Jefferson County, KS Shrink-Swell Risk

Jefferson County, KS's soil, for shrink-swell risk

Moderate

Jefferson County, KS: USDA's soil survey rates 50.2% of the county "Moderate" for shrink-swell potential (5.7% 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 Jefferson County's reading doesn't cover

Two lots a mile apart in Jefferson 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 Jefferson County.

What it costs to find out, versus to ignore it

With Jefferson County, KS 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, Jefferson County, KS is the 183-most-constrained of 3,085 rated counties for shrink-swell soil. Within Kansas alone it ranks 30 of 105. Jefferson County covers 533 square miles and counts 18,332 residents.

For contrast

Orleans Parish, LA carries this site's most-constrained reading. Washington County, PA and Grant County, IN 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 Kansas

Every county in Kansas is on this site, including Lyon County, KS and Brown County, KS. The full underlying dataset is downloadable directly, one row per county.