Lamar County, TX Shrink-Swell Risk
Lamar County's SSURGO shrink-swell reading
High
In Lamar County, TX, 46.1% of the surveyed soil carries a "High" shrink-swell rating, 7.69% linear extensibility on average. Soil at this level can crack a standard foundation without moisture-control measures - consistent watering near the foundation, correct grading, root barriers - or added structural design.
Before you rely on this for one address
Lamar County's reading is an average across the whole county, not a promise about any one lot inside it. A local geotechnical report, typically $1,000-$5,000 (around $2,700 typical), is the only way to know what one lot in Lamar County will actually do.
Budgeting for Lamar County, TX
Given Lamar County's rating, spending a few thousand now is the way to avoid spending tens of thousands later. A geotechnical report runs $1,000-$5,000 (typically $2,700); an actual foundation repair, once cracking sets in, typically runs $5,000-$15,000 (around $10,000 typical) - roughly 4x the report.
Where this sits nationally
Among the 3,085 rated counties on this site, Lamar County, TX ranks 65 most-constrained nationally, and 20 of 253 within Texas. The county spans 907 square miles, home to 51,249 people.
Before you act on this
Orleans Parish, LA carries this site's most-constrained reading. Jasper County, SC and Barbour County, WV are worth a look for comparison.
How this reading is built, and its real limits · The warning signs of expansive-clay damage, explained
Elsewhere in Texas
Every county in Texas is on this site, including Reeves County, TX and Yoakum County, TX. The full underlying dataset is downloadable directly, one row per county.