Athens County, OH Shrink-Swell Risk

Athens County, OH's soil, for shrink-swell risk

Moderate

Athens County, OH: USDA's soil survey rates 54.1% of the county "Moderate" for shrink-swell potential (3.35% linear extensibility). Conventional foundations are the reasonable expectation here, with routine moisture-control practice rather than special engineering.

What Athens County's reading doesn't cover

Two lots a mile apart in Athens County can carry different soil, even though they share one countywide reading. A local geotechnical report, typically $1,000-$5,000 (around $2,700 typical), is the only way to know what one lot in Athens County will actually do.

What it costs to find out, versus to ignore it

With Athens County, OH rating "Moderate", a geotechnical report is still worthwhile before a build, just less urgent than in a high-risk county. 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.

Where this sits nationally

Nationally, Athens County, OH is the 944-most-constrained of 3,085 rated counties for shrink-swell soil. Within Ohio alone it ranks 40 of 88. The county spans 504 square miles, home to 63,218 people.

For contrast

Orleans Parish, LA carries this site's most-constrained reading. Dickenson County, VA and Gallatin County, MT 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

More of Ohio

Every county in Ohio is on this site, including Belmont County, OH and Fayette County, OH. The full underlying dataset is downloadable directly, one row per county.