Shawnee County, KS Shrink-Swell Risk

Shrink-swell potential in Shawnee County, KS

Moderate

Soil across 58% of Shawnee County, KS comes back "Moderate" in USDA's shrink-swell data, averaging 5.88% linear extensibility. That's a middle reading: not the sharp swings that crack a foundation outright, but enough that grading and drainage are worth getting right.

What this number does and doesn't tell you

This is a countywide, area-weighted figure across every soil survey map unit in Shawnee County, KS - never a reading for one specific parcel. The real answer for one lot is still a site-specific geotechnical report, running about $1,000-$5,000 (typically near $2,700).

Shawnee County: the real numbers

Shawnee 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.

Shawnee County's rank among Kansas counties

Among the 3,085 rated counties on this site, Shawnee County, KS ranks 145 most-constrained nationally, and 15 of 105 within Kansas. The county spans 544 square miles, home to 177,942 people.

See how another county compares

Orleans Parish, LA carries this site's most-constrained reading. Itawamba County, MS and Montgomery County, KY 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 Kansas

Every county in Kansas is on this site, including McPherson County, KS and Graham County, KS. The full underlying dataset is downloadable directly, one row per county.