Powell County, KY Shrink-Swell Risk

Shrink-swell potential in Powell County, KY

Low

Soil across 96% of Powell County, KY comes back "Low" in USDA's shrink-swell data, averaging 1.72% 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 Powell County, KY - 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 Powell County will actually do.

Powell County: the real numbers

Powell 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, Powell County, KY ranks 2,261 most-constrained nationally, and 99 of 120 within Kentucky. The county spans 179 square miles, home to 12,928 people.

Before you act on this

Orleans Parish, LA carries this site's most-constrained reading. Mecklenburg County, NC and Palm Beach County, FL 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 Kentucky

Every county in Kentucky is on this site, including Marshall County, KY and Livingston County, KY. The full underlying dataset is downloadable directly, one row per county.