Richmond County, NY Shrink-Swell Risk

Shrink-swell potential in Richmond County, NY

Low

Soil across 100% of Richmond County, NY comes back "Low" in USDA's shrink-swell data, averaging 0.85% 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 Richmond County, NY - 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 Richmond County.

Richmond County: the real numbers

Richmond 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.

Richmond County's rank among New York counties

Among the 3,085 rated counties on this site, Richmond County, NY ranks 2,961 most-constrained nationally, and 58 of 62 within New York. The county spans 58 square miles, home to 498,212 people.

Before you act on this

Orleans Parish, LA carries this site's most-constrained reading. Sheridan County, WY and Grady 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 New York

Every county in New York is on this site, including Madison County, NY and Columbia County, NY. The full underlying dataset is downloadable directly, one row per county.