Washington County, RI Shrink-Swell Risk

Washington County's SSURGO shrink-swell reading

Low

In Washington County, RI, 99.3% of the surveyed soil carries a "Low" shrink-swell rating, 0.66% linear extensibility on average. That's as favorable a county-level reading as this dataset produces - standard foundation practice, pending one lot's own geotechnical report.

Before you rely on this for one address

Washington County's reading is an average across the whole county, not a promise about any one lot inside it. A local geotechnical report, typically $1,000-$5,000 (around $2,700 typical), is the only way to know what one lot in Washington County will actually do.

Budgeting for Washington County, RI

Washington 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, Washington County, RI ranks 3,025 most-constrained nationally, and 3 of 5 within Rhode Island. Washington County covers 329 square miles and counts 130,333 residents.

For contrast

Orleans Parish, LA carries this site's most-constrained reading. McDonald County, MO and Le Sueur County, MN 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 Rhode Island

Every county in Rhode Island is on this site, including Providence County, RI and Kent County, RI. The full underlying dataset is downloadable directly, one row per county.