Glades County, FL's soil, for a septic absorption field

Very limited

75.2% of Glades County, FL's surveyed soil comes back "Very limited" in USDA's own SSURGO data, the county's dominant condition for a septic absorption field. Expect the ground itself to work against a plain gravity system; USDA's strictest bucket alone covers 75.2% of the county. Glades County covers 806.822 square miles and counts 13,132 residents.

This is a county figure, not a parcel figure

Two lots a mile apart in Glades County can carry different soil, even though they share one countywide rating. A site-specific perc test, usually $750-$1,850, is what a health department will actually require before permitting a lot in Glades County.

System cost, conventional vs. engineered

Given Glades County's rating, plan for the engineered-system range rather than the conventional one. The engineered-system range, $10,000-$40,000 (mound or aerobic treatment), is the more realistic number to plan around, against $3,000-$8,000 for a conventional system on the rare lot that passes.

Glades County's rank among Florida counties

Nationally, Glades County, FL is the 2,272-most-constrained of 3,058 rated counties for septic soil. Within Florida alone it ranks 52 of 65.

Further reading

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