Daviess County, MO Shrink-Swell Risk
Shrink-swell potential in Daviess County, MO
High
Soil across 44.3% of Daviess County, MO comes back "High" in USDA's shrink-swell data, averaging 6.45% linear extensibility. This is enough movement to matter: a standard footing can hold up here, but usually only with real moisture management, not by default.
What this number does and doesn't tell you
This is a countywide, area-weighted figure across every soil survey map unit in Daviess County, MO - 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 Daviess County.
Daviess County: the real numbers
Given Daviess County's rating, spending a few thousand now is the way to avoid spending tens of thousands later. 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, Daviess County, MO ranks 93 most-constrained nationally, and 6 of 114 within Missouri. The county spans 563 square miles, home to 8,541 people.
For contrast
Orleans Parish, LA carries this site's most-constrained reading. Harding County, NM and Refugio County, TX 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 Missouri
Every county in Missouri is on this site, including Mercer County, MO and Gentry County, MO. The full underlying dataset is downloadable directly, one row per county.