Soil Survey Data for Construction: Understanding SSURGO

SSURGO provides detailed soil property data for virtually every acre of the United States.

Key Properties

Bearing capacity (high: 3,000+ psf, moderate: 1,500-3,000, low: under 1,500). Drainage class (well-drained to very poorly drained). Shrink-swell potential (low, moderate, high LEP). Depth to bedrock. Corrosion potential. Hydrologic soil group (A-D).

Limitations

Survey-level data, not site-specific. Does not account for fill soils. Not a substitute for geotechnical investigation.