Macon County, AL Shrink-Swell Risk

Shrink-swell potential in Macon County, AL

Moderate

Soil across 66.8% of Macon County, AL comes back "Moderate" in USDA's shrink-swell data, averaging 3.86% linear extensibility. That's a middle reading: not the sharp swings that crack a foundation outright, but enough that grading and drainage are worth getting right.

What this number does and doesn't tell you

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

Macon County: the real numbers

Macon 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, Macon County, AL ranks 645 most-constrained nationally, and 8 of 67 within Alabama. Macon County covers 609 square miles and counts 18,159 residents.

See how another county compares

Orleans Parish, LA carries this site's most-constrained reading. Kenosha County, WI and Bledsoe County, TN 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 Alabama

Every county in Alabama is on this site, including Walker County, AL and Lowndes County, AL. The full underlying dataset is downloadable directly, one row per county.