Somerset County, PA Shrink-Swell Risk
Shrink-swell potential in Somerset County, PA
Low
Soil across 91.7% of Somerset County, PA comes back "Low" in USDA's shrink-swell data, averaging 1.62% 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 Somerset County, PA - 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).
Somerset County: the real numbers
Somerset 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, Somerset County, PA ranks 2,360 most-constrained nationally, and 27 of 67 within Pennsylvania. The county spans 1,075 square miles, home to 72,134 people.
See how another county compares
Orleans Parish, LA carries this site's most-constrained reading. Jefferson County, PA and Butte County, CA 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 Pennsylvania
Every county in Pennsylvania is on this site, including Adams County, PA and York County, PA. The full underlying dataset is downloadable directly, one row per county.