Baltimore city, MD Shrink-Swell Risk

Shrink-swell potential in Baltimore city, MD

Low

Soil across 89.2% of Baltimore city, MD comes back "Low" in USDA's shrink-swell data, averaging 1.8% 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 Baltimore city, MD - never a reading for one specific parcel. A site-specific soil report, usually $1,000-$5,000, is what an engineer would actually pull before designing a foundation on a lot in Baltimore city.

Baltimore city: the real numbers

Baltimore city'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 Baltimore city, MD compares

Among the 3,085 rated counties on this site, Baltimore city, MD ranks 2,167 most-constrained nationally, and 7 of 24 within Maryland. Baltimore city covers 81 square miles and counts 568,271 residents.

See how another county compares

Orleans Parish, LA carries this site's most-constrained reading. Washington County, RI and Uinta County, WY 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 Maryland

Every county in Maryland is on this site, including Talbot County, MD and Prince George's County, MD. The full underlying dataset is downloadable directly, one row per county.