Ohio / Lucas County
Score 64 · high · #23 of 88 in OH
Crawl space moisture in Lucas County, OH
85% of Lucas County's mapped soil is somewhat poorly to very poorly drained, which means ground that stays wet near the surface for significant periods. Where a seasonal water table is reported — 86% of acres — it averages 1.1 ft below grade, shallow enough to reach a typical crawl-space footing.
- 1Water table 1.1 ft
- 2Wet soils 85%
- 3Moisture score 64
- 4EPA radon zone 2
Reading the Lucas County soil survey
The score of 64 combines four parts, each from the USDA survey: wet drainage classes contribute 77.6 points of 100 on their own scale, group D soils 57.4, a shallow water table 72, and flooding 3; the weights are on the methodology page. The dominant hydrologic group is D (27% of acres): very slow infiltration, high runoff (clays, high water table).
A water table under two feet is the single most important number here. A crawl-space floor is usually 18 to 36 inches below the joists and often below outside grade, so in a wet season groundwater can stand at or above the crawl-space floor across much of Lucas County. Venting cannot fix that; it needs drainage — a perimeter drain to daylight or a sump — before any liner goes down.
Lucas County against the rest of Ohio
Lucas County ranks 23 of 88 Ohio counties, 18 points above the state median of 46. Wetter counties exist in Ohio, but the soil here still sits well above the national middle. Statewide, 44% of mapped soil is in the wet drainage classes; here it is 85%, half again the state figure or more. After very poorly drained, the next most common class is somewhat poorly drained at 32%.
Flooding. 1.1% of acres with a flooding class are rated frequent; 3.2% of acres with a flooding class are rated occasional. Flood-prone soils are a minority here, concentrated along streams; the score mostly reflects what happens between floods.
What it means for a crawl space here
In a high county, the model-code default of a vented crawl space over bare earth works against the soil: outside air brings humidity in all summer, and the ground underneath keeps supplying moisture from below. The R408 alternative — an unvented crawl space with a sealed vapor retarder lapped 6 inches and turned 6 inches up the stem wall, plus conditioned or exhaust air at 1 cfm per 50 sq ft or a dehumidifier — is built for exactly this. If the water table is shallow, drainage comes first.
Radon. EPA radon zone 2. The zone is a county-level prediction; EPA says elevated levels occur in every zone and every home should be tested.
Near Lucas County by score
Sources: USDA NRCS SSURGO via Soil Data Access (muaggatt: drclassdcd, hydgrpdcd, flodfreqdcd, pondfreqprs, wtdepannmin), acreage-weighted (survey area OH095; drainage covers 83% of 223,200 mapped acres); EPA Map of Radon Zones, county table (June 2024 JSON); IRC R408.3 Unvented crawl space, as adopted in S.C. Code Regs. 8-1221 (LII). Checked 2026-10-23.