Norfolk County, MA: the USDA septic-suitability picture

Very limited

Norfolk County, MA's SSURGO dominant class comes back "Very limited", covering 65.5% of the county. Practically, that rules out a simple gravity system for most of the county - 65.5% of it sits in USDA's most-constrained bucket. The county spans 396.103 square miles, home to 740,754 people.

What this number does and doesn't tell you

Nothing about Norfolk County, MA's SSURGO figure applies to a specific address - it's a county-wide average. Budget $750-$1,850 for a real perc test on any specific parcel - that's the only figure a permit application accepts.

Norfolk County: conventional vs. engineered cost

65.5% of Norfolk 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.

Norfolk County's rank among Massachusetts counties

Among the 3,058 rated counties on this site, Norfolk County, MA ranks 2,595 most-constrained nationally, and 14 of 14 within Massachusetts.

Before you act on this

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