Brookings, South Dakota: what the ground under the city is like
Brookings sits in Brookings County, on dakota prairie till plain. The soil mapped here is predominantly classified well drained — and that classification, not the rainfall total, is what decides how a basement behaves.
44% of the mapped soil area around Brookings is wet enough that the USDA describes it as needing artificial drainage.
Linear extensibility 5.1% — moderate.
Shallowest annual water table around 175 cm (5.7 ft).
Values are for Brookings County, which is what the soil survey resolves to. Full county report · soil map for a specific address.
The ground under Brookings
Dakota prairie till plain. Calcareous till with closed depressions, semi-arid climate
The dry climate hides the mechanism: the profile shrinks through dry years, swells after a wet one, and the footing moves. A cycle, not permanent damp.
When it shows up here
| Water | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ground movement | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
Water peaks with the March–April thaw, when frozen ground stops absorbing and meltwater plus spring rain arrive together. If a basement here leaks once a year, that is when.
Climate pattern for this physiographic region, not a forecast for your house and not from the soil survey. It answers a question homeowners actually ask: when does this show up.
What repairs cost in South Dakota
| Reference job | Modelled range |
|---|---|
| Interior drain along two walls + sump pump | $4,750–$10,200 |
| Exterior excavation of one 40 ft wall | $3,550–$10,150 |
| Underpinning on 10 piers | $14,100–$30,100 |
Regional factor for SD: ×0.94. Full cost breakdown for South Dakota · run your own dimensions.
ZIP codes in Brookings
57006, 57007
Soil does not stop at a city boundary, and neither does this data — every ZIP code above resolves to the same county soil survey. For the individual survey polygons around one address, use the soil map.
Questions about Brookings
Is the soil the same everywhere in Brookings?
No. These values describe Brookings County as a whole, which is the unit the soil survey publishes. Within a city, map units change over a few hundred metres — the soil map draws the actual polygons around a point and is the honest answer for one address.
Which contractor should I call in Brookings?
We do not rank or recommend individual firms and we are not one. What this page is for is knowing which kind of work the ground here points to before anyone quotes you, and which claim to check. If you want quotes, the form below passes your request to the named networks.
Does this replace an inspection?
No. It tells you what the ground is; an inspection tells you what your building is doing on it. The useful order is: read this, print the brief for your county, then have someone look.
Get quotes in Brookings
We pass what you enter to the contractor networks listed below. You choose whether to hire anyone.
Page data updated