Hale County, AL Shrink-Swell Risk

Shrink-swell potential in Hale County, AL

Moderate

Soil across 71.1% of Hale County, AL comes back "Moderate" in USDA's shrink-swell data, averaging 3.23% 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 Hale County, AL - 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 Hale County.

Hale County: the real numbers

Hale 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 Hale County, AL compares

Among the 3,085 rated counties on this site, Hale County, AL ranks 1,026 most-constrained nationally, and 13 of 67 within Alabama. Hale County covers 644 square miles and counts 15,116 residents.

See how another county compares

Orleans Parish, LA carries this site's most-constrained reading. Greenwood County, SC and Floyd County, TX 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 Alabama

Every county in Alabama is on this site, including Perry County, AL and Winston County, AL. The full underlying dataset is downloadable directly, one row per county.