Morgan County, WV Shrink-Swell Risk

Shrink-swell potential in Morgan County, WV

Low

Soil across 98.1% of Morgan County, WV comes back "Low" in USDA's shrink-swell data, averaging 1.19% linear extensibility. That's the easiest starting point on this site's scale - a standard foundation is the reasonable default here, though any one lot can still differ.

What this number does and doesn't tell you

This is a countywide, area-weighted figure across every soil survey map unit in Morgan County, WV - never a reading for one specific parcel. A local geotechnical report, typically $1,000-$5,000 (around $2,700 typical), is the only way to know what one lot in Morgan County will actually do.

Morgan County: the real numbers

Morgan 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.

Morgan County's rank among West Virginia counties

Among the 3,085 rated counties on this site, Morgan County, WV ranks 2,778 most-constrained nationally, and 51 of 55 within West Virginia. Morgan County covers 229 square miles and counts 17,780 residents.

Before you act on this

Orleans Parish, LA carries this site's most-constrained reading. Tippah County, MS and Callaway County, MO 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 Calhoun County, WV and Marshall County, WV. The full underlying dataset is downloadable directly, one row per county.