Before You Build Your Home: Conduct a Soil/Site Review Jeff Skousen, WVU Extension Service Land Reclamation Specialist West Virginia University Extension Service Agriculture and Natural Resources

Buying a house is, for most people, the largest financial investment of their lives. Therefore, it is important to know about soil characteristics that make a site suitable for home construction or that may cause problems on an established homesite.

Make sure your land is suitable for your homesite’s planned uses There are several questions you should answer before you buy land to build on or before you buy an established home.

Potential problems and costly mistakes can be avoided by the homeowner and contractor if a study of the soil and site characteristics at the site is made before construction begins or before a house is purchased. • Are the soil properties favorable for establishing and maintaining lawns, shrubs, trees, and gardens without extensive and expensive soil modifications? • Is there a flood hazard? (Is the site on a floodplain?) • Are there soil factors that prevent or limit the soil’s use for septic tank absorption fields or sewage lagoons (if public sewer system is not available)? • If you plan to install a basement, will its construction be limited by such factors as: a. High water table, either temporary or permanent? b. Depth to bedrock? c. Drainage – surface ponding or excessive runoff? d. Shrink-swell potential of subsoil? • What is the slope surrounding the building site? Will the site be stable? Will there be excessive water runoff? • What are the erosion conditions and landslide potential? Previous erosion may have caused gullies and/or have limited the depth of topsoil, requiring leveling and filling. Erosion will give a clue about the stability of soil on a slope uphill from the house.

Understanding the nine critical soil and site factors will help determine if there are any limitations for the planned uses of your homesite.

These nine site and soil properties are critical to evaluate for homesite selection: (A) surface texture, the amount of sand silt and clay in the soil; (B) permeability, the rate at which water enters and passes through the soil; (C) depth of soil to bedrock, including both topsoil and subsoil; (D) slope, steepness and length of the slope; (E) erosion hazard, the amount of topsoil currently on the site and the potential for future losses; (F) surface runoff, the rate at which water flows off the site based on slope, drainage and texture; (G), shrink-swell of the soil, which involves changes in volume based on soil wetness; (H) water table, the depth at which water occurs in the soil both seasonally or permanently; and (I) flood hazards, the frequency that water from storm runoff inundates the site. – continued –

This fact sheet is provided by WVU Extension Service Agriculture and Natural Resources

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Typical planned uses for a homesite are gardening and landscaping, foundation and basement construction, on-site wastewater system, and soil stability.

Soils are judged for homesites or building sites by the properties that may limit or prohibit a planned use. A favorable soil property may pose “no or slight limitations” to homesite development, but if it creates unfavorable conditions that require correction or a modification of the building plans, the limitation is categorized as “moderate,” “severe,” or “very severe,” depending on the severity of the condition. The final evaluation of a building site depends on the limitations of the individual soil properties. The soil property with the most severe limitations automatically classifies the site in the same category. For example, if all soil properties are rated as “slight” but one is “severe,” the site evaluation for that use is also classified as severe. Hence, the building site is judged by its most limiting soil property.

Soil and Site Factors Surface texture A special factor in foundation and gardening. 3 classes

The texture of a soil is determined by the relative proportion of sand, silt, and clay particles on the site. Texture is most easily determined by rubbing the soil between your fingers and feeling for a slick, floury, or gritty feeling. Clayey (fine): Severe limitations for all uses. Soil is sticky when wet, hard when dry, and difficult to work when used for flower beds, shrubs, and gardens. They may be droughty and require frequent watering for plant growth. Special planning and design are required for foundations. Loamy (medium): No to slight limitations for all uses. Loamy soils are floury and provide the best texture for landscaping and gardening. Loamy soil is easy to excavate and absorbs wastewater well. Care should be exercised during construction to be sure the surface soil is not covered by less desirable material. Sandy (coarse): Moderate limitations for all uses. Soils are gritty and may require stabilization with organic material and/or loamy topsoil to improve moisture- and nutrient-holding capacity for desired plant growth. Erosion from water and wind may be a problem during construction. Sandy soil is easy to excavate and absorbs wastewater well.

Permeability Affects your on-site wastewater treatment system choices. 4 classes

Permeability measures the rate at which water moves through soil and is an important factor when deciding between a septic tank system or another type of on-site wastewater treatment system. Soil percolation tests are required before making further plans. Rapid: Slight limitations for foundations with basements, Septic tanks and drain fields are used for moderate limitations for lawns on-site wastewater treatment where soil and gardens, and very severe properties are suitable. limitations for septic systems and sewage lagoons. Permeability is >2.0 inches per hour. Septic systems may not adequately filter effluent under rapidly permeable conditions, which creates a very severe limitation. Seepage from lagoons would make it difficult to maintain adequate depth of water and could contribute to pollution of ground water. Moderate: Moderate limitations for sewage lagoons and no to slight limitations for all other uses. Permeability ranges are 0.60 to 2 inches per hour.

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This fact sheet is provided by WVU Extension Service Agriculture and Natural Resources

Slow: Severe limitations for septic tank systems, moderate for foundations with basements and for lawns and gardens, and no to slight for sewage lagoons. Water movement can range from 0.06 to 0.60 inches per hour. Problems are generally similar to the very slowly permeable soils, but the modifications required for use are not as great. Very Slow: Very severe limitations for septic systems, no to slight limitations for sewage lagoons, severe limitations for foundations with basements and for lawns and gardens. Water movement is generally