Strafford County, NH Shrink-Swell Risk
Shrink-swell potential in Strafford County, NH
Low
Soil across 95.1% of Strafford County, NH comes back "Low" in USDA's shrink-swell data, averaging 1.22% 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 Strafford County, NH - 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).
Strafford County: the real numbers
Strafford 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, Strafford County, NH ranks 2,758 most-constrained nationally, and 1 of 10 within New Hampshire. The county spans 367 square miles, home to 134,202 people.
See how another county compares
Orleans Parish, LA carries this site's most-constrained reading. Cameron County, PA and Pushmataha County, OK 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 New Hampshire
Every county in New Hampshire is on this site, including Merrimack County, NH and Grafton County, NH. The full underlying dataset is downloadable directly, one row per county.