Jim Wells County, TX Shrink-Swell Risk

Jim Wells County, TX's soil, for shrink-swell risk

Moderate

Jim Wells County, TX: USDA's soil survey rates 53.5% of the county "Moderate" for shrink-swell potential (4.07% linear extensibility). Conventional foundations are the reasonable expectation here, with routine moisture-control practice rather than special engineering.

What Jim Wells County's reading doesn't cover

Two lots a mile apart in Jim Wells County can carry different soil, even though they share one countywide reading. A local geotechnical report, typically $1,000-$5,000 (around $2,700 typical), is the only way to know what one lot in Jim Wells County will actually do.

What it costs to find out, versus to ignore it

With Jim Wells County, TX 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.

Jim Wells County's rank among Texas counties

Nationally, Jim Wells County, TX is the 535-most-constrained of 3,085 rated counties for shrink-swell soil. Within Texas alone it ranks 122 of 253. The county spans 865 square miles, home to 38,886 people.

For contrast

Orleans Parish, LA carries this site's most-constrained reading. Ellis County, KS and Smith County, MS 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 Texas

Every county in Texas is on this site, including Nolan County, TX and Lavaca County, TX. The full underlying dataset is downloadable directly, one row per county.