--- title: "SSURGO map-unit components: foundation inspection questions" description: "Read SSURGO component percentages, urban land, and missing fields. Prepare foundation inspection questions without treating a soil map as site evidence." canonical: "https://scalewithsearch.com/articles/ssurgo-map-unit-components-foundation-inspection-questions" --- ## Site navigation - [Scale With Search](https://scalewithsearch.com/) - Services - Services - [AI systems](https://scalewithsearch.com/ai-systems) - [Site build](https://scalewithsearch.com/work#site-build) - [Whole website fix](https://scalewithsearch.com/work#whole-website-fix) - [Content library with SEO](https://scalewithsearch.com/work#content-library) - [Working session](https://scalewithsearch.com/audit) - Start here - [Send your brief](https://scalewithsearch.com/work#send-your-brief) - [Example scope](https://scalewithsearch.com/work#review-the-example-scope) - [Prices and terms](https://scalewithsearch.com/work#prices-and-terms) - Industries - Real estate - [Real estate agents and teams](https://scalewithsearch.com/for/real-estate) - [Platforms, ownership, and IDX](https://scalewithsearch.com/for/real-estate/real-estate-website-platforms-ownership-idx) - [Search, content, and AI](https://scalewithsearch.com/for/real-estate/real-estate-search-content-ai) - [Inquiries, campaigns, and handoffs](https://scalewithsearch.com/for/real-estate/real-estate-website-inquiries-campaigns-handoffs) - [Buyer, seller, and local pages](https://scalewithsearch.com/for/real-estate/real-estate-buyer-seller-local-resources) - [Rules, privacy, and trust](https://scalewithsearch.com/for/real-estate/real-estate-website-rules-privacy-trust) - Browse by business - [Trades and home services](https://scalewithsearch.com/for/#group-trades) - [Health, wellness, and animal care](https://scalewithsearch.com/for/#group-practices) - [Law, finance, and IT](https://scalewithsearch.com/for/#group-professional) - [Marketing and SEO agencies](https://scalewithsearch.com/for/#group-agencies) - [Shops and manufacturers](https://scalewithsearch.com/for/#group-manufacturing) - [Restaurants, shops, studios, and nonprofits](https://scalewithsearch.com/for/#group-local-services) - Chiropractic practices - [Chiropractic and wellness practices](https://scalewithsearch.com/for/chiropractic-and-wellness-practices) - [Chiropractic and physical therapy clinics](https://scalewithsearch.com/for/chiropractic-and-physical-therapy-clinics) - [All industries](https://scalewithsearch.com/for/) - Resources - Free tools - [AI readiness check](https://scalewithsearch.com/check) - [Free tools](https://scalewithsearch.com/tools/) - [Free Starter Kit](https://scalewithsearch.com/kit/business-memory-starter-kit.zip) - Guides - [AI-native library](https://scalewithsearch.com/ai-native) - [Industry intelligence](https://scalewithsearch.com/intelligence) - [Office job guides](https://scalewithsearch.com/guides/) - [Business memory](https://scalewithsearch.com/articles/business-memory-for-ai-agents-guide) - [Agent governance](https://scalewithsearch.com/articles/ai-agent-governance-guide-small-business) - [Migration and ownership](https://scalewithsearch.com/articles/leaving-vendor-ai-memory-guide) - Articles - [All articles](https://scalewithsearch.com/articles/) - [What changed](https://scalewithsearch.com/changes/) - About - Evidence - [Proof](https://scalewithsearch.com/proof) - Scale With Search - [About](https://scalewithsearch.com/about) - [How it works](https://scalewithsearch.com/how-it-works) # Soil map-unit components: prepare foundation inspection questions from SSURGO A component percentage describes the typical approximate composition of a soil-survey map unit. It does not locate that component beneath a particular foundation. Keep the whole component table when preparing an inspection, including small entries and missing attributes. This guide helps an inspection coordinator turn a public soil record into questions for the inspection lead. The worked example is fictional. Its purpose is to show what to retain, what to ask, and where a conclusion needs separate evidence. The [foundation and home repair overview](/for/foundation-and-home-repair) covers the broader inspection handoff. Here, the task ends with a readable source note and unresolved questions. The inspector or responsible specialist decides what site investigation the job requires. ## Read the map unit before reading the largest percentage The Soil Survey Geographic Database, or SSURGO, links mapped units to component records. NRCS says units typically take their names from major components. Minor components can also occur. [NRCS SSURGO description, accessed 2026.10.28](https://www.nrcs.usda.gov/resources/data-and-reports/soil-survey-geographic-database-ssurgo). The manual explains percent composition with a 60 percent example: the component typically occupies approximately 60 percent of the map unit. Individual components are not delineated on that map. [Soil Survey Manual, appendix 4, page 576, accessed 2026.10.28](https://www.nrcs.usda.gov/sites/default/files/2022-09/SSM-appendix.pdf#page=22). Read the unit name as the table's heading. Then read every component row. Do not replace the table with the first name or the largest number. A useful preparation note keeps the map-unit identifier, component names, proportions, and source reference together. Use separate questions for the map and the attributes. Which mapped unit did the location selection return? Which component rows belong to that unit? Which attributes did the report display for each row? Answering the first question does not answer the other two. Before copying a result, identify the selected extent. A point, building outline, lot boundary, and wider neighborhood are different selections. Write down which selection the preparer used. If that information is absent, ask for it before labeling the note as context for the job. ## Understand major and minor components Major components are the principal components represented in the unit's naming and design. Minor components appear in the description without appearing in the name. They can occupy areas too small to map separately. The manual explains that minor components can affect interpretations. [Soil Survey Manual, chapter 4, pages 260–261, accessed 2026.10.28](https://www.nrcs.usda.gov/sites/default/files/2022-09/SSM-ch4.pdf#page=26). Treat major and minor as survey labels. Do not translate them into important and unimportant. Keep the labels supplied by the source rather than assigning your own percentage threshold. If a report omits the designation, record that omission. For inspection preparation, the useful question is which differences need the inspection lead's attention. A coordinator can identify an unanswered question without deciding its technical importance. Put that question beside the relevant component rather than writing a general warning over the entire property. For example, ask whether a small component has a different reported attribute. Then ask the lead whether that difference changes the information needed before the visit. Leave the answer blank until the responsible person supplies it. ## Work through a fictional component table The following table is invented for explanation. Alder loam and Birch silt loam are fictional labels here. The identifiers, proportions, and attribute values do not describe a real survey unit or property. | Component in fictional unit EX-17 | Survey designation | Reported proportion | Drainage attribute in example | | --- | --- | --- | --- | | Alder loam | Major | 60 percent | Well drained | | Urban land | Major | 25 percent | Not supplied | | Birch silt loam | Minor | 15 percent | Somewhat poorly drained | The percentages total 100 in this teaching example. That arithmetic confirms the example's composition total. It does not confirm a location for any row. Nor does it establish that every real export will contain the same fields or level of detail. In the fictional table, Alder has the largest reported share. Urban land has no drainage value supplied. Birch has a different listed drainage class. Keep those statements attached to the fictional unit. Then identify the statements it cannot support. The table does not place Alder beneath the front wall or Birch beside the rear footing. It does not show the thickness of any material. It does not identify the material exposed during a future inspection. NRCS describes Urban land as land largely occupied by streets, parking areas, buildings, and other urban structures. That category is not a measured soil profile. [Soil Survey Manual, chapter 4, table 4-2, page 255, accessed 2026.10.28](https://www.nrcs.usda.gov/sites/default/files/2022-09/SSM-ch4.pdf#page=21). In the example, preserve Urban land as a separate row. Do not assign it Alder's drainage attribute. Do not remove it to make the soil rows look complete. Its missing value belongs in the inspection questions. ## Keep percentages separate from building locations The manual distinguishes map-unit designs with different component arrangements. For a complex, component proportions can vary between mapped delineations. Its components are not separately mapped at the stated scale. [Soil Survey Manual, chapter 4, page 257, accessed 2026.10.28](https://www.nrcs.usda.gov/sites/default/files/2022-09/SSM-ch4.pdf#page=23). Use that distinction when reviewing the fictional EX-17 note. A 60 percent component share is not a 60 percent probability that a particular footing rests on Alder. It is also not a statement that 60 percent of the building footprint contains Alder. Those statements introduce a location claim the table has not established. Avoid drawing component boundaries inside a building outline from percentages alone. Instead, ask what the map-unit description says about component arrangement. Ask which additional observations would be needed to relate that description to the inspection area. Keep a property boundary separate from a survey boundary in the preparation record. If the selected extent intersects several units, list them individually. Do not combine their component percentages into one property percentage without a documented method and qualified review. This guide does not supply that method. Its task is to preserve the returned records so the inspection lead can see the question. A single location label should never hide a wider or uncertain selection. ## Preserve missing fields without inventing their meaning The Urban land row has a known proportion and an unknown drainage attribute in the example. Those are two separate facts. Retain the proportion while marking the attribute as not supplied. Do not let one missing cell erase the rest of the row. Use wording that describes the source state precisely. “Not supplied in the retained report” differs from “not applicable” or “not assessed.” Choose either of the latter phrases only when the source explains that meaning. Otherwise, the reason for the blank remains unknown. Also distinguish an absent attribute from an incomplete copy. If a colleague pasted only the first page, the original report may contain more information. Ask for the retained report before deciding that the source lacks the field. For EX-17, a useful question is: “Does the full description explain the missing Urban land drainage attribute?” A second question follows: “What site information does the inspection lead need where the survey provides no value?” These questions keep source completeness and site investigation separate. The sibling guide explains [drainage class and hydrologic soil group](/articles/soil-drainage-class-hydrologic-group-inspection-context). Use it when both attributes appear. A value in one column does not supply a missing value in the other. ## Record extent, edition, and retrieval separately NRCS describes SSURGO as spatial data, tables, and information about their creation. A dataset covers a soil survey area, which need not match one county. [NRCS SSURGO description, accessed 2026.10.28](https://www.nrcs.usda.gov/resources/data-and-reports/soil-survey-geographic-database-ssurgo). For a real preparation note, record the survey-area name and identifier shown by the source. Retain the publication or edition information that the downloaded material supplies. Record when your office retrieved it as a separate date. A recent retrieval does not establish when field observations occurred. The March 2017 manual is the definition reference used here. It is not the edition date of a property's survey record. Ask for the actual record metadata whenever someone describes the information as current. Use this short source checklist before handing over a note: 1. Identify the selected point or area and who confirmed it. 2. Preserve the map-unit name and identifier exactly as returned. 3. Retain every component row available in the report. 4. Record the source edition and retrieval date separately. 5. Mark absent identifiers, attributes, and metadata as unresolved. If an identifier or edition changes between reports, retain both versions. Ask which record should control the preparation note. Do not silently overwrite an earlier note that someone may already have used. ## Turn the example into inspection questions For fictional EX-17, organize the discussion around four decisions. The coordinator prepares the questions. The inspection lead decides which questions require further work. | Review subject | Question for the handoff | Evidence needed to close it | | --- | --- | --- | | Selection | Does the retained extent match the authorized inspection area? | Confirmed location or extent record | | Composition | Is the complete map-unit description included? | Full description and component table | | Missing attribute | Why does Urban land lack a drainage value in this report? | Source explanation, if available | | Site investigation | What must be established at the site before a technical conclusion? | Responsible specialist's investigation requirements | Keep location confirmation with the person who knows the job. Keep source questions with the preparer or soil-data specialist. Send investigation questions to the responsible technical lead. Avoid treating a coordinator's completed checklist as technical acceptance. Ask about existing site records before requesting new conclusions. Which approved investigation reports are already available? Which areas did those reports cover? Does the inspection lead need an earlier grading or construction record? The coordinator should record availability rather than interpret the technical contents. The [public-signal overview](/intelligence/foundation-and-home-repair) places soil context alongside other office preparation tasks. Keep this note focused on the selected survey record. It should not become a weather-based diagnosis or a household sales assessment. ## Handle a revised report without losing the earlier question Suppose a second fictional EX-17 export adds a drainage value to the Urban land row. Before copying it, compare the source references. Check whether both exports describe the same map unit, extent, component, and edition. Record any difference as a question for the preparer. Do not describe the new value as a change in ground conditions. The two exports alone do not establish that explanation. The difference could remain unresolved until the source documentation is checked. Keep the earlier handoff available while the inspection lead reviews the replacement. If the reviewer accepts the replacement, date the decision and reference the new attachment. Identify which preparation questions remain open. A corrected source note should explain what changed without implying that an earlier site observation was also corrected. For this example, the office might close the missing-attribute question while leaving component location unresolved. Those are separate questions. Completing one does not supply evidence for the other. ## Write a handoff that preserves the unanswered questions A useful fictional handoff could read: “EX-17 lists three components at 60, 25, and 15 percent. Urban land has no drainage value supplied. Component locations beneath the building remain unestablished. Please confirm the selected extent and identify any required site investigation.” Add a source attachment and the preparer's retrieval date. Name the person responsible for resolving the questions. If the lead adds a site observation later, give it a separate dated entry with its own location reference. Keep survey context, site observations, and professional conclusions in separate passages. A survey component cannot diagnose movement, identify fill beneath a building, prescribe drainage, or establish bearing capacity. Each conclusion needs its own appropriate evidence and responsible reviewer. The [business memory guide](/articles/business-memory-for-ai-agents-guide) explains how to retain sources and accepted corrections. For this task, the useful record is small: the report, selected extent, question list, reviewer, and dated resolution. Scale With Search can discuss a written scope for organizing approved inspection-preparation records. Bring a sample handoff and the person who checks it. [Discuss the scope](/work) Continue the website review: [AI-native foundation and home repair: first functions](/articles/ai-native-foundation-home-repair-first-functions); [Foundation Contractor Review Replies: Keep Facts Private](/articles/foundation-contractor-negative-review-replies); [Foundation, Crawl Space, and Drainage Service Pages](/articles/foundation-crawl-space-drainage-service-pages); [Foundation and home repair AI rules: data, approvals, spend](/articles/foundation-home-repair-ai-rules-data-approvals-spend); [Foundation Reports on Google: Check PDF Access First](/articles/foundation-inspection-report-pdf-search-privacy); [Foundation Inspection Requests: Plan the Website Page](/articles/foundation-inspection-request-website-page); [Foundation Inspection Videos: Plan Captions and Text](/articles/foundation-inspection-video-website-captions); [Foundation Repair AI Answers: Publish Checked Facts](/articles/foundation-repair-ai-answer-business-facts); [Foundation Repair Financing Pages: Review the Terms](/articles/foundation-repair-financing-website-copy); [Free Foundation Inspection: Check Your Website Offer](/articles/foundation-repair-free-inspection-website-copy); [Foundation Repair Case Studies: Show the Recorded Work](/articles/foundation-repair-project-case-study-page); [Foundation Repair Service Area Pages That Earn a Place](/articles/foundation-repair-service-area-pages); [Foundation Repair Warranty Pages: Publish Exact Terms](/articles/foundation-repair-warranty-website-page); [Drainage class and hydrologic soil group: read two separate soil-survey fields](/articles/soil-drainage-class-hydrologic-group-inspection-context). [foundation and home repair contractors](/for/foundation-and-home-repair): website and search resources. ## Related: foundation and home repair contractors - [AI-native foundation and home repair: first functions](/articles/ai-native-foundation-home-repair-first-functions) - [Foundation Contractor Review Replies: Keep Facts Private](/articles/foundation-contractor-negative-review-replies) - [Foundation, Crawl Space, and Drainage Service Pages](/articles/foundation-crawl-space-drainage-service-pages) ---- ```text .|########||. .|########||. .|########||. |##||. .||##|. |##||. .||##|. |##||. .||##|. |#|. .|#|. |#|. .|#|. |#|. .|#|. |#| |#| |#| |#| |#| |#| .#| |#. .#| |#. .#| |#. .#. .#| .#. .#| .#. .#| |#. .#| |#. .#| |#. .#| |# ...... #| |# ...... #| |# ...... #| .# ||#########| #| .# ||#########| #| .# ||#########| #| .#. |######||######|. .#. .#. |######||######|. .#. .#. |######||######|. .#. #. .##|###|##|#|######| .# #. .##|###|##|#|######| .# #. .##|###|##|#|######| .# || |##|#||||||||||||#||#| || || |##|#||||||||||||#||#| || || |##|#||||||||||||#||#| || # |#||||||||||||||||||||#| #. # |#||||||||||||||||||||#| #. # |#||||||||||||||||||||#| #. || |#||||||||||||||||||||||#| || || |#||||||||||||||||||||||#| || || |#||||||||||||||||||||||#| || # .#||||||||||||||||||||||||#| # # .#||||||||||||||||||||||||#| # # .#||||||||||||||||||||||||#| # || ....|||#||||||##|#|||#|#||##||||....|. || || ....|||#||||||##|#|||#|#||##||||....|. || || ....|||#||||||##|#|||#|#||##||||....|. || #. . ....|# ....#||| ||| .#||| ....#. .# #. . ....|# ....#||| ||| .#||| ....#. .# #. . ....|# ....#||| ||| .#||| ....#. .# # . ||||#| .#####|| . .#| .#||| ||||# #. # . ||||#| .#####|| . .#| .#||| ||||# #. # . ||||#| .#####|| . .#| .#||| ||||# #. .| ||||| #. |#|||||. || #. |#||. .||||| || .| ||||| #. |#|||||. || #. |#||. .||||| || .| ||||| #. |#|||||. || #. |#||. .||||| || || |.... #. ....|#. |. ...|. ....|| || || |.... #. ....|#. |. ...|. ....|| || || |.... #. ....|#. |. ...|. ....|| || #. .||||||##||||||##||####|||||||#||||||#| .# #. .||||||##||||||##||####|||||||#||||||#| .# #. .||||||##||||||##||####|||||||#||||||#| .# # .||####|###########################|. # # .||####|###########################|. # # .||####|###########################|. # # .#||||||.#.|| # |. ..# #| #|||||#| # # .#||||||.#.|| # |. ..# #| #|||||#| # # .#||||||.#.|| # |. ..# #| #|||||#| # # .#|||||| .. |# ## |#| ...#|#|||#| # # .#|||||| .. |# ## |#| ...#|#|||#| # # .#|||||| .. |# ## |#| ...#|#|||#| # # .#|||#|# .# .#| #| ##|.#..#|||||#| # # .#|||#|# .# .#| #| ##|.#..#|||||#| # # .#|||#|# .# .#| #| ##|.#..#|||||#| # # .#||||||############|######|||||#| # # .#||||||############|######|||||#| # # .#||||||############|######|||||#| # # |...||#||||||#||||#|#||||||#|||||#||| |.| # # |...||#||||||#||||#|#||||||#|||||#||| |.| # # |...||#||||||#||||#|#||||||#|||||#||| |.| # #. .. ||||# .|||##|. |#| .|| || .|||#. #| # .# #. .. ||||# .|||##|. |#| .|| || .|||#. #| # .# #. .. ||||# .|||##|. |#| .|| || .|||#. #| # .# || | ...|| ...##| | #| .|. |. ##### .. .| || || | ...|| ...##| | #| .|. |. ##### .. .| || || | ...|| ...##| | #| .|. |. ##### .. .| || || ||||| || ||||#| . |. |. |#. ||||| |#| || || || ||||| || ||||#| . |. |. |#. ||||| |#| || || || ||||| || ||||#| . |. |. |#. ||||| |#| || || .# |.....#|....|#.||||.|||##.|#|....||.#||.#. #. .# |.....#|....|#.||||.|||##.|#|....||.#||.#. #. .# |.....#|....|#.||||.|||##.|#|....||.#||.#. #. #.|||||||#############################| ||| .# #.|||||||#############################| ||| .# #.|||||||#############################| ||| .# || ##||#||#||||||#||#||#||#||##. || || ##||#||#||||||#||#||#||#||##. || || ##||#||#||||||#||#||#||#||##. || # .#|||||||||#||#|||||||||||#| # # .#|||||||||#||#|||||||||||#| # # .#|||||||||#||#|||||||||||#| # || |#||||||||||||||||||||||#| || || |#||||||||||||||||||||||#| || || |#||||||||||||||||||||||#| || .# |#||||||||||||||||||||#| #. .# |#||||||||||||||||||||#| #. .# |#||||||||||||||||||||#| #. || |#||||||||||||||||||#| || || |#||||||||||||||||||#| || || |#||||||||||||||||||#| || #. .######|#|#########| .# #. .######|#|#########| .# #. .######|#|#########| .# .#. |#####||||#####| .#. .#. |#####||||#####| .#. .#. |#####||||#####| .#. |# ||########|| #. |# ||########|| #. |# ||########|| #. |# ...... #| |# ...... #| |# ...... #| |#. .#| |#. .#| |#. .#| |#. .#. |#. .#. |#. .#. .#| |#. .#| |#. .#| |#. |#| |#| |#| |#| |#| |#| .|#|. .|#|. .|#|. .|#|. .|#|. .|#|. |##||. .||##| |##||. .||##| |##||. .||##| .||########||. .||########||. .||########||. 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