Galveston County's SSURGO septic rating

Very limited

Galveston County, TX: USDA's soil survey calls 52.3% of the county "Very limited" for a septic leach field. Practically, that rules out a simple gravity system for most of the county - 52.3% of it sits in USDA's most-constrained bucket. The county spans 379.413 square miles, home to 367,407 people.

What this number does and doesn't tell you

Galveston 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.

Galveston County: conventional vs. engineered cost

52.3% of Galveston 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.

Galveston County's rank among Texas counties

Among the 3,058 rated counties on this site, Galveston County, TX ranks 2,845 most-constrained nationally, and 226 of 253 within Texas.

Further reading

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