Transylvania County, NC Shrink-Swell Risk
Shrink-swell potential in Transylvania County, NC
Low
Soil across 99.2% of Transylvania County, NC comes back "Low" in USDA's shrink-swell data, averaging 1.37% 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 Transylvania County, NC - 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 Transylvania County.
Transylvania County: the real numbers
Transylvania 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, Transylvania County, NC ranks 2,638 most-constrained nationally, and 86 of 100 within North Carolina. Transylvania County, NC is 378 square miles with a population of 34,103.
See how another county compares
Orleans Parish, LA carries this site's most-constrained reading. Carter County, MT and Cumberland County, KY 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 North Carolina
Every county in North Carolina is on this site, including Rutherford County, NC and Halifax County, NC. The full underlying dataset is downloadable directly, one row per county.