Pierce County, NE: the USDA septic-suitability picture

Very limited

Pierce County, NE: USDA's soil survey calls 73.1% of the county "Very limited" for a septic leach field. That reading means a conventional system is a poor bet here - 73.1% of Pierce County lands in the strictest "very limited" bucket USDA uses. The county spans 573.249 square miles, home to 7,334 people.

What this number does and doesn't tell you

USDA's survey covers the whole of Pierce County, NE 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.

Pierce County: conventional vs. engineered cost

73.1% of Pierce 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.

Where this sits nationally

Among the 3,058 rated counties on this site, Pierce County, NE ranks 2,368 most-constrained nationally, and 56 of 93 within Nebraska.

Further reading

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