Ness County, KS Shrink-Swell Risk

Shrink-swell potential in Ness County, KS

Moderate

Soil across 65.6% of Ness County, KS comes back "Moderate" in USDA's shrink-swell data, averaging 3.8% linear extensibility. That's a middle reading: not the sharp swings that crack a foundation outright, but enough that grading and drainage are worth getting right.

What this number does and doesn't tell you

This is a countywide, area-weighted figure across every soil survey map unit in Ness County, KS - never a reading for one specific parcel. 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 Ness County.

Ness County: the real numbers

Ness 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, Ness County, KS ranks 678 most-constrained nationally, and 61 of 105 within Kansas. Ness County covers 1,075 square miles and counts 2,617 residents.

Before you act on this

Orleans Parish, LA carries this site's most-constrained reading. Kit Carson County, CO and Charlotte County, FL 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 Kansas

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