Jefferson County, ID Shrink-Swell Risk

Shrink-swell potential in Jefferson County, ID

Low

Soil across 68.6% of Jefferson County, ID comes back "Low" in USDA's shrink-swell data, averaging 2.79% 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 Jefferson County, ID - 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 Jefferson County.

Jefferson County: the real numbers

Jefferson 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, Jefferson County, ID ranks 1,348 most-constrained nationally, and 11 of 44 within Idaho. Jefferson County, ID is 1,094 square miles with a population of 34,854.

Before you act on this

Orleans Parish, LA carries this site's most-constrained reading. Slope County, ND and Taylor County, FL 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 Idaho

Every county in Idaho is on this site, including Boundary County, ID and Blaine County, ID. The full underlying dataset is downloadable directly, one row per county.