Franklin County's SSURGO septic rating

Very limited

Franklin County, IA: USDA's soil survey calls 81.1% of the county "Very limited" for a septic leach field. That reading means a conventional system is a poor bet here - 81.1% of Franklin County lands in the strictest "very limited" bucket USDA uses. The county spans 581.972 square miles, home to 10,024 people.

What this number does and doesn't tell you

This is a countywide, area-weighted figure across every soil survey map unit in Franklin County, IA - never a reading for one specific parcel. Budget $750-$1,850 for a real perc test on any specific parcel - that's the only figure a permit application accepts.

Franklin County: conventional vs. engineered cost

81.1% of Franklin 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.

How Franklin County, IA compares

Among the 3,058 rated counties on this site, Franklin County, IA ranks 1,987 most-constrained nationally, and 83 of 99 within Iowa.

Further reading

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