Dickenson County, VA Shrink-Swell Risk

Shrink-swell potential in Dickenson County, VA

Low

Soil across 100% of Dickenson County, VA comes back "Low" in USDA's shrink-swell data, averaging 1.17% 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 Dickenson County, VA - 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 Dickenson County will actually do.

Dickenson County: the real numbers

Dickenson 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.

Dickenson County's rank among Virginia counties

Among the 3,085 rated counties on this site, Dickenson County, VA ranks 2,790 most-constrained nationally, and 113 of 114 within Virginia. Dickenson County, VA is 330 square miles with a population of 13,411.

Before you act on this

Orleans Parish, LA carries this site's most-constrained reading. Gem County, ID and Santa Rosa County, FL 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 Virginia

Every county in Virginia is on this site, including Hampton city, VA and Surry County, VA. The full underlying dataset is downloadable directly, one row per county.