29 counties mapped. On average, 11% of West Virginia county soil area is high shrink-swell clay (USDA SSURGO).
Higher percentages mean more of a county's mapped soil is shrink-swell clay that expands and contracts with moisture. This is county-scale exposure, not a diagnosis of any single home — but it tells you whether soil movement belongs on your radar.
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Before you call a foundation company →| County | Tier | High-risk % | Moderate % |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ritchie | Severe | 44% | 2% |
| Putnam | Severe | 32% | 6% |
| Jefferson | Severe | 31% | 31% |
| Lewis | High | 29% | 12% |
| Gilmer | High | 26% | 9% |
| Braxton | High | 25% | 5% |
| Wetzel | High | 24% | 13% |
| Cabell | High | 21% | 2% |
| Wayne | High | 17% | 8% |
| Lincoln | Moderate | 10% | 1% |
| Monroe | Moderate | 8% | 25% |
| Berkeley | Moderate | 8% | 28% |
| Clay | Moderate | 8% | 3% |
| Morgan | Moderate | 8% | 2% |
| Kanawha | Moderate | 8% | 6% |
| Greenbrier | Moderate | 6% | 18% |
| Upshur | Moderate | 5% | 11% |
| Marshall | Low | 5% | 43% |
| Doddridge | Low | 3% | 33% |
| Barbour | Low | 2% | 7% |
| Pendleton | Low | 1% | 16% |
| Preston | Low | 0% | 17% |
| Nicholas | Low | 0% | 1% |
| Boone | Low | 0% | 1% |
| McDowell | Low | 0% | 0% |
| Pocahontas | Low | 0% | 20% |
| Webster | Low | 0% | 2% |
| Wyoming | Low | 0% | 0% |
| Randolph | Low | 0% | 10% |
Risk metrics are computed from USDA SSURGO soil survey data (linear extensibility of soil components, area-weighted by county). Soil varies lot to lot — this is county-scale context, not a substitute for a site-specific geotechnical or structural assessment.