McCone County, MT Shrink-Swell Risk

McCone County, MT's soil, for shrink-swell risk

Moderate

McCone County, MT: USDA's soil survey rates 56.2% of the county "Moderate" for shrink-swell potential (3.62% 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 McCone County's reading doesn't cover

Two lots a mile apart in McCone County can carry different soil, even though they share one countywide reading. 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 McCone County.

What it costs to find out, versus to ignore it

With McCone County, MT rating "Moderate", a geotechnical report is still worthwhile before a build, just less urgent than in a high-risk county. 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 McCone County, MT compares

Nationally, McCone County, MT is the 774-most-constrained of 3,085 rated counties for shrink-swell soil. Within Montana alone it ranks 24 of 54. The county spans 2,642 square miles, home to 1,717 people.

For contrast

Orleans Parish, LA carries this site's most-constrained reading. Lampasas County, TX and Chemung County, NY 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

More of Montana

Every county in Montana is on this site, including Carbon County, MT and Broadwater County, MT. The full underlying dataset is downloadable directly, one row per county.