Gates County, NC Shrink-Swell Risk
Shrink-swell potential in Gates County, NC
Low
Soil across 57.7% of Gates County, NC comes back "Low" in USDA's shrink-swell data, averaging 2.38% 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 Gates County, NC - 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).
Gates County: the real numbers
Gates 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.
Where this sits nationally
Among the 3,085 rated counties on this site, Gates County, NC ranks 1,665 most-constrained nationally, and 22 of 100 within North Carolina. The county spans 341 square miles, home to 10,299 people.
See how another county compares
Orleans Parish, LA carries this site's most-constrained reading. Haskell County, KS and Franklin 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 North Carolina
Every county in North Carolina is on this site, including Yadkin County, NC and Caswell County, NC. The full underlying dataset is downloadable directly, one row per county.