Septic soil in Washington County, VT, by the numbers

Very limited

In Washington County, VT, 93.4% of the surveyed land carries a "Very limited" rating for a standard septic drain field. Practically, that rules out a simple gravity system for most of the county - 93.4% of it sits in USDA's most-constrained bucket. Washington County covers 687.06 square miles and counts 59,844 residents.

This is a county figure, not a parcel figure

Two lots a mile apart in Washington County can carry different soil, even though they share one countywide rating. A site-specific perc test, usually $750-$1,850, is what a health department will actually require before permitting a lot in Washington County.

System cost, conventional vs. engineered

Given Washington 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.

Where this sits nationally

Nationally, Washington County, VT is the 870-most-constrained of 3,058 rated counties for septic soil. Within Vermont alone it ranks 8 of 13.

Related guides

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