Fulton County, NY: the USDA septic-suitability picture

Very limited

Fulton County, NY's SSURGO dominant class comes back "Very limited", covering 84.7% of the county. A standard gravity system routinely fails on ground like this; the same share of the county falls in USDA's worst absorption-field bucket outright. The county spans 495.46 square miles, home to 52,073 people.

What this number does and doesn't tell you

USDA's survey covers the whole of Fulton County, NY at once, not any single address. Budget $750-$1,850 for a real perc test on any specific parcel - that's the only figure a permit application accepts.

Fulton County: conventional vs. engineered cost

84.7% of Fulton 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 Fulton County, NY compares

Among the 3,058 rated counties on this site, Fulton County, NY ranks 1,718 most-constrained nationally, and 46 of 61 within New York.

Before you act on this

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