MONTANA· UNIVERSITY & EXTENSION LABS
Where to get a soil test in Montana
A soil test is how you stop guessing at fertilizer and fix the one thing your lawn actually needs. In Montana, the public program below tests homeowner samples and interprets the results for local soils.
MONTANA STATE LAB
Montana State University Soil Testing Laboratory
MSU soil testing information.
Visit the lab & sampling instructions →County drop-off & extension offices
County extension offices across Montana stock sample forms and, in many cases, accept samples for the state lab. 56 of the most populous counties are listed below; the full directory has one for every county.
MSU Extension, Anaconda-Deer Lodge County office
Anaconda, MT
MSU Extension, Beaverhead County office
Dillon, MT
MSU Extension, Big Horn County office
Hardin, MT
MSU Extension, Blackfeet Reservation office
Browning, MT
MSU Extension, Blaine County office
Chinook, MT
MSU Extension, Broadwater County office
Townsend, MT
MSU Extension, Carbon County office
Joliet, MT
MSU Extension, Carter County office
Ekalaka, MT
MSU Extension, Cascade County office
Great Falls, MT
MSU Extension, Chouteau County office
Fort Benton, MT
MSU Extension, Custer County office
Miles City, MT
MSU Extension, Daniels County office
Scobey, MT
MSU Extension, Dawson County office
Glendive, MT
MSU Extension, Fallon County office
Baker, MT
MSU Extension, Fergus-Petroleum Counties office
Lewistown, MT
MSU Extension, Flathead County office
Kalispell, MT
MSU Extension, Flathead Reservation office
Polson, MT
MSU Extension, Fort Belknap Reservation office
Harlem, MT
MSU Extension, Fort Peck Reservation office
Poplar, MT
MSU Extension, Gallatin County office
Bozeman, MT
MSU Extension, Garfield County office
Jordan, MT
MSU Extension, Glacier County office
Cut Bank, MT
MSU Extension, Granite County office
Philipsburg, MT
MSU Extension, Hill County office
Havre, MT
MSU Extension, Judith Basin County office
Stanford, MT
MSU Extension, Lake County office
Ronan, MT
MSU Extension, Lewis and Clark County office
Helena, MT
MSU Extension, Liberty County office
Chester, MT
MSU Extension, Lincoln County office
Eureka, MT
MSU Extension, Madison-Jefferson Counties office
Whitehall, MT
MSU Extension, McCone County office
Circle, MT
MSU Extension, Meagher County office
White Sulphur Springs, MT
MSU Extension, Mineral County office
Superior, MT
MSU Extension, Missoula County office
Missoula, MT
MSU Extension, Musselshell-Golden Valley Counties office
Roundup, MT
MSU Extension, Park County office
Livingston, MT
MSU Extension, Phillips County office
Malta, MT
MSU Extension, Pondera County office
Conrad, MT
MSU Extension, Powder River County office
Broadus, MT
MSU Extension, Powell County office
Deer Lodge, MT
MSU Extension, Prairie County office
Terry, MT
MSU Extension, Ravalli County office
Hamilton, MT
MSU Extension, Richland County office
Sidney, MT
MSU Extension, Roosevelt County office
Culbertson, MT
MSU Extension, Rosebud-Treasure Counties office
Forsyth, MT
MSU Extension, Sanders County office
Thompson Falls, MT
MSU Extension, Sheridan County office
Plentywood, MT
MSU Extension, Silver Bow County office
Butte, MT
MSU Extension, Stillwater County office
Columbus, MT
MSU Extension, Sweet Grass County office
Big Timber, MT
MSU Extension, Teton County office
Choteau, MT
MSU Extension, Toole County office
Shelby, MT
MSU Extension, Valley County office
Glasgow, MT
MSU Extension, Wheatland County office
Harlowton, MT
MSU Extension, Wibaux County office
Wibaux, MT
MSU Extension, Yellowstone County office
Billings, MT
Not your county? Find your local office in the full Montana 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 Montana State University Soil Testing Laboratory. 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
Many county offices accept the sample and route it to the state lab; otherwise mail it in with the form.
- 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 Montana 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 Montana?
- Montana's public soil testing is run through Montana State University Soil Testing Laboratory. 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 Montana?
- 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 Montana State University Soil Testing Laboratory for current pricing before you send a sample; the page linked here is the authority for its own fees.
- How do I turn my Montana 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. Montana State University Soil Testing Laboratory is the authority for its own test menu, sampling instructions, fees, and result interpretation.