Patrick County, VA Shrink-Swell Risk

Shrink-swell potential in Patrick County, VA

Low

Soil across 87.6% of Patrick County, VA comes back "Low" in USDA's shrink-swell data, averaging 1.8% linear extensibility. Among the 3,144 counties on this site, that's the clean result: little shrink-swell movement, standard construction the likely outcome.

What this number does and doesn't tell you

This is a countywide, area-weighted figure across every soil survey map unit in Patrick County, VA - 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 Patrick County will actually do.

Patrick County: the real numbers

Patrick 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.

Patrick County's rank among Virginia counties

Among the 3,085 rated counties on this site, Patrick County, VA ranks 2,174 most-constrained nationally, and 95 of 114 within Virginia. The county spans 483 square miles, home to 17,308 people.

Before you act on this

Orleans Parish, LA carries this site's most-constrained reading. Sublette County, WY and Montgomery County, MO 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 Virginia

Every county in Virginia is on this site, including Louisa County, VA and Frederick County, VA. The full underlying dataset is downloadable directly, one row per county.