Bell County's SSURGO septic rating
Very limited
Bell County, TX: USDA's soil survey calls 88.2% of the county "Very limited" for a septic leach field. That reading means a conventional system is a poor bet here - 88.2% of Bell County lands in the strictest "very limited" bucket USDA uses. The county spans 1,053.836 square miles, home to 399,578 people.
What this number does and doesn't tell you
Bell County's rating is an average across the whole county, not a promise about any one lot inside it. Budget $750-$1,850 for a real perc test on any specific parcel - that's the only figure a permit application accepts.
Bell County: conventional vs. engineered cost
88.2% of Bell County carrying a "Very limited" reading changes the realistic budget here. 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.
Bell County's rank among Texas counties
Among the 3,058 rated counties on this site, Bell County, TX ranks 1,444 most-constrained nationally, and 108 of 253 within Texas.
Related guides
How this rating is built, and its real limits · Conventional vs. engineered septic systems