Jefferson County's SSURGO septic rating

Very limited

Jefferson County, AL: USDA's soil survey calls 50.6% of the county "Very limited" for a septic leach field. Expect the ground itself to work against a plain gravity system; USDA's strictest bucket alone covers 50.6% of the county. The county spans 1,111.567 square miles, home to 664,744 people.

What this number does and doesn't tell you

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

Jefferson County: conventional vs. engineered cost

50.6% of Jefferson 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 Jefferson County, AL compares

Among the 3,058 rated counties on this site, Jefferson County, AL ranks 2,869 most-constrained nationally, and 63 of 67 within Alabama.

Further reading

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