Septic soil in Racine County, WI, by the numbers

Very limited

Soil across 93.9% of Racine County, WI rates "Very limited" in USDA's septic-absorption-field interpretation. Expect the ground itself to work against a plain gravity system; USDA's strictest bucket alone covers 93.9% of the county. Racine County covers 332.614 square miles and counts 198,651 residents.

This is a county figure, not a parcel figure

Nothing about Racine County, WI's SSURGO figure applies to a specific address - it's a county-wide average. A site-specific perc test, usually $750-$1,850, is what a health department will actually require before permitting a lot in Racine County.

System cost, conventional vs. engineered

Given Racine County's rating, plan for the engineered-system range rather than the conventional one. The engineered-system range, $10,000-$40,000 (mound or aerobic treatment), is the more realistic number to plan around, against $3,000-$8,000 for a conventional system on the rare lot that passes.

How Racine County, WI compares

Nationally, Racine County, WI is the 796-most-constrained of 3,058 rated counties for septic soil. Within Wisconsin alone it ranks 19 of 72.

Before you act on this

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