Thurston County, WA Shrink-Swell Risk

Shrink-swell potential in Thurston County, WA

Low

Soil across 78.2% of Thurston County, WA comes back "Low" in USDA's shrink-swell data, averaging 1.69% 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 Thurston County, WA - 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 Thurston County will actually do.

Thurston County: the real numbers

Thurston 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, Thurston County, WA ranks 2,287 most-constrained nationally, and 22 of 39 within Washington. Thurston County, WA is 723 square miles with a population of 302,912.

Before you act on this

Orleans Parish, LA carries this site's most-constrained reading. Gilchrist County, FL and Northampton County, NC 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 Washington

Every county in Washington is on this site, including Benton County, WA and Wahkiakum County, WA. The full underlying dataset is downloadable directly, one row per county.