Houston County, AL: the USDA septic-suitability picture

Very limited

Houston County, AL's SSURGO dominant class comes back "Very limited", covering 74.4% of the county. Expect the ground itself to work against a plain gravity system; USDA's strictest bucket alone covers 74.4% of the county. The county spans 579.828 square miles, home to 109,366 people.

What this number does and doesn't tell you

This is a countywide, area-weighted figure across every soil survey map unit in Houston County, AL - 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.

Houston County: conventional vs. engineered cost

74.4% of Houston 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.

Where this sits nationally

Among the 3,058 rated counties on this site, Houston County, AL ranks 2,315 most-constrained nationally, and 41 of 67 within Alabama.

Before you act on this

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