Rains County, TX Shrink-Swell Risk
Shrink-swell potential in Rains County, TX
High
Soil across 55.5% of Rains County, TX comes back "High" in USDA's shrink-swell data, averaging 6.09% linear extensibility. Soil at this level can crack a standard foundation without moisture-control measures - consistent watering near the foundation, correct grading, root barriers - or added structural design.
What this number does and doesn't tell you
This is a countywide, area-weighted figure across every soil survey map unit in Rains County, TX - 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 Rains County will actually do.
Rains County: the real numbers
With Rains County, TX rating "High", the gap between finding out early and finding out late is the whole decision. A geotechnical report runs $1,000-$5,000 (typically $2,700); an actual foundation repair, once cracking sets in, typically runs $5,000-$15,000 (around $10,000 typical) - roughly 4x the report.
How Rains County, TX compares
Among the 3,085 rated counties on this site, Rains County, TX ranks 119 most-constrained nationally, and 43 of 253 within Texas. Rains County, TX is 229 square miles with a population of 13,306.
See how another county compares
Orleans Parish, LA carries this site's most-constrained reading. DeKalb County, TN and Davis County, IA are worth a look for comparison.
How this reading is built, and its real limits · The warning signs of expansive-clay damage, explained
Elsewhere in Texas
Every county in Texas is on this site, including Montgomery County, TX and Matagorda County, TX. The full underlying dataset is downloadable directly, one row per county.