Lancaster County, VA's soil, for a septic absorption field

Very limited

In Lancaster County, VA, 70% of the surveyed land carries a "Very limited" rating for a standard septic drain field. Expect the ground itself to work against a plain gravity system; USDA's strictest bucket alone covers 70% of the county. Lancaster County covers 133.325 square miles and counts 11,062 residents.

This is a county figure, not a parcel figure

Two lots a mile apart in Lancaster 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 Lancaster County.

System cost, conventional vs. engineered

Given Lancaster 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.

Where this sits nationally

Nationally, Lancaster County, VA is the 2,460-most-constrained of 3,058 rated counties for septic soil. Within Virginia alone it ranks 69 of 110.

Further reading

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