Hamilton County, IA Shrink-Swell Risk

Hamilton County, IA's soil, for shrink-swell risk

Moderate

Hamilton County, IA: USDA's soil survey rates 44.6% of the county "Moderate" for shrink-swell potential (4.16% 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 Hamilton County's reading doesn't cover

Two lots a mile apart in Hamilton County can carry different soil, even though they share one countywide reading. 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 Hamilton County.

What it costs to find out, versus to ignore it

With Hamilton County, IA rating "Moderate", a geotechnical report is still worthwhile before a build, just less urgent than in a high-risk county. 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

Nationally, Hamilton County, IA is the 494-most-constrained of 3,085 rated counties for shrink-swell soil. Within Iowa alone it ranks 37 of 99. Hamilton County covers 577 square miles and counts 14,856 residents.

See how another county compares

Orleans Parish, LA carries this site's most-constrained reading. Washington County, WI and Carroll County, KY 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

More of Iowa

Every county in Iowa is on this site, including Worth County, IA and Buchanan County, IA. The full underlying dataset is downloadable directly, one row per county.