Bedford County, TN Shrink-Swell Risk

Bedford County, TN's soil, for shrink-swell risk

Moderate

Bedford County, TN: USDA's soil survey rates 45.6% of the county "Moderate" for shrink-swell potential (4.16% linear extensibility). A real but modest amount of movement - standard foundations usually hold up, but drainage and moisture control around the foundation still matter more than on low-risk soil.

What Bedford County's reading doesn't cover

Two lots a mile apart in Bedford County can carry different soil, even though they share one countywide reading. 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 Bedford County.

What it costs to find out, versus to ignore it

With Bedford County, TN 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.

How Bedford County, TN compares

Nationally, Bedford County, TN is the 491-most-constrained of 3,085 rated counties for shrink-swell soil. Within Tennessee alone it ranks 4 of 95. Bedford County covers 474 square miles and counts 54,228 residents.

For contrast

Orleans Parish, LA carries this site's most-constrained reading. Dickinson County, IA and Sussex County, DE 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 Tennessee

Every county in Tennessee is on this site, including Jackson County, TN and Moore County, TN. The full underlying dataset is downloadable directly, one row per county.