McLean County, ND Shrink-Swell Risk

McLean County, ND's soil, for shrink-swell risk

Moderate

McLean County, ND: USDA's soil survey rates 70.3% of the county "Moderate" for shrink-swell potential (3.26% 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 McLean County's reading doesn't cover

Two lots a mile apart in McLean County can carry different soil, even though they share one countywide reading. A local geotechnical report, typically $1,000-$5,000 (around $2,700 typical), is the only way to know what one lot in McLean County will actually do.

What it costs to find out, versus to ignore it

With McLean County, ND 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 McLean County, ND compares

Nationally, McLean County, ND is the 1,006-most-constrained of 3,085 rated counties for shrink-swell soil. Within North Dakota alone it ranks 17 of 53. McLean County, ND is 2,110 square miles with a population of 9,845.

Before you act on this

Orleans Parish, LA carries this site's most-constrained reading. Warren County, MO and King and Queen County, VA 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 North Dakota

Every county in North Dakota is on this site, including Sheridan County, ND and Ransom County, ND. The full underlying dataset is downloadable directly, one row per county.