Monterey County, CA Shrink-Swell Risk

Monterey County's SSURGO shrink-swell reading

Moderate

In Monterey County, CA, 61.4% of the surveyed soil carries a "Moderate" shrink-swell rating, 3.02% linear extensibility on average. That's a middle reading: not the sharp swings that crack a foundation outright, but enough that grading and drainage are worth getting right.

Before you rely on this for one address

Monterey County's reading is an average across the whole county, not a promise about any one lot inside it. The real answer for one lot is still a site-specific geotechnical report, running about $1,000-$5,000 (typically near $2,700).

Budgeting for Monterey County, CA

Monterey 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, Monterey County, CA ranks 1,186 most-constrained nationally, and 27 of 58 within California. The county spans 3,282 square miles, home to 436,251 people.

For contrast

Orleans Parish, LA carries this site's most-constrained reading. Pierce County, NE and Monroe County, PA 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 California

Every county in California is on this site, including Modoc County, CA and Madera County, CA. The full underlying dataset is downloadable directly, one row per county.