Otero County, CO Shrink-Swell Risk

Shrink-swell potential in Otero County, CO

Low

Soil across 61.1% of Otero County, CO comes back "Low" in USDA's shrink-swell data, averaging 2.9% 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 Otero County, CO - 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 Otero County.

Otero County: the real numbers

Otero 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.

Otero County's rank among Colorado counties

Among the 3,085 rated counties on this site, Otero County, CO ranks 1,263 most-constrained nationally, and 10 of 63 within Colorado. The county spans 1,262 square miles, home to 17,991 people.

Before you act on this

Orleans Parish, LA carries this site's most-constrained reading. Decatur County, GA and Bear Lake County, ID 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 Colorado

Every county in Colorado is on this site, including Lincoln County, CO and Routt County, CO. The full underlying dataset is downloadable directly, one row per county.