Scott County, IA Shrink-Swell Risk

Scott County's SSURGO shrink-swell reading

Moderate

In Scott County, IA, 84.2% of the surveyed soil carries a "Moderate" shrink-swell rating, 3.88% linear extensibility on average. That's a middle reading: not the sharp swings that crack a foundation outright, but enough that grading and drainage are worth getting right.

Before you rely on this for one address

Scott County's reading is an average across the whole county, not a promise about any one lot inside it. 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 Scott County.

Budgeting for Scott County, IA

Scott 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, Scott County, IA ranks 632 most-constrained nationally, and 50 of 99 within Iowa. The county spans 458 square miles, home to 175,601 people.

For contrast

Orleans Parish, LA carries this site's most-constrained reading. Steuben County, NY and Linn County, OR 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 Iowa

Every county in Iowa is on this site, including Palo Alto County, IA and Madison County, IA. The full underlying dataset is downloadable directly, one row per county.