Jackson County, IL Shrink-Swell Risk

Jackson County, IL's soil, for shrink-swell risk

Moderate

Jackson County, IL: USDA's soil survey rates 52.9% of the county "Moderate" for shrink-swell potential (4.77% linear extensibility). Conventional foundations are the reasonable expectation here, with routine moisture-control practice rather than special engineering.

What Jackson County's reading doesn't cover

Two lots a mile apart in Jackson 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 Jackson County.

What it costs to find out, versus to ignore it

With Jackson County, IL 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, Jackson County, IL is the 333-most-constrained of 3,085 rated counties for shrink-swell soil. Within Illinois alone it ranks 4 of 101. Jackson County covers 584 square miles and counts 53,199 residents.

For contrast

Orleans Parish, LA carries this site's most-constrained reading. Pulaski County, GA and Pike County, OH 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 Illinois

Every county in Illinois is on this site, including Mason County, IL and Mercer County, IL. The full underlying dataset is downloadable directly, one row per county.