Alger County, MI Shrink-Swell Risk

Shrink-swell potential in Alger County, MI

Low

Soil across 100% of Alger County, MI comes back "Low" in USDA's shrink-swell data, averaging 0.24% linear extensibility. That's as favorable a county-level reading as this dataset produces - standard foundation practice, pending one lot's own geotechnical report.

What this number does and doesn't tell you

This is a countywide, area-weighted figure across every soil survey map unit in Alger County, MI - never a reading for one specific parcel. The real answer for one lot is still a site-specific geotechnical report, running about $1,000-$5,000 (typically near $2,700).

Alger County: the real numbers

Alger County's soil reading points toward standard foundation practice as the likely outcome, not the exception. A geotechnical report runs $1,000-$5,000, typically around $2,700. Foundation repair, if a specific lot turns out to differ from the county average, runs $5,000-$15,000.

How Alger County, MI compares

Among the 3,085 rated counties on this site, Alger County, MI ranks 3,078 most-constrained nationally, and 82 of 83 within Michigan. The county spans 915 square miles, home to 8,695 people.

For contrast

Orleans Parish, LA carries this site's most-constrained reading. Lee County, IA and Greeley County, NE are worth a look for comparison.

How this reading is built, and its real limits · Moisture management: the cheap fix that works on any soil

Elsewhere in Michigan

Every county in Michigan is on this site, including Ottawa County, MI and Luce County, MI. The full underlying dataset is downloadable directly, one row per county.