How to Read a Soil Boring Report

Make sure that the soil report is yours by checking your name and address at the top of the page. Along with that information should be boring numbers. Each individual boring will have a number that correlates with the soil boring map.

Identify what type of soil you have. The type of soil should be clearly stated on the report. This will then tell you what group the soil is in. Knowing the group is helpful for digging septic systems. If your soil is in groups one to three then it should be fine to install a septic system. Groups four to six are questionable as to whether they can support septic systems due to drainage issues, and groups seven and eight cannot sustain septic.

Find the depth to bedrock, which is a hard rocky surface under the soil. Bedrock can be very hard to farm around, so the deeper it is, the better.

Look to see what the depth of the seasonal wetness is, which would be the natural water table. If it is less than 24 inches you will need a curtain drain for your septic system. Building anything on that point may also be hard, because you cannot dig very far for support before hitting water.

Read about what type of soil is in that section of land. In this part, the soil boring report should tell you the color, texture and the different layers of soil.

See if the lab made notes about anything odd that the researchers found, or if there are any suggestions. Many times if the lab knows the purpose of the report the lab will gear everything toward that purpose.