Crittenden County, AR Shrink-Swell Risk

Shrink-swell potential in Crittenden County, AR

Very High

Soil across 52.7% of Crittenden County, AR comes back "Very High" in USDA's shrink-swell data, averaging 10.29% linear extensibility. This is the reading most likely to explain cracking a homeowner is already seeing. An engineered foundation design, not a conventional footing, is the realistic expectation for new construction.

What this number does and doesn't tell you

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

Crittenden County: the real numbers

With Crittenden County, AR rating "Very High", the gap between finding out early and finding out late is the whole decision. A geotechnical report runs $1,000-$5,000 (typically $2,700); an actual foundation repair, once cracking sets in, typically runs $5,000-$15,000 (around $10,000 typical) - roughly 4x the report.

Where this sits nationally

Among the 3,085 rated counties on this site, Crittenden County, AR ranks 23 most-constrained nationally, and 2 of 75 within Arkansas. Crittenden County, AR is 612 square miles with a population of 46,633.

Before you act on this

Orleans Parish, LA carries this site's most-constrained reading. Calloway County, KY and Rock County, WI are worth a look for comparison.

How this reading is built, and its real limits · The warning signs of expansive-clay damage, explained

Elsewhere in Arkansas

Every county in Arkansas is on this site, including Saline County, AR and Grant County, AR. The full underlying dataset is downloadable directly, one row per county.