Oldham County, KY Shrink-Swell Risk

Shrink-swell potential in Oldham County, KY

Moderate

Soil across 53.5% of Oldham County, KY comes back "Moderate" in USDA's shrink-swell data, averaging 3.31% 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 Oldham County, KY - 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 Oldham County will actually do.

Oldham County: the real numbers

Oldham 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, Oldham County, KY ranks 965 most-constrained nationally, and 36 of 120 within Kentucky. Oldham County, KY is 187 square miles with a population of 70,525.

See how another county compares

Orleans Parish, LA carries this site's most-constrained reading. Chicot County, AR and Lea County, NM 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 Adair County, KY and Jessamine County, KY. The full underlying dataset is downloadable directly, one row per county.