Galveston County, TX Shrink-Swell Risk

Shrink-swell potential in Galveston County, TX

Moderate

Soil across 51.5% of Galveston County, TX comes back "Moderate" in USDA's shrink-swell data, averaging 4.43% linear extensibility. A real but modest amount of movement - standard foundations usually hold up, but drainage and moisture control around the foundation still matter more than on low-risk soil.

What this number does and doesn't tell you

This is a countywide, area-weighted figure across every soil survey map unit in Galveston County, TX - never a reading for one specific parcel. The real answer for one lot is still a site-specific geotechnical report, running about $1,000-$5,000 (typically near $2,700).

Galveston County: the real numbers

Galveston 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.

Galveston County's rank among Texas counties

Among the 3,085 rated counties on this site, Galveston County, TX ranks 404 most-constrained nationally, and 100 of 253 within Texas. Galveston County, TX is 379 square miles with a population of 367,407.

See how another county compares

Orleans Parish, LA carries this site's most-constrained reading. Merrick County, NE and Scott County, IA 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 Texas

Every county in Texas is on this site, including Knox County, TX and Tom Green County, TX. The full underlying dataset is downloadable directly, one row per county.