Clarke County, VA Shrink-Swell Risk

Shrink-swell potential in Clarke County, VA

Moderate

Soil across 40.4% of Clarke County, VA comes back "Moderate" in USDA's shrink-swell data, averaging 4.1% 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 this number does and doesn't tell you

This is a countywide, area-weighted figure across every soil survey map unit in Clarke County, VA - 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 Clarke County.

Clarke County: the real numbers

Clarke 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.

Clarke County's rank among Virginia counties

Among the 3,085 rated counties on this site, Clarke County, VA ranks 525 most-constrained nationally, and 2 of 114 within Virginia. Clarke County covers 176 square miles and counts 15,598 residents.

Before you act on this

Orleans Parish, LA carries this site's most-constrained reading. Saluda County, SC and Barton County, KS 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 Virginia

Every county in Virginia is on this site, including Portsmouth city, VA and Highland County, VA. The full underlying dataset is downloadable directly, one row per county.