York County, VA Shrink-Swell Risk

York County, VA's soil, for shrink-swell risk

Low

York County, VA: USDA's soil survey rates 57.9% of the county "Low" for shrink-swell potential (2.86% 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 York County's reading doesn't cover

Two lots a mile apart in York County can carry different soil, even though they share one countywide reading. 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 York County.

What it costs to find out, versus to ignore it

With York County, VA rating "Low", a geotechnical report is still worthwhile before a build, just less urgent than in a high-risk county. 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.

York County's rank among Virginia counties

Nationally, York County, VA is the 1,298-most-constrained of 3,085 rated counties for shrink-swell soil. Within Virginia alone it ranks 17 of 114. York County covers 105 square miles and counts 71,410 residents.

See how another county compares

Orleans Parish, LA carries this site's most-constrained reading. Chattooga County, GA and Marshall County, SD 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

More of Virginia

Every county in Virginia is on this site, including Winchester city, VA and Craig County, VA. The full underlying dataset is downloadable directly, one row per county.