Dakota County, MN Shrink-Swell Risk

Shrink-swell potential in Dakota County, MN

Low

Soil across 82.2% of Dakota County, MN comes back "Low" in USDA's shrink-swell data, averaging 2.01% linear extensibility. That's as favorable a county-level reading as this dataset produces - standard foundation practice, pending one lot's own geotechnical report.

What this number does and doesn't tell you

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

Dakota County: the real numbers

Dakota 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.

Dakota County's rank among Minnesota counties

Among the 3,085 rated counties on this site, Dakota County, MN ranks 1,970 most-constrained nationally, and 61 of 87 within Minnesota. The county spans 563 square miles, home to 453,156 people.

For contrast

Orleans Parish, LA carries this site's most-constrained reading. Pawnee County, OK and Clark County, WI 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 Minnesota

Every county in Minnesota is on this site, including Anoka County, MN and Mille Lacs County, MN. The full underlying dataset is downloadable directly, one row per county.