Berkshire County, MA Shrink-Swell Risk
Shrink-swell potential in Berkshire County, MA
Low
Soil across 100% of Berkshire County, MA comes back "Low" in USDA's shrink-swell data, averaging 0.88% linear extensibility. Among the 3,144 counties on this site, that's the clean result: little shrink-swell movement, standard construction the likely outcome.
What this number does and doesn't tell you
This is a countywide, area-weighted figure across every soil survey map unit in Berkshire County, MA - never a reading for one specific parcel. A local geotechnical report, typically $1,000-$5,000 (around $2,700 typical), is the only way to know what one lot in Berkshire County will actually do.
Berkshire County: the real numbers
Berkshire 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.
Berkshire County's rank among Massachusetts counties
Among the 3,085 rated counties on this site, Berkshire County, MA ranks 2,950 most-constrained nationally, and 2 of 14 within Massachusetts. Berkshire County covers 927 square miles and counts 128,726 residents.
See how another county compares
Orleans Parish, LA carries this site's most-constrained reading. Shannon County, MO and Ste. Genevieve County, MO 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 Massachusetts
Every county in Massachusetts is on this site, including Franklin County, MA and Hampshire County, MA. The full underlying dataset is downloadable directly, one row per county.