How Much Does Soil Testing Cost?

Although soil testing costs are highly correlated to factors, including size of site, project type, reporting requirements and the scope of UKAS and MCERTS accredited laboratory testing, our soil testing services start at £275.

For samples taken using our soil test kit service, allowing you to take the samples, the cost of your testing will largely depend on the number of samples and the testing you select, whereas, for soil sampling carried out by our consultants, a number of other factors will also be taken into account.

Oakshire Environmental listened to my requirements, helped me choose the appropriate analysis for my sediment samples, and returned the results to me all in a timely, convenient and effective way. Staff were extremely knowledgeable and I'd recommend their services. - Trent Rivers Trust

How Much Does Soil Sampling & Testing Cost?

UKAS & MCERTS Laboratory Testing - Whether testing to assess the contamination or quality of soil, it's important that UKAS accredited laboratory testing is chosen to ensure that money spent on soil testing isn't wasted and will provide all the necessary information needed. The scope of laboratory testing has a major impact on the cost of soil testing and can vary greatly, however, soil testing commonly includes inorganic heavy metal contaminants (e.g. lead, cadmium, mercury etc.) and organic chemicals such as TPHs, found in crude oil, and PAHs, released from burning fossil fuels, in addition to, nutrient content and physical properties, such as sand, silt and clay content.

Certain projects will have more standardised testing and sampling requirements, such as Waste Classification & WAC testing and UKWIR testing. Before starting a construction project, soil testing should be carried out to identify contamination issues or to classify waste for disposal, this is known as Waste Classification & WAC testing, and will include testing for a range of inorganic and organic contaminants, in addition to leachate analysis and organic matter.

Water authorities will usually request that soil be tested prior the installation of water supply pipes, if it's suspected that soil may be contaminated. Soil test requirements to assess the risk to water pipes is outlined in UKWIR (United Kingdom Water Industry Research) guidance and includes Petroleum Hydrocarbons, Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs), BTEX & MTBE, Phenols, Cresols & chlorinated phenols and pH, Electrical conductivity & Redox potential. The biggest factor to determine the cost of soil testing for water pipe installation is the length of the pipe run and the corresponding number of samples needed to obtain a representative picture of soil conditions along the run.

Sampling Frequency - There are many factors used to determine the number of soil samples required, however, as a general guide we advise that a sufficient amount of samples are taken to obtain a representative sample. This could mean taking samples at a number of points across a site or a composite sample, made up of soil from multiple points or a stockpile. Don't worry if you're unsure on the amount of samples needed as we can calculate this for you.

Site Visit or Test Kit - While the majority of our projects include site visits and detailed reports, we offer soil testing kits from £275 for clients that wish to take samples themselves. We can carry out a specific suite of soil testing, provided by the client, or can advise on the most suitable suite of testing, based on the client's specific circumstances. Using our soil testing kits reduces the overall cost of soil testing quite substantially, as our consultants don't need to visit site, and whilst this option is not always suitable, it can provide a fast, low cost alternative for a number of projects. Delivery and collection arrangements and associated costs are included in the total cost of our sample testing kits.

Soil testing for an Intrusive Site Investigation is usually more technical and will be required due to observed risks at a site, as a result, sampling should be conducted by a qualified environmental consultant and some level of preliminary risk assessment will need to be carried out first in order to appropriately sample the soil. Intrusive Site Investigations include an in-depth report as standard; these reports detail important information on the proposed project, location of the site as well as background research on its historical use. The report will also display the results of laboratory soil testing, carried out on soil samples taken from the site, in addition to detailed interpretations.

Meet Our Soil Testing Consultants

Consultants - Supervised by our Chief Technical Officer, Louis Turner, our fully comprehensive soil testing services, are carried out by highly qualified consultants and combine over 30 years experience with detailed UKAS & MCERTS accredited laboratory testing.

Management - Our wealth of experience in project management, logistics and environmental consulting allows us to provide efficient, friendly and high quality soil testing for our clients. As a company, we believe that helping clients achieve their goals while simultaneously protecting the environment is a true "win-win" situation.

Partners - Our experienced, professional and qualified consulting partners further extend the range of environmental and soil testing services we are able to provide. Our partners include a UKAS accredited laboratory that ensures all our soil contamination and quality testing meets the relevant standards.

Contact Us - Our soil testing process can involve a range of services but our general procedure remains the same for each. Contact us and let us know your requirements, alternatively, if your requirements are more complex, or you're looking for more information about how much soil testing costs or our company, a more formal consultation may be necessary. Following initial consultation we can provide an outline proposal detailing how we can help and the costs involved. Soil samples will be collected for testing in our UKAS and MCERTS accredited laboratory. Once samples are tested we will produce a clear, easily understandable report, including soil test data and certificates.

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