Madison County, MO: the USDA septic-suitability picture

Very limited

Madison County, MO's SSURGO dominant class comes back "Very limited", covering 86.3% of the county. That reading means a conventional system is a poor bet here - 86.3% of Madison County lands in the strictest "very limited" bucket USDA uses. The county spans 494.386 square miles, home to 12,852 people.

What this number does and doesn't tell you

USDA's survey covers the whole of Madison County, MO 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.

Madison County: conventional vs. engineered cost

86.3% of Madison 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.

Madison County's rank among Missouri counties

Among the 3,058 rated counties on this site, Madison County, MO ranks 1,592 most-constrained nationally, and 86 of 114 within Missouri.

Further reading

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