Smith County, MS Shrink-Swell Risk

Shrink-swell potential in Smith County, MS

Low

Soil across 81.9% of Smith County, MS 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 Smith County, MS - 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 Smith County.

Smith County: the real numbers

Smith 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.

Smith County's rank among Mississippi counties

Among the 3,085 rated counties on this site, Smith County, MS ranks 2,154 most-constrained nationally, and 55 of 82 within Mississippi. The county spans 636 square miles, home to 14,051 people.

Before you act on this

Orleans Parish, LA carries this site's most-constrained reading. Linn County, KS and Crawford County, MO 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 Mississippi

Every county in Mississippi is on this site, including Sharkey County, MS and Claiborne County, MS. The full underlying dataset is downloadable directly, one row per county.