Jay County, IN Shrink-Swell Risk
Shrink-swell potential in Jay County, IN
Moderate
Soil across 95.7% of Jay County, IN comes back "Moderate" in USDA's shrink-swell data, averaging 4.69% 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 Jay County, IN - 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).
Jay County: the real numbers
Jay 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, Jay County, IN ranks 349 most-constrained nationally, and 3 of 90 within Indiana. Jay County, IN is 384 square miles with a population of 20,164.
See how another county compares
Orleans Parish, LA carries this site's most-constrained reading. DeSoto County, MS and Borden 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 Indiana
Every county in Indiana is on this site, including Grant County, IN and Rush County, IN. The full underlying dataset is downloadable directly, one row per county.