Franklin County, MA Shrink-Swell Risk

Shrink-swell potential in Franklin County, MA

Low

Soil across 100% of Franklin County, MA comes back "Low" in USDA's shrink-swell data, averaging 0.42% 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 Franklin County, MA - 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 Franklin County will actually do.

Franklin County: the real numbers

Franklin 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.

How Franklin County, MA compares

Among the 3,085 rated counties on this site, Franklin County, MA ranks 3,058 most-constrained nationally, and 13 of 14 within Massachusetts. Franklin County covers 699 square miles and counts 70,871 residents.

For contrast

Orleans Parish, LA carries this site's most-constrained reading. Martin County, TX and New Madrid County, MO 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 Massachusetts

Every county in Massachusetts is on this site, including Dukes County, MA and Berkshire County, MA. The full underlying dataset is downloadable directly, one row per county.