Lafayette County, MO Shrink-Swell Risk

Shrink-swell potential in Lafayette County, MO

Moderate

Soil across 74.5% of Lafayette County, MO comes back "Moderate" in USDA's shrink-swell data, averaging 4.17% 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 this number does and doesn't tell you

This is a countywide, area-weighted figure across every soil survey map unit in Lafayette County, MO - 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 Lafayette County will actually do.

Lafayette County: the real numbers

Lafayette 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.

Lafayette County's rank among Missouri counties

Among the 3,085 rated counties on this site, Lafayette County, MO ranks 490 most-constrained nationally, and 54 of 114 within Missouri. Lafayette County, MO is 628 square miles with a population of 33,511.

For contrast

Orleans Parish, LA carries this site's most-constrained reading. Houston County, MN and Windsor County, VT 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 Missouri

Every county in Missouri is on this site, including Bates County, MO and Clinton County, MO. The full underlying dataset is downloadable directly, one row per county.