Bartholomew County, IN: the USDA septic-suitability picture

Very limited

Bartholomew County, IN: USDA's soil survey calls 94.9% of the county "Very limited" for a septic leach field. Expect the ground itself to work against a plain gravity system; USDA's strictest bucket alone covers 94.9% of the county. For scale: 406.94 square miles and 84,741 people call Bartholomew County home.

Before you rely on this for one lot

USDA's survey covers the whole of Bartholomew County, IN at once, not any single address. The real answer for one lot is still a site-specific perc test, running about $750-$1,850 (typically near $1,300).

Budgeting for a system in Bartholomew County, IN

Bartholomew County's soil reading pushes the likely outcome toward an engineered system rather than a conventional one. Conventional systems run $3,000-$8,000 where they pass; where they don't, engineered alternatives (mound or aerobic treatment, whichever the health department requires) run $10,000-$40,000 - budget toward the higher figure until a perc test says otherwise.

Bartholomew County's rank among Indiana counties

Among the 3,058 rated counties on this site, Bartholomew County, IN ranks 674 most-constrained nationally, and 41 of 90 within Indiana.

Further reading

How this rating is built, and its real limits · Conventional vs. engineered septic systems