Amelia County, VA's soil, for a septic absorption field

Somewhat limited

56.6% of Amelia County, VA's surveyed soil comes back "Somewhat limited" in USDA's own SSURGO data, the county's dominant condition for a septic absorption field. That's a middle reading: not the outright failure "very limited" soil produces, but not a clean pass either. Design changes often bridge the gap. Amelia County covers 355.36 square miles and counts 13,716 residents.

This is a county figure, not a parcel figure

This is a countywide, area-weighted figure across every soil survey map unit in Amelia County, VA - never a reading for one specific parcel. A site-specific perc test, usually $750-$1,850, is what a health department will actually require before permitting a lot in Amelia County.

System cost, conventional vs. engineered

Given Amelia County's rating, plan for the engineered-system range rather than the conventional one. The engineered-system range, $10,000-$40,000 (mound or aerobic treatment), is the more realistic number to plan around, against $3,000-$8,000 for a conventional system on the rare lot that passes.

Amelia County's rank among Virginia counties

Nationally, Amelia County, VA is the 2,951-most-constrained of 3,058 rated counties for septic soil. Within Virginia alone it ranks 104 of 110.

Related guides

How this rating is built, and its real limits · How a percolation test actually works