MAINE· UNIVERSITY & EXTENSION LABS
Where to get a soil test in Maine
A soil test is how you stop guessing at fertilizer and fix the one thing your lawn actually needs. In Maine, the public program below tests homeowner samples and interprets the results for local soils.
MAINE STATE LAB
University of Maine Analytical Lab and Maine Soil Testing Service
University of Maine soil testing lab.
Visit the lab & sampling instructions →County drop-off & extension offices
County extension offices across Maine hand out sample forms and can walk you through submitting to the lab. 16 of the most populous counties are listed below.
UMaine Cooperative Extension, Androscoggin & Sagadahoc Counties office
Lisbon Falls, ME
UMaine Cooperative Extension, Aroostook County office (Fort Kent)
Fort Kent, ME
UMaine Cooperative Extension, Aroostook County office (Houlton)
Houlton, ME
UMaine Cooperative Extension, Aroostook County office (Presque Isle)
Presque Isle, ME
UMaine Cooperative Extension, Cumberland County office
Falmouth, ME
UMaine Cooperative Extension, Franklin County office
Farmington, ME
UMaine Cooperative Extension, Hancock County office
Ellsworth, ME
UMaine Cooperative Extension, Kennebec County office
Augusta, ME
UMaine Cooperative Extension, Knox & Lincoln Counties office
Waldoboro, ME
UMaine Cooperative Extension, Oxford County office
South Paris, ME
UMaine Cooperative Extension, Penobscot County office
Bangor, ME
UMaine Cooperative Extension, Piscataquis County office
Dover Foxcroft, ME
UMaine Cooperative Extension, Somerset County office
Skowhegan, ME
UMaine Cooperative Extension, Waldo County office
Belfast, ME
UMaine Cooperative Extension, Washington County office
Machias, ME
UMaine Cooperative Extension, York County office
Alfred, ME
Not your county? Find your local office in the full Maine directory.
How it works
- 01
Get a form and sample the way your lab says to
Pick up a form at a county office or download it from University of Maine Analytical Lab and Maine Soil Testing Service. Where you pull cores and how you mix them decides whether the report means anything, so follow the lab's instructions exactly.
- 02
Send it in
Mail your sample to the lab with its completed form. County offices can help if you get stuck.
- 03
Turn the report into a plan
When results come back, the numbers only matter if they change what you put down. Enter them in the app and it builds the plan.
THE APP · SOIL REPORT ANALYZER
Got your Maine report back? Analyze it.
Enter your report values in the Lawn Dominator app and pick your lab, and it handles the messy part: units and extraction methods differ by lab, so your numbers get compared against turf targets that match how your lab measured them. Then it helps build the fertilizer plan for your grass type and checks timing against your live soil temperature.
Free to download on iPhone and Android.
Common questions
- Where can I get a soil test in Maine?
- Maine's public soil testing is run through University of Maine Analytical Lab and Maine Soil Testing Service. Many county extension offices (listed on this page) stock the sample forms and can help you submit. National mail-in labs like Logan Labs, Ward Laboratories, and Waypoint Analytical are established alternatives.
- How much does a soil test cost in Maine?
- Fees vary by lab and by which package you choose (basic pH plus phosphorus and potassium, versus expanded panels with organic matter and micronutrients). Check University of Maine Analytical Lab and Maine Soil Testing Service for current pricing before you send a sample; the page linked here is the authority for its own fees.
- How do I turn my Maine soil test into a fertilizer plan?
- Enter your report values in the Lawn Dominator app and pick your lab so units and extraction method are handled correctly, and it compares your numbers against turf sufficiency targets and helps build the fertilizer plan for your grass type.
Looking for another state? See the national map of soil test labs. University of Maine Analytical Lab and Maine Soil Testing Service is the authority for its own test menu, sampling instructions, fees, and result interpretation.