Cibola County, NM Shrink-Swell Risk

Shrink-swell potential in Cibola County, NM

Moderate

Soil across 51.7% of Cibola County, NM comes back "Moderate" in USDA's shrink-swell data, averaging 4.08% linear extensibility. That's a middle reading: not the sharp swings that crack a foundation outright, but enough that grading and drainage are worth getting right.

What this number does and doesn't tell you

This is a countywide, area-weighted figure across every soil survey map unit in Cibola County, NM - 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 Cibola County will actually do.

Cibola County: the real numbers

Cibola 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.

How Cibola County, NM compares

Among the 3,085 rated counties on this site, Cibola County, NM ranks 531 most-constrained nationally, and 5 of 32 within New Mexico. The county spans 4,540 square miles, home to 26,686 people.

For contrast

Orleans Parish, LA carries this site's most-constrained reading. Storey County, NV and Bath County, VA 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 New Mexico

Every county in New Mexico is on this site, including Mora County, NM and Otero County, NM. The full underlying dataset is downloadable directly, one row per county.