Clearwater County, ID Shrink-Swell Risk

Shrink-swell potential in Clearwater County, ID

Low

Soil across 89.5% of Clearwater County, ID comes back "Low" in USDA's shrink-swell data, averaging 1.28% linear extensibility. That's the easiest starting point on this site's scale - a standard foundation is the reasonable default here, though any one lot can still differ.

What this number does and doesn't tell you

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

Clearwater County: the real numbers

Clearwater 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.

Clearwater County's rank among Idaho counties

Among the 3,085 rated counties on this site, Clearwater County, ID ranks 2,720 most-constrained nationally, and 44 of 44 within Idaho. Clearwater County covers 2,457 square miles and counts 9,151 residents.

Before you act on this

Orleans Parish, LA carries this site's most-constrained reading. Charlton County, GA and Routt County, CO 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 Idaho

Every county in Idaho is on this site, including Kootenai County, ID and Oneida County, ID. The full underlying dataset is downloadable directly, one row per county.