Muscatine County, IA Shrink-Swell Risk

Shrink-swell potential in Muscatine County, IA

Moderate

Soil across 72.4% of Muscatine County, IA comes back "Moderate" in USDA's shrink-swell data, averaging 3.36% 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 this number does and doesn't tell you

This is a countywide, area-weighted figure across every soil survey map unit in Muscatine County, IA - never a reading for one specific parcel. The real answer for one lot is still a site-specific geotechnical report, running about $1,000-$5,000 (typically near $2,700).

Muscatine County: the real numbers

Muscatine 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.

How Muscatine County, IA compares

Among the 3,085 rated counties on this site, Muscatine County, IA ranks 935 most-constrained nationally, and 68 of 99 within Iowa. Muscatine County, IA is 437 square miles with a population of 42,132.

For contrast

Orleans Parish, LA carries this site's most-constrained reading. Howard County, MD and Comanche County, TX 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 Iowa

Every county in Iowa is on this site, including Allamakee County, IA and Poweshiek County, IA. The full underlying dataset is downloadable directly, one row per county.