Mason County, WV Shrink-Swell Risk

Shrink-swell potential in Mason County, WV

Moderate

Soil across 55.2% of Mason County, WV comes back "Moderate" in USDA's shrink-swell data, averaging 3.68% 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 Mason County, WV - 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 Mason County.

Mason County: the real numbers

Mason 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.

How Mason County, WV compares

Among the 3,085 rated counties on this site, Mason County, WV ranks 737 most-constrained nationally, and 6 of 55 within West Virginia. Mason County covers 431 square miles and counts 24,770 residents.

See how another county compares

Orleans Parish, LA carries this site's most-constrained reading. Granite County, MT and Warren County, IA 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 West Virginia

Every county in West Virginia is on this site, including Wood County, WV and Hampshire County, WV. The full underlying dataset is downloadable directly, one row per county.