Nicholas County, KY: the USDA septic-suitability picture

Very limited

Nicholas County, KY's SSURGO dominant class comes back "Very limited", covering 89.5% of the county. That reading means a conventional system is a poor bet here - 89.5% of Nicholas County lands in the strictest "very limited" bucket USDA uses. The county spans 195.306 square miles, home to 7,816 people.

What this number does and doesn't tell you

USDA's survey covers the whole of Nicholas County, KY 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.

Nicholas County: conventional vs. engineered cost

89.5% of Nicholas 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.

Nicholas County's rank among Kentucky counties

Among the 3,058 rated counties on this site, Nicholas County, KY ranks 1,326 most-constrained nationally, and 63 of 119 within Kentucky.

Before you act on this

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