Lee County, AL: the USDA septic-suitability picture

Somewhat limited

Lee County, AL: USDA's soil survey calls 71.3% of the county "Somewhat limited" for a septic leach field. Modification usually rescues a conventional system at this rating - added fill or a larger field - rather than forcing a full engineered redesign. The county spans 607.558 square miles, home to 187,847 people.

What this number does and doesn't tell you

Lee County's rating is an average across the whole county, not a promise about any one lot inside it. Budget $750-$1,850 for a real perc test on any specific parcel - that's the only figure a permit application accepts.

Lee County: conventional vs. engineered cost

71.3% of Lee County carrying a "Somewhat 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 Lee County, AL compares

Among the 3,058 rated counties on this site, Lee County, AL ranks 3,022 most-constrained nationally, and 67 of 67 within Alabama.

Further reading

How this rating is built, and its real limits · How a percolation test actually works