Gilmer County, WV Shrink-Swell Risk

Shrink-swell potential in Gilmer County, WV

Moderate

Soil across 80.6% of Gilmer County, WV comes back "Moderate" in USDA's shrink-swell data, averaging 3.12% linear extensibility. Conventional foundations are the reasonable expectation here, with routine moisture-control practice rather than special engineering.

What this number does and doesn't tell you

This is a countywide, area-weighted figure across every soil survey map unit in Gilmer County, WV - 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 Gilmer County.

Gilmer County: the real numbers

Gilmer 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, Gilmer County, WV ranks 1,106 most-constrained nationally, and 14 of 55 within West Virginia. Gilmer County, WV is 339 square miles with a population of 7,116.

See how another county compares

Orleans Parish, LA carries this site's most-constrained reading. Latimer County, OK and Ingham County, MI 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 West Virginia

Every county in West Virginia is on this site, including Marion County, WV and Wyoming County, WV. The full underlying dataset is downloadable directly, one row per county.