VIRGINIA· UNIVERSITY & EXTENSION LABS
Where to get a soil test in Virginia
A soil test is how you stop guessing at fertilizer and fix the one thing your lawn actually needs. In Virginia, the public program below tests homeowner samples and interprets the results for local soils.
VIRGINIA STATE LAB
Virginia Tech Soil Testing Laboratory
Virginia Tech soil testing lab.
Visit the lab & sampling instructions →County drop-off & extension offices
County extension offices across Virginia stock sample forms and, in many cases, accept samples for the state lab. 10 of the most populous counties are listed below; the full directory has one for every county.
Virginia Cooperative Extension, Fairfax County office
Fairfax, VA
Virginia Cooperative Extension, Virginia Beach office
Virginia Beach, VA
Virginia Cooperative Extension, Chesterfield County office
Chesterfield, VA
Virginia Cooperative Extension, Loudoun County office
Leesburg, VA
Virginia Cooperative Extension, Henrico County office
Henrico, VA
Virginia Cooperative Extension, Prince William County office
Manassas, VA
Virginia Cooperative Extension, Chesapeake office
Chesapeake, VA
Virginia Cooperative Extension, Norfolk office
Norfolk, VA
Virginia Cooperative Extension, Richmond City office
Richmond, VA
Virginia Cooperative Extension, Roanoke/Salem office
Salem, VA
Not your county? Find your local office in the full Virginia 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 Virginia Tech 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 Virginia 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 Virginia?
- Virginia's public soil testing is run through Virginia Tech 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 Virginia?
- 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 Virginia Tech 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 Virginia 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. Virginia Tech Soil Testing Laboratory is the authority for its own test menu, sampling instructions, fees, and result interpretation.