Olmsted County, MN Shrink-Swell Risk

Shrink-swell potential in Olmsted County, MN

Low

Soil across 50.7% of Olmsted County, MN comes back "Low" in USDA's shrink-swell data, averaging 2.84% linear extensibility. That's as favorable a county-level reading as this dataset produces - standard foundation practice, pending one lot's own geotechnical report.

What this number does and doesn't tell you

This is a countywide, area-weighted figure across every soil survey map unit in Olmsted County, MN - 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 Olmsted County.

Olmsted County: the real numbers

Olmsted 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, Olmsted County, MN ranks 1,318 most-constrained nationally, and 45 of 87 within Minnesota. The county spans 654 square miles, home to 166,424 people.

See how another county compares

Orleans Parish, LA carries this site's most-constrained reading. Lincoln County, WV and Seneca County, OH 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 Minnesota

Every county in Minnesota is on this site, including Rock County, MN and Winona County, MN. The full underlying dataset is downloadable directly, one row per county.