Hampshire County, MA Shrink-Swell Risk

Shrink-swell potential in Hampshire County, MA

Low

Soil across 99.4% of Hampshire County, MA comes back "Low" in USDA's shrink-swell data, averaging 0.82% linear extensibility. That's as favorable a county-level reading as this dataset produces - standard foundation practice, pending one lot's own geotechnical report.

What this number does and doesn't tell you

This is a countywide, area-weighted figure across every soil survey map unit in Hampshire County, MA - 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).

Hampshire County: the real numbers

Hampshire 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, Hampshire County, MA ranks 2,975 most-constrained nationally, and 4 of 14 within Massachusetts. Hampshire County, MA is 527 square miles with a population of 165,399.

Before you act on this

Orleans Parish, LA carries this site's most-constrained reading. Columbia County, OR and Rosebud County, MT 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 Massachusetts

Every county in Massachusetts is on this site, including Plymouth County, MA and Bristol County, MA. The full underlying dataset is downloadable directly, one row per county.