Raleigh County, WV Shrink-Swell Risk

Shrink-swell potential in Raleigh County, WV

Low

Soil across 99.9% of Raleigh County, WV comes back "Low" in USDA's shrink-swell data, averaging 1.32% 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 Raleigh County, WV - 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 Raleigh County.

Raleigh County: the real numbers

Raleigh 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, Raleigh County, WV ranks 2,683 most-constrained nationally, and 46 of 55 within West Virginia. Raleigh County covers 605 square miles and counts 72,379 residents.

Before you act on this

Orleans Parish, LA carries this site's most-constrained reading. Finney County, KS and Cherokee County, NC 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 West Virginia

Every county in West Virginia is on this site, including Marshall County, WV and Hardy County, WV. The full underlying dataset is downloadable directly, one row per county.