Jefferson County's SSURGO septic rating

Very limited

Jefferson County, NY: USDA's soil survey calls 89.8% 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 89.8% of the county. The county spans 1,267.932 square miles, home to 113,140 people.

What this number does and doesn't tell you

USDA's survey covers the whole of Jefferson 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.

Jefferson County: conventional vs. engineered cost

89.8% 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.

Where this sits nationally

Among the 3,058 rated counties on this site, Jefferson County, NY ranks 1,287 most-constrained nationally, and 34 of 61 within New York.

Before you act on this

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