Meade County, KS Shrink-Swell Risk

Meade County, KS's soil, for shrink-swell risk

Moderate

Meade County, KS: USDA's soil survey rates 57.7% of the county "Moderate" for shrink-swell potential (3.08% 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 Meade County's reading doesn't cover

Two lots a mile apart in Meade 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 Meade County.

What it costs to find out, versus to ignore it

With Meade County, KS 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.

Meade County's rank among Kansas counties

Nationally, Meade County, KS is the 1,135-most-constrained of 3,085 rated counties for shrink-swell soil. Within Kansas alone it ranks 75 of 105. Meade County covers 978 square miles and counts 3,892 residents.

For contrast

Orleans Parish, LA carries this site's most-constrained reading. Williamson County, TX and Del Norte County, CA 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 Kansas

Every county in Kansas is on this site, including Woodson County, KS and Hodgeman County, KS. The full underlying dataset is downloadable directly, one row per county.