Wayne County, WV Shrink-Swell Risk
Shrink-swell potential in Wayne County, WV
Low
Soil across 57.4% of Wayne County, WV comes back "Low" in USDA's shrink-swell data, averaging 2.46% 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 Wayne County, WV - never a reading for one specific parcel. The real answer for one lot is still a site-specific geotechnical report, running about $1,000-$5,000 (typically near $2,700).
Wayne County: the real numbers
Wayne 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, Wayne County, WV ranks 1,593 most-constrained nationally, and 19 of 55 within West Virginia. The county spans 506 square miles, home to 37,589 people.
Before you act on this
Orleans Parish, LA carries this site's most-constrained reading. Cumberland County, IL and Webster County, WV 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 West Virginia
Every county in West Virginia is on this site, including Wyoming County, WV and Doddridge County, WV. The full underlying dataset is downloadable directly, one row per county.