Screen (Lead, Cadmium, Arsenic)
Full metals: $85.00
 7-10 business days
Ziplock bag: Yes
 View & Submit
Virginia Tech Soil Testing Laboratory
Land-Grant University 📍 Blacksburg, VA
$16.00 Est. Total: ~$21.00 w/ ship Routine Fertility Test with Mehlich-1/3 Lead Indicator
Full metals: N/A
 5-8 business days
Ziplock bag: Yes
 View & Submit
Midwest Laboratories
Commercial Laboratory (NAPT-PAP Accredited) 📍 Omaha, NE
$45.00 Est. Total: ~$50.00 w/ ship Heavy Metals in Soil by EPA Method 6010
Full metals: $95.00
 3-5 business days
Ziplock bag: Yes
 View & Submit
Minnesota Valley Testing Laboratories (MVTL)
Commercial Laboratory (NAPT-PAP Accredited) 📍 New Ulm, MN
$40.00 Est. Total: ~$45.00 w/ ship Total Lead in Soil (EPA 6010)
Full metals: $90.00
 5-7 business days
Ziplock bag: Kit included
 View & Submit
Dellavalle Laboratory, Inc.
Commercial Laboratory (NAPT-PAP Accredited) 📍 Fresno, CA
$65.00 Est. Total: ~$70.00 w/ ship Heavy Metals Screen (Lead & Cadmium)
Full metals: $140.00
 5-7 business days
Ziplock bag: Yes
 View & Submit
Simply Soil Testing
Commercial Laboratory (NAPT-PAP Participant) 📍 Burlington, WA
$28.00 Est. Total: ~$33.00 w/ ship Garden Soil Fertility & Lead Screen
Full metals: $65.00
 3-5 business days
Ziplock bag: Yes
 View & Submit
Schneider Laboratories Global (DTC Kit)
Direct-to-Consumer Lab Kit 📍 Richmond, VA
$38.00 Est. Total: ~$38.00 w/ ship Definitive EPA Method 7000B FLAA Analysis
Full metals: $85.00
 3-5 business days (after arrival)
Ziplock bag: Kit included
 View & Submit
SimpleLab (Tap Score Heavy Metals Soil Test)
Direct-to-Consumer Lab Kit 📍 Berkeley, CA
$166.00 Est. Total: ~$166.00 w/ ship Definitive EPA 6010/6020 (9 Heavy Metals Panel)
Full metals: $166.00
 7-10 business days
Ziplock bag: Kit included
 View & Submit

Authoritative Guides & Sampling Protocols

Grounded in EPA regulatory standards and university agricultural extension research.

Understanding the 2024 EPA Soil Lead Guidelines: Context, Screening Levels, and Garden Risk

In January 2024, the EPA lowered its residential soil lead screening levels to 200 ppm (100 ppm in multi-source areas). Understand the scientific context, why screening levels are not universal cleanup orders, and how to manage residential garden risk.

Read Guide →

How to Collect and Mail a Soil Sample for $20–$30 (Step-by-Step Guide)

You don't need to pay $200 for a commercial testing box. Learn how to sample your garden soil with a clean trowel, bag it in a standard ziplock freezer bag, and mail it to an accredited university laboratory.

Read Guide →

Soil Lead Screening vs. Total Sorbed Metals Testing: Which Test Do You Need?

Understand the difference between an indicative agricultural extraction screen ($17–$25) and a definitive EPA Method 3050B/6010 total elemental digestion ($30–$90).

Read Guide →

High-Risk Pre-1978 Metropolitan Guides

Local soil context, historic housing lead risk, and nearest county extension drop-off offices.

Philadelphia, PA

82% Pre-1978

Philadelphia has one of the oldest residential housing stocks in the United States, with over 80% of residential structures built prior to t...

View Local Extension Drop-Off & Labs →

Chicago, IL

78% Pre-1978

Extensive industrial legacy and pre-1978 brick bungalow and wood-frame housing across Cook County have resulted in documented soil lead hot ...

View Local Extension Drop-Off & Labs →

Baltimore, MD

81% Pre-1978

Historic rowhouse neighborhoods across Baltimore City feature extensive exterior woodwork and window frames painted with lead-based pigments...

View Local Extension Drop-Off & Labs →

Cleveland, OH

86% Pre-1978

Cuyahoga County features a dense concentration of pre-war residential properties and historical manufacturing corridors. The Cuyahoga Soil &...

View Local Extension Drop-Off & Labs →

Detroit, MI

82% Pre-1978

Detroit has a vibrant urban agriculture and vacant-lot gardening community, but legacy industrial deposition and older housing stock make so...

View Local Extension Drop-Off & Labs →

New York, NY

76% Pre-1978

Older residential brownstones and detached homes across Brooklyn, Queens, Staten Island, and the Bronx frequently exhibit elevated soil lead...

View Local Extension Drop-Off & Labs →