Potter County, SD Shrink-Swell Risk

Shrink-swell potential in Potter County, SD

Moderate

Soil across 71.1% of Potter County, SD comes back "Moderate" in USDA's shrink-swell data, averaging 4.63% 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 Potter County, SD - 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 Potter County will actually do.

Potter County: the real numbers

Potter 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.

Potter County's rank among South Dakota counties

Among the 3,085 rated counties on this site, Potter County, SD ranks 365 most-constrained nationally, and 25 of 66 within South Dakota. Potter County, SD is 861 square miles with a population of 2,402.

See how another county compares

Orleans Parish, LA carries this site's most-constrained reading. Brazos County, TX and Madison County, GA 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 South Dakota

Every county in South Dakota is on this site, including Custer County, SD and Meade County, SD. The full underlying dataset is downloadable directly, one row per county.