Colbert County, AL Shrink-Swell Risk

Colbert County, AL's soil, for shrink-swell risk

Moderate

Colbert County, AL: USDA's soil survey rates 70% of the county "Moderate" for shrink-swell potential (3.48% 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 Colbert County's reading doesn't cover

Two lots a mile apart in Colbert County can carry different soil, even though they share one countywide reading. A local geotechnical report, typically $1,000-$5,000 (around $2,700 typical), is the only way to know what one lot in Colbert County will actually do.

What it costs to find out, versus to ignore it

With Colbert County, AL rating "Moderate", a geotechnical report is still worthwhile before a build, just less urgent than in a high-risk county. 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.

Where this sits nationally

Nationally, Colbert County, AL is the 855-most-constrained of 3,085 rated counties for shrink-swell soil. Within Alabama alone it ranks 11 of 67. The county spans 593 square miles, home to 58,785 people.

Before you act on this

Orleans Parish, LA carries this site's most-constrained reading. Iron County, WI and Wilkes County, GA 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

More of Alabama

Every county in Alabama is on this site, including Elmore County, AL and Lauderdale County, AL. The full underlying dataset is downloadable directly, one row per county.