Cerro Gordo County's SSURGO septic rating

Very limited

Cerro Gordo County, IA: USDA's soil survey calls 91.3% of the county "Very limited" for a septic leach field. Practically, that rules out a simple gravity system for most of the county - 91.3% of it sits in USDA's most-constrained bucket. The county spans 568.302 square miles, home to 42,493 people.

What this number does and doesn't tell you

Cerro Gordo 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.

Cerro Gordo County: conventional vs. engineered cost

91.3% of Cerro Gordo 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.

Cerro Gordo County's rank among Iowa counties

Among the 3,058 rated counties on this site, Cerro Gordo County, IA ranks 1,133 most-constrained nationally, and 69 of 99 within Iowa.

Before you act on this

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