Septic suitability in Chelan County, WA

Very limited

Chelan County, WA: USDA's soil survey calls 97.4% of the county "Very limited" for a septic leach field. This is the reading that pushes a project toward an engineered system rather than a conventional one, and it covers 97.4% of Chelan County's land. The county spans 2,921.178 square miles, home to 81,228 people.

What this number does and doesn't tell you

Chelan 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.

Chelan County: conventional vs. engineered cost

97.4% of Chelan 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.

Chelan County's rank among Washington counties

Among the 3,058 rated counties on this site, Chelan County, WA ranks 324 most-constrained nationally, and 6 of 39 within Washington.

Further reading

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