Shelby County, TN Shrink-Swell Risk

Shrink-swell potential in Shelby County, TN

Low

Soil across 93.1% of Shelby County, TN comes back "Low" in USDA's shrink-swell data, averaging 1.82% linear extensibility. That's as favorable a county-level reading as this dataset produces - standard foundation practice, pending one lot's own geotechnical report.

What this number does and doesn't tell you

This is a countywide, area-weighted figure across every soil survey map unit in Shelby County, TN - 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 Shelby County will actually do.

Shelby County: the real numbers

Shelby 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, Shelby County, TN ranks 2,143 most-constrained nationally, and 58 of 95 within Tennessee. Shelby County covers 753 square miles and counts 910,530 residents.

For contrast

Orleans Parish, LA carries this site's most-constrained reading. Morgan County, WV and Franklin County, TN 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 Tennessee

Every county in Tennessee is on this site, including Dickson County, TN and Van Buren County, TN. The full underlying dataset is downloadable directly, one row per county.