Finite element method is often used to solve complex geotechnical problems. The application of FEM-based programs demands special attention to setting models parameters and simulating soil behavior. The paper considers the problem of the model selection to describe the behavior of soils when calculating soil settlement in the check task, referring to complicated geotechnical conditions of Saint Petersburg. The obtained settlement values in Linear Elastic model, Mohr – Coulomb model, Hardening Soil model and Hardening Soil Small model were compared. The paper presents results of calibrating parameters for a geotechnical model obtained on the data of compression testing. The necessity of prior calculations to evaluate the accuracy of a soil model is confirmed.