Union County, NJ Shrink-Swell Risk

Shrink-swell potential in Union County, NJ

Low

Soil across 94.4% of Union County, NJ 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 Union County, NJ - 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 Union County.

Union County: the real numbers

Union 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, Union County, NJ ranks 2,356 most-constrained nationally, and 5 of 21 within New Jersey. The county spans 103 square miles, home to 594,160 people.

For contrast

Orleans Parish, LA carries this site's most-constrained reading. McMullen County, TX and Jefferson County, OR 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 Jersey

Every county in New Jersey is on this site, including Essex County, NJ and Hudson County, NJ. The full underlying dataset is downloadable directly, one row per county.