Edison, New Jersey: what the ground under the city is like
Edison sits in Middlesex County, on piedmont. The soil mapped here is predominantly classified well drained — and that classification, not the rainfall total, is what decides how a basement behaves.
23% of the mapped soil area around Edison is wet enough that the USDA describes it as needing artificial drainage.
Linear extensibility 5.0% — moderate.
Shallowest annual water table around 125 cm (4.1 ft).
Values are for Middlesex County, which is what the soil survey resolves to. Full county report · soil map for a specific address.
The ground under Edison
Piedmont. Saprolite weathered from crystalline rock, with Triassic basin clays in places
Saprolite is weathered rock that keeps its structure, so water moves through it along relict joints unpredictably. The Triassic basins inside the Piedmont are islands of strongly expansive clay.
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 in April and May with the spring rains. The dry late summer is when soil movement shows up instead, so the two problems take turns.
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 New Jersey
| Reference job | Modelled range |
|---|---|
| Interior drain along two walls + sump pump | $5,650–$12,150 |
| Exterior excavation of one 40 ft wall | $4,250–$12,100 |
| Underpinning on 10 piers | $16,800–$35,850 |
Regional factor for NJ: ×1.12. Full cost breakdown for New Jersey · run your own dimensions.
ZIP codes in Edison
08817, 08818, 08820, 08837, 08899
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.
Other places in Middlesex County
Questions about Edison
Is the soil the same everywhere in Edison?
No. These values describe Middlesex 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 Edison?
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 Edison
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