Chelan County, WA Shrink-Swell Risk

Shrink-swell potential in Chelan County, WA

Low

Soil across 87.9% of Chelan County, WA comes back "Low" in USDA's shrink-swell data, averaging 1.81% 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 Chelan County, WA - 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 Chelan County.

Chelan County: the real numbers

Chelan 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.

Chelan County's rank among Washington counties

Among the 3,085 rated counties on this site, Chelan County, WA ranks 2,157 most-constrained nationally, and 19 of 39 within Washington. Chelan County, WA is 2,921 square miles with a population of 81,228.

See how another county compares

Orleans Parish, LA carries this site's most-constrained reading. Morrison County, MN and Rio Arriba County, NM 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 Washington

Every county in Washington is on this site, including Whatcom County, WA and Wahkiakum County, WA. The full underlying dataset is downloadable directly, one row per county.