Orange County, NC Shrink-Swell Risk
Shrink-swell potential in Orange County, NC
Low
Soil across 78.8% of Orange County, NC comes back "Low" in USDA's shrink-swell data, averaging 2.74% linear extensibility. That's the easiest starting point on this site's scale - a standard foundation is the reasonable default here, though any one lot can still differ.
What this number does and doesn't tell you
This is a countywide, area-weighted figure across every soil survey map unit in Orange County, NC - 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).
Orange County: the real numbers
Orange 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, Orange County, NC ranks 1,381 most-constrained nationally, and 14 of 100 within North Carolina. The county spans 398 square miles, home to 152,877 people.
See how another county compares
Orleans Parish, LA carries this site's most-constrained reading. Marshall County, MN and Greene County, NY 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 North Carolina
Every county in North Carolina is on this site, including Lincoln County, NC and Lee County, NC. The full underlying dataset is downloadable directly, one row per county.