Kennebec County, ME Shrink-Swell Risk

Shrink-swell potential in Kennebec County, ME

Low

Soil across 82.8% of Kennebec County, ME comes back "Low" in USDA's shrink-swell data, averaging 1.6% linear extensibility. That's the easiest starting point on this site's scale - a standard foundation is the reasonable default here, though any one lot can still differ.

What this number does and doesn't tell you

This is a countywide, area-weighted figure across every soil survey map unit in Kennebec County, ME - never a reading for one specific parcel. A local geotechnical report, typically $1,000-$5,000 (around $2,700 typical), is the only way to know what one lot in Kennebec County will actually do.

Kennebec County: the real numbers

Kennebec 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, Kennebec County, ME ranks 2,385 most-constrained nationally, and 1 of 16 within Maine. The county spans 868 square miles, home to 128,461 people.

See how another county compares

Orleans Parish, LA carries this site's most-constrained reading. Tift County, GA and Clarke County, AL 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 Maine

Every county in Maine is on this site, including Sagadahoc County, ME and Lincoln County, ME. The full underlying dataset is downloadable directly, one row per county.