Nicholas County, KY Shrink-Swell Risk

Shrink-swell potential in Nicholas County, KY

Moderate

Soil across 82.1% of Nicholas County, KY comes back "Moderate" in USDA's shrink-swell data, averaging 4.27% 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 Nicholas County, KY - 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 Nicholas County.

Nicholas County: the real numbers

Nicholas 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.

Nicholas County's rank among Kentucky counties

Among the 3,085 rated counties on this site, Nicholas County, KY ranks 451 most-constrained nationally, and 3 of 120 within Kentucky. Nicholas County, KY is 195 square miles with a population of 7,816.

For contrast

Orleans Parish, LA carries this site's most-constrained reading. Cascade County, MT and Stone County, MS 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 Kentucky

Every county in Kentucky is on this site, including Muhlenberg County, KY and Gallatin County, KY. The full underlying dataset is downloadable directly, one row per county.