Vermilion Parish, LA Shrink-Swell Risk
Shrink-swell potential in Vermilion Parish, LA
High
Soil across 37.1% of Vermilion Parish, LA comes back "High" in USDA's shrink-swell data, averaging 8.18% linear extensibility. Ground like this needs active moisture control to keep a conventional foundation from cracking - it's not automatic either way.
What this number does and doesn't tell you
This is a countywide, area-weighted figure across every soil survey map unit in Vermilion Parish, LA - 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 Vermilion Parish will actually do.
Vermilion Parish: the real numbers
Given Vermilion Parish's rating, spending a few thousand now is the way to avoid spending tens of thousands later. A geotechnical report runs $1,000-$5,000 (typically $2,700); an actual foundation repair, once cracking sets in, typically runs $5,000-$15,000 (around $10,000 typical) - roughly 4x the report.
How Vermilion Parish, LA compares
Among the 3,085 rated counties on this site, Vermilion Parish, LA ranks 56 most-constrained nationally, and 23 of 64 within Louisiana. The county spans 1,172 square miles, home to 57,641 people.
See how another county compares
Orleans Parish, LA carries this site's most-constrained reading. Cherokee County, GA and Crockett County, TX are worth a look for comparison.
How this reading is built, and its real limits · The warning signs of expansive-clay damage, explained
Elsewhere in Louisiana
Every county in Louisiana is on this site, including St. Landry Parish, LA and Winn Parish, LA. The full underlying dataset is downloadable directly, one row per county.