Chowan County, NC Shrink-Swell Risk

Shrink-swell potential in Chowan County, NC

Low

Soil across 71% of Chowan County, NC comes back "Low" in USDA's shrink-swell data, averaging 2.2% 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 Chowan County, NC - 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 Chowan County.

Chowan County: the real numbers

Chowan 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.

Chowan County's rank among North Carolina counties

Among the 3,085 rated counties on this site, Chowan County, NC ranks 1,807 most-constrained nationally, and 28 of 100 within North Carolina. The county spans 173 square miles, home to 13,891 people.

For contrast

Orleans Parish, LA carries this site's most-constrained reading. Lake County, OR and Burnett County, WI 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 North Carolina

Every county in North Carolina is on this site, including Alamance County, NC and Wayne County, NC. The full underlying dataset is downloadable directly, one row per county.