Southampton County, VA Shrink-Swell Risk

Shrink-swell potential in Southampton County, VA

Low

Soil across 89.3% of Southampton County, VA comes back "Low" in USDA's shrink-swell data, averaging 1.85% 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 Southampton County, VA - 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).

Southampton County: the real numbers

Southampton 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.

How Southampton County, VA compares

Among the 3,085 rated counties on this site, Southampton County, VA ranks 2,124 most-constrained nationally, and 92 of 114 within Virginia. The county spans 599 square miles, home to 17,941 people.

See how another county compares

Orleans Parish, LA carries this site's most-constrained reading. Burleigh County, ND and Dickinson County, MI 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 Virginia

Every county in Virginia is on this site, including Covington city, VA and Dickenson County, VA. The full underlying dataset is downloadable directly, one row per county.