Lee County, IL Shrink-Swell Risk

Shrink-swell potential in Lee County, IL

Moderate

Soil across 65.6% of Lee County, IL comes back "Moderate" in USDA's shrink-swell data, averaging 3.33% linear extensibility. Conventional foundations are the reasonable expectation here, with routine moisture-control practice rather than special engineering.

What this number does and doesn't tell you

This is a countywide, area-weighted figure across every soil survey map unit in Lee County, IL - never a reading for one specific parcel. 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 Lee County.

Lee County: the real numbers

Lee 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.

Lee County's rank among Illinois counties

Among the 3,085 rated counties on this site, Lee County, IL ranks 953 most-constrained nationally, and 78 of 101 within Illinois. Lee County covers 725 square miles and counts 33,544 residents.

For contrast

Orleans Parish, LA carries this site's most-constrained reading. Clark County, SD and Marion County, GA 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 Illinois

Every county in Illinois is on this site, including Tazewell County, IL and Peoria County, IL. The full underlying dataset is downloadable directly, one row per county.