TEXAS· UNIVERSITY & EXTENSION LABS
Where to get a soil test in Texas
A soil test is how you stop guessing at fertilizer and fix the one thing your lawn actually needs. In Texas, the public program below tests homeowner samples and interprets the results for local soils.
TEXAS STATE LAB
Texas A&M Soil, Water and Forage Testing Laboratory
Texas A&M soil testing lab.
Visit the lab & sampling instructions →County drop-off & extension offices
County extension offices across Texas hand out sample forms and can walk you through submitting to the lab. 12 of the most populous counties are listed below.
Texas A&M AgriLife Extension, Dallas County office
Dallas, TX
Texas A&M AgriLife Extension, Tarrant County office
Fort Worth, TX
Texas A&M AgriLife Extension, Harris County office
Houston, TX
Texas A&M AgriLife Extension, Travis County office
Austin, TX
Texas A&M AgriLife Extension, Bexar County office
San Antonio, TX
Texas A&M AgriLife Extension, Collin County office
McKinney, TX
Texas A&M AgriLife Extension, Denton County office
Denton, TX
Texas A&M AgriLife Extension, El Paso County office
El Paso, TX
Texas A&M AgriLife Extension, Fort Bend County office
Rosenberg, TX
Texas A&M AgriLife Extension, Williamson County office
Georgetown, TX
Texas A&M AgriLife Extension, Montgomery County office
Conroe, TX
Texas A&M AgriLife Extension, Hidalgo County office
Edinburg, TX
Not your county? Find your local office in the full Texas 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 Texas A&M Soil, Water and Forage 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
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 Texas 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 Texas?
- Texas's public soil testing is run through Texas A&M Soil, Water and Forage 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 Texas?
- 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 Texas A&M Soil, Water and Forage 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 Texas 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. Texas A&M Soil, Water and Forage Testing Laboratory is the authority for its own test menu, sampling instructions, fees, and result interpretation.