Ritchie County's SSURGO septic rating

Very limited

Ritchie County, WV: USDA's soil survey calls 98.5% of the county "Very limited" for a septic leach field. Expect the ground itself to work against a plain gravity system; USDA's strictest bucket alone covers 98.5% of the county. The county spans 451.99 square miles, home to 8,170 people.

What this number does and doesn't tell you

Ritchie County's rating is an average across the whole county, not a promise about any one lot inside it. Budget $750-$1,850 for a real perc test on any specific parcel - that's the only figure a permit application accepts.

Ritchie County: conventional vs. engineered cost

98.5% of Ritchie 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.

Ritchie County's rank among West Virginia counties

Among the 3,058 rated counties on this site, Ritchie County, WV ranks 177 most-constrained nationally, and 6 of 55 within West Virginia.

Before you act on this

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