Know what’s in your soil.

The Eaton fire changed the ground people garden in. We run two tests that answer the two questions that matter: which metals are in the ground you garden in, and what your soil can grow.

A 17-metal panel — the same list California uses for post-fire soil assessment
A full soil health and microbiome analysis — nutrients, pH, organic matter, texture, and the living community in your soil
Plain-English reports that tell you what to do, not just what was measured
No kit needed — mail a few cups of soil

See both tests →

60-day money-back guarantee on both.

“My lawn had always been sad, and the report found specific pathogens in the soil — plus a care plan that’s simple and costs less than fertilizer. We were also thinking about adding vegetables to a bed of drought-tolerant natives, but Living Soil Lab showed the drainage and nutrients wouldn’t support it. So instead of fighting the soil, we’re putting raised beds in a better spot. Exactly the specific, honest guidance I wanted.”

Shanti · Altadena · Lawn & garden

Choose your soil analyses

What can it grow?

Soil Health & Microbiome

$95

What your soil can grow, and what's working against it.

Nutrients — nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium, calcium, magnesium, sulfur, and micronutrients
pH and lime requirement, organic matter, nutrient holding (CEC)
Soil texture — sand, silt, and clay, which drives how your soil holds water
DNA sequencing of your soil's microbial community — the beneficial microbes and fungi, and the pathogens

Your report within two weeks of the lab receiving your sample.

Is it safe?

Soil Safety

$125

Which metals are in the soil where you garden.

The full CAM 17 panel — 17 metals, the California Title 22 list
Includes lead, arsenic, cadmium, chromium, and mercury
Your results compared against published screening levels for residential soil
What each elevated metal means, and the practical options — raised beds, capping, soil import, plant choice

Your report within four weeks of the lab receiving your sample.

Both

Soil Health & Microbiome
+ Soil Safety

$205

Both of the tests above, on the same ground.

The two tests above in full — nothing added, nothing left out
One area, two bags — you take one set of slices and split it between them
Save $15 by ordering both at once

The two reports arrive on their own schedules — Soil Health & Microbiome within two weeks, Soil Safety within four.

What Soil Health & Microbiome covers

Soil Health is the nutrients your plants pull from — NPK, calcium, magnesium, sulfur, micronutrients — plus pH, the organic matter that drives fertility, nutrient holding (CEC), and the texture that determines how your soil holds water. Soil Microbiome is the living microbial community inside your soil, read with DNA sequencing: your allies — the microbes and fungi feeding your plants — and your burdens, the pathogens and diseases working against them.

Soil Health

Nitrate

Phosphorus

Potassium

Calcium

Magnesium

Sulfur

Iron

Zinc

Copper

Boron

Organic matter

Nutrient holding (CEC)

Calcium:magnesium

Potassium:magnesium

Soil texture

Lime requirement

Soil Microbiome — from DNA sequencing

Diversity (Shannon)

Bacteria:fungi ratio

Mycorrhizal fungi

Growth rate

Root colonization

Nitrogen fixation

Nitrification

Urease

Ammonification

Phosphorus solubilization

Sulfur solubilization

Siderophore production

Cellulose breakdown

Lignin breakdown

Plant-growth promoters

Soil-borne pathogens

Every measurement comes with the target for what you're growing, and the report says what to do where something is short.

What Soil Safety covers

Soil Safety is the CAM 17 panel — the California Assessment Manual list of 17 metals. It is the panel professional post-fire assessments run, and we test the same 17.

Ranked on the federal ATSDR priority list, which weighs how toxic a substance is, how often it turns up at contaminated sites, and how likely people are to be exposed to it.

Top 5 6–35 36 and below

Antimony#25

Arsenic*#2

Barium#69

Beryllium#9

Cadmium#3

Chromium#30

Cobalt#49

Copper#44

Lead*#1

Mercury#23

Molybdenum#158

Nickel#6

Selenium#73

Silver#75

Thallium#29

Vanadium#32

Zinc#60

*Found above residential screening levels on parcels here, in LA County Public Health’s Eaton Fire soil testing.

A soil test tells you what's in the sample you sent, not what's across your whole yard. It isn't a property clearance or a health assessment.

Ranks from the ATSDR Substance Priority List. The Altadena note from LA County Public Health’s final Eaton Fire soil testing report, which found lead and arsenic above residential screening levels here.

How it works

No special equipment needed. From order to report, here's the whole process.

Order

Your prepaid label and sampling guide are ready instantly.

Print everything from your confirmation page or your email. No waiting for a kit to ship — start whenever you're ready.

Sample

Dig two cups of soil with a clean trowel or shovel. About 5 minutes.

Use a zip-top bag from your kitchen. If you ordered both tests, that area sends two bags — one set of slices, split between them. The sampling guide walks you through where to dig and what to avoid.

See the full sampling guide →

Mail

Bag it, tape on the label, drop in any USPS box. Postage is included.

Tracking lets you know when it arrives.

Get your soil insights

Soil Health & Microbiome within two weeks of the lab receiving your sample; Soil Safety within four.

We score all aspects of your soil's health and potential, and call out your highest-impact potential actions. Order both and the two reports arrive on their own schedules.

Got questions about how it works? Email us at support@livingsoillab.bio.

Questions

When can I sample?

Right after checkout, your prepaid shipping label, your QR code, and the sampling guide will be on your confirmation page and in your email inbox — sample whenever it's convenient. Once the lab receives your sample: Soil Health & Microbiome within two weeks, Soil Safety within four.

What do I need at home?

A clean trowel or shovel, a zip-top bag for the sample, and any small box or padded envelope to mail it in. You'll also want access to a printer for the shipping label and QR code.

How much soil do I need to send?

About two cups per bag — roughly a quart-size zip-top bag. The sampling guide covers what to dig, where, and how.

How deep do I dig?

Four to six inches, for every test we run. The sampling guide walks you through it.

Why does Soil Safety need its own bag?

Each panel needs its own bag, so if you order both for one area, that area sends two. You don't sample twice — take one set of slices as usual, mix them together, and split the mix between the two bags.

Can I test more than one area?

Yes. For a single test, set how many areas you're testing at checkout, then name each one and print a QR code for each. Bag each area separately, put the matching QR code in with it, and send them together in one box on one prepaid label. Both tests together covers one area — order it again for a second.

Can I test potting mix from pots or containers?

Please don't send it. Raised beds are welcome, even ones you filled with bought soil.

Does a soil test clear my property?

No. A soil test tells you what's in the sample you sent. It isn't a property clearance and it isn't a health assessment.

Can I get a refund?

Yes. 60-day money-back guarantee — if your report isn't useful to you for any reason, email us within 60 days of delivery and we'll refund you in full. Keep the report. No questions asked.