BasementSoil

Virginia: basement moisture and foundation risk by county

133 counties, ranked by our combined index. Highest combined risk is Hampton City (51), lowest is Botetourt County (24). The worst soil for foundation cracks specifically is in Shenandoah County.

Where in Virginia the ground is worse

Every county in the state, coloured by the soil values below. Click a county to open its report; switch what the colour means with the buttons. The pattern is geology, not administration — risk stops at the edge of a physiographic region, not at a county line.

Accomack County, VA — combined 48/100, moisture 43, movement 43, water table 66Albemarle County, VA — combined 47/100, moisture 39, movement 60, water table 46Alexandria City, VA — combined 39/100, moisture 38, movement 36, water table 46Alleghany County, VA — combined 35/100, moisture 33, movement 41, water table 30Amelia County, VA — combined 46/100, moisture 37, movement 60, water table 46Amherst County, VA — combined 32/100, moisture 31, movement 22, water table 46Appomattox County, VA — combined 43/100, moisture 38, movement 60, water table 30Arlington County, VA — combined 38/100, moisture 35, movement 37, water table 46Augusta County, VA — combined 26/100, moisture 31, movement 16, water table 30Bath County, VA — combined 28/100, moisture 29, movement 34, water table 16Bedford County, VA — combined 32/100, moisture 33, movement 22, water table 46Bedford City, VA — combined 34/100, moisture 31, movement 40, water table 30Bland County, VA — combined 43/100, moisture 34, movement 54, water table 46Botetourt County, VA — combined 24/100, moisture 31, movement 19, water table 16Bristol City, VA — combined 40/100, moisture 34, movement 44, water table 46Brunswick County, VA — combined 39/100, moisture 39, movement 55, water table 16Buchanan County, VA — combined 40/100, moisture 37, movement 51, water table 30Buckingham County, VA — combined 42/100, moisture 36, movement 58, water table 30Buena Vista City, VA — combined 29/100, moisture 30, movement 26, water table 30Campbell County, VA — combined 35/100, moisture 32, movement 30, water table 46Caroline County, VA — combined 34/100, moisture 39, movement 40, water table 16Carroll County, VA — combined 35/100, moisture 34, movement 41, water table 30Charles City County, VA — combined 42/100, moisture 39, movement 43, water table 46Charlotte County, VA — combined 33/100, moisture 37, movement 30, water table 30Charlottesville City, VA — combined 36/100, moisture 35, movement 30, water table 46Chesapeake City, VA — combined 38/100, moisture 40, movement 28, water table 46Chesterfield County, VA — combined 35/100, moisture 38, movement 35, water table 30Clarke County, VA — combined 43/100, moisture 38, movement 59, water table 30Colonial Heights City, VA — combined 40/100, moisture 39, movement 50, water table 30Covington City, VA — combined 37/100, moisture 30, movement 39, water table 46Craig County, VA — combined 30/100, moisture 38, movement 29, water table 16Culpeper County, VA — combined 36/100, moisture 38, movement 36, water table 30Cumberland County, VA — combined 39/100, moisture 36, movement 39, water table 46Danville City, VA — combined 31/100, moisture 34, movement 26, water table 30Dickenson County, VA — combined 37/100, moisture 38, movement 28, water table 46Dinwiddie County, VA — combined 47/100, moisture 37, movement 62, water table 46Emporia City, VA — combined 38/100, moisture 34, movement 48, water table 30Essex County, VA — combined 40/100, moisture 41, movement 20, water table 66Fairfax County, VA — combined 41/100, moisture 38, movement 43, water table 46Fairfax City, VA — combined 43/100, moisture 38, movement 49, water table 46Falls Church City, VA — combined 41/100, moisture 36, movement 44, water table 46Fauquier County, VA — combined 39/100, moisture 35, movement 50, water table 30Floyd County, VA — combined 40/100, moisture 34, movement 56, water table 30Fluvanna County, VA — combined 36/100, moisture 37, movement 39, water table 30Franklin County, VA — combined 34/100, moisture 31, movement 31, water table 46Franklin City, VA — combined 30/100, moisture 30, movement 39, water table 16Frederick County, VA — combined 38/100, moisture 34, movement 60, water table 16Fredericksburg City, VA — combined 41/100, moisture 38, movement 63, water table 16Galax City, VA — combined 35/100, moisture 35, movement 39, water table 30Giles County, VA — combined 46/100, moisture 38, movement 57, water table 46Gloucester County, VA — combined 43/100, moisture 41, movement 44, water table 46Goochland County, VA — combined 37/100, moisture 37, movement 43, water table 30Grayson County, VA — combined 45/100, moisture 35, movement 57, water table 46Greene County, VA — combined 36/100, moisture 35, movement 43, water table 30Greensville County, VA — combined 43/100, moisture 34, movement 65, water table 30Halifax County, VA — combined 31/100, moisture 34, movement 17, water table 46Hampton City, VA — combined 51/100, moisture 41, movement 43, water table 82Hanover County, VA — combined 43/100, moisture 37, movement 62, water table 30Harrisonburg City, VA — combined 40/100, moisture 36, movement 42, water table 46Henrico County, VA — combined 36/100, moisture 39, movement 36, water table 30Henry County, VA — combined 28/100, moisture 33, movement 18, water table 30Highland County, VA — combined 31/100, moisture 29, movement 36, water table 30Hopewell City, VA — combined 37/100, moisture 34, movement 57, water table 16Isle of Wight County, VA — combined 44/100, moisture 44, movement 42, water table 46James City County, VA — combined 48/100, moisture 43, movement 32, water table 82King George County, VA — combined 33/100, moisture 34, movement 43, water table 16King William County, VA — combined 37/100, moisture 34, movement 36, water table 46King and Queen County, VA — combined 45/100, moisture 42, movement 47, water table 46Lancaster County, VA — combined 37/100, moisture 42, movement 23, water table 46Lee County, VA — combined 38/100, moisture 35, movement 35, water table 46Lexington City, VA — combined 28/100, moisture 32, movement 21, water table 30Loudoun County, VA — combined 32/100, moisture 38, movement 36, water table 16Louisa County, VA — combined 37/100, moisture 35, movement 46, water table 30Lunenburg County, VA — combined 44/100, moisture 34, movement 57, water table 46Lynchburg City, VA — combined 38/100, moisture 34, movement 39, water table 46Madison County, VA — combined 44/100, moisture 39, movement 61, water table 30Manassas City, VA — combined 44/100, moisture 35, movement 56, water table 46Martinsville City, VA — combined 32/100, moisture 31, movement 36, water table 30Mathews County, VA — combined 35/100, moisture 41, movement 19, water table 46Mecklenburg County, VA — combined 38/100, moisture 35, movement 57, water table 16Middlesex County, VA — combined 46/100, moisture 40, movement 40, water table 66Montgomery County, VA — combined 36/100, moisture 37, movement 40, water table 30Nelson County, VA — combined 32/100, moisture 32, movement 34, water table 30New Kent County, VA — combined 40/100, moisture 43, movement 30, water table 46Newport News City, VA — combined 40/100, moisture 43, movement 16, water table 66Norfolk City, VA — combined 39/100, moisture 43, movement 28, water table 46Northampton County, VA — combined 39/100, moisture 40, movement 34, water table 46Northumberland County, VA — combined 43/100, moisture 43, movement 26, water table 66Norton City, VA — combined 35/100, moisture 34, movement 40, water table 30Nottoway County, VA — combined 37/100, moisture 38, movement 42, water table 30Orange County, VA — combined 47/100, moisture 37, movement 61, water table 46Page County, VA — combined 43/100, moisture 36, movement 62, water table 30Patrick County, VA — combined 39/100, moisture 34, movement 53, water table 30Petersburg City, VA — combined 45/100, moisture 36, movement 57, water table 46Pittsylvania County, VA — combined 39/100, moisture 34, movement 41, water table 46Poquoson City, VA — combined 47/100, moisture 43, movement 39, water table 66Portsmouth City, VA — combined 40/100, moisture 42, movement 34, water table 46Powhatan County, VA — combined 44/100, moisture 38, movement 62, water table 30Prince Edward County, VA — combined 34/100, moisture 36, movement 33, water table 30Prince George County, VA — combined 41/100, moisture 35, movement 47, water table 46Prince William County, VA — combined 33/100, moisture 38, movement 39, water table 16Pulaski County, VA — combined 37/100, moisture 34, movement 35, water table 46Radford City, VA — combined 33/100, moisture 36, movement 32, water table 30Rappahannock County, VA — combined 36/100, moisture 35, movement 30, water table 46Richmond County, VA — combined 30/100, moisture 34, movement 35, water table 16Richmond City, VA — combined 39/100, moisture 35, movement 52, water table 30Roanoke County, VA — combined 34/100, moisture 33, movement 26, water table 46Roanoke City, VA — combined 33/100, moisture 31, movement 26, water table 46Rockbridge County, VA — combined 35/100, moisture 33, movement 40, water table 30Rockingham County, VA — combined 37/100, moisture 34, movement 35, water table 46Russell County, VA — combined 29/100, moisture 35, movement 30, water table 16Salem City, VA — combined 39/100, moisture 36, movement 49, water table 30Scott County, VA — combined 43/100, moisture 36, movement 52, water table 46Shenandoah County, VA — combined 43/100, moisture 34, movement 66, water table 30Smyth County, VA — combined 39/100, moisture 36, movement 51, water table 30Southampton County, VA — combined 45/100, moisture 38, movement 66, water table 30Spotsylvania County, VA — combined 43/100, moisture 37, movement 61, water table 30Stafford County, VA — combined 38/100, moisture 39, movement 43, water table 30Staunton City, VA — combined 27/100, moisture 30, movement 22, water table 30Suffolk City, VA — combined 49/100, moisture 40, movement 48, water table 66Surry County, VA — combined 49/100, moisture 41, movement 47, water table 66Sussex County, VA — combined 31/100, moisture 39, movement 29, water table 16Tazewell County, VA — combined 42/100, moisture 33, movement 52, water table 46Virginia Beach City, VA — combined 44/100, moisture 41, movement 48, water table 46Warren County, VA — combined 39/100, moisture 38, movement 34, water table 46Washington County, VA — combined 34/100, moisture 35, movement 36, water table 30Waynesboro City, VA — combined 30/100, moisture 30, movement 30, water table 30Westmoreland County, VA — combined 46/100, moisture 43, movement 49, water table 46Williamsburg City, VA — combined 40/100, moisture 41, movement 34, water table 46Winchester City, VA — combined 45/100, moisture 38, movement 55, water table 46Wise County, VA — combined 42/100, moisture 36, movement 46, water table 46Wythe County, VA — combined 42/100, moisture 36, movement 49, water table 46York County, VA — combined 44/100, moisture 42, movement 30, water table 66
  • Low (0–27)
  • Moderate (28–49)
  • Elevated (50–74)
  • High (75–100)

County boundaries: US Census TIGER (public domain), simplified for display. Colours are our index from USDA SSURGO fields where loaded, otherwise from our regional model — each county page states which. How the index is calculated.

CountyIndexMoistureCracksWater tableRegion
Hampton City51414382Southern Atlantic Coastal Plain
Suffolk City49404866Southern Atlantic Coastal Plain
Surry County49414766Southern Atlantic Coastal Plain
Accomack County48434366Southern Atlantic Coastal Plain
James City County48433282Southern Atlantic Coastal Plain
Albemarle County47396046Piedmont
Dinwiddie County47376246Piedmont
Orange County47376146Piedmont
Poquoson City47433966Southern Atlantic Coastal Plain
Amelia County46376046Piedmont
Giles County46385746Ridge and Valley
Middlesex County46404066Southern Atlantic Coastal Plain
Westmoreland County46434946Southern Atlantic Coastal Plain
Grayson County45355746Ridge and Valley
King and Queen County45424746Southern Atlantic Coastal Plain
Petersburg City45365746Piedmont
Southampton County45386630Piedmont
Winchester City45385546Piedmont
Isle of Wight County44444246Southern Atlantic Coastal Plain
Lunenburg County44345746Piedmont
Madison County44396130Piedmont
Manassas City44355646Piedmont
Powhatan County44386230Piedmont
Virginia Beach City44414846Southern Atlantic Coastal Plain
York County44423066Southern Atlantic Coastal Plain
Appomattox County43386030Piedmont
Bland County43345446Ridge and Valley
Clarke County43385930Piedmont
Fairfax City43384946Piedmont
Gloucester County43414446Southern Atlantic Coastal Plain
Greensville County43346530Piedmont
Hanover County43376230Piedmont
Northumberland County43432666Southern Atlantic Coastal Plain
Page County43366230Piedmont
Scott County43365246Appalachian Plateau
Shenandoah County43346630Piedmont
Spotsylvania County43376130Piedmont
Buckingham County42365830Piedmont
Charles City County42394346Piedmont
Tazewell County42335246Appalachian Plateau
Wise County42364646Appalachian Plateau
Wythe County42364946Ridge and Valley
Fairfax County41384346Piedmont
Falls Church City41364446Piedmont
Fredericksburg City41386316Piedmont
Prince George County41354746Piedmont
Bristol City40344446Appalachian Plateau
Buchanan County40375130Appalachian Plateau
Colonial Heights City40395030Piedmont
Essex County40412066Southern Atlantic Coastal Plain
Floyd County40345630Ridge and Valley
Harrisonburg City40364246Piedmont
New Kent County40433046Southern Atlantic Coastal Plain
Newport News City40431666Southern Atlantic Coastal Plain
Portsmouth City40423446Southern Atlantic Coastal Plain
Williamsburg City40413446Southern Atlantic Coastal Plain
Alexandria City39383646Piedmont
Brunswick County39395516Piedmont
Cumberland County39363946Piedmont
Fauquier County39355030Piedmont
Norfolk City39432846Southern Atlantic Coastal Plain
Northampton County39403446Southern Atlantic Coastal Plain
Patrick County39345330Ridge and Valley
Pittsylvania County39344146Blue Ridge Mountains
Richmond City39355230Piedmont
Salem City39364930Ridge and Valley
Smyth County39365130Appalachian Plateau
Warren County39383446Piedmont
Arlington County38353746Piedmont
Chesapeake City38402846Southern Atlantic Coastal Plain
Emporia City38344830Piedmont
Frederick County38346016Piedmont
Lee County38353546Appalachian Plateau
Lynchburg City38343946Blue Ridge Mountains
Mecklenburg County38355716Piedmont
Stafford County38394330Piedmont
Covington City37303946Blue Ridge Mountains
Dickenson County37382846Appalachian Plateau
Goochland County37374330Piedmont
Hopewell City37345716Piedmont
King William County37343646Piedmont
Lancaster County37422346Southern Atlantic Coastal Plain
Louisa County37354630Piedmont
Nottoway County37384230Piedmont
Pulaski County37343546Ridge and Valley
Rockingham County37343546Piedmont
Charlottesville City36353046Piedmont
Culpeper County36383630Piedmont
Fluvanna County36373930Piedmont
Greene County36354330Piedmont
Henrico County36393630Piedmont
Montgomery County36374030Ridge and Valley
Rappahannock County36353046Piedmont
Alleghany County35334130Blue Ridge Mountains
Campbell County35323046Blue Ridge Mountains
Carroll County35344130Ridge and Valley
Chesterfield County35383530Piedmont
Galax City35353930Ridge and Valley
Mathews County35411946Southern Atlantic Coastal Plain
Norton City35344030Appalachian Plateau
Rockbridge County35334030Blue Ridge Mountains
Bedford City34314030Blue Ridge Mountains
Caroline County34394016Piedmont
Franklin County34313146Blue Ridge Mountains
Prince Edward County34363330Piedmont
Roanoke County34332646Blue Ridge Mountains
Washington County34353630Appalachian Plateau
Charlotte County33373030Piedmont
King George County33344316Piedmont
Prince William County33383916Piedmont
Radford City33363230Ridge and Valley
Roanoke City33312646Blue Ridge Mountains
Amherst County32312246Blue Ridge Mountains
Bedford County32332246Blue Ridge Mountains
Loudoun County32383616Piedmont
Martinsville City32313630Blue Ridge Mountains
Nelson County32323430Blue Ridge Mountains
Danville City31342630Blue Ridge Mountains
Halifax County31341746Blue Ridge Mountains
Highland County31293630Blue Ridge Mountains
Sussex County31392916Piedmont
Craig County30382916Ridge and Valley
Franklin City30303916Blue Ridge Mountains
Richmond County30343516Piedmont
Waynesboro City30303030Blue Ridge Mountains
Buena Vista City29302630Blue Ridge Mountains
Russell County29353016Appalachian Plateau
Bath County28293416Blue Ridge Mountains
Henry County28331830Blue Ridge Mountains
Lexington City28322130Blue Ridge Mountains
Staunton City27302230Blue Ridge Mountains
Augusta County26311630Blue Ridge Mountains
Botetourt County24311916Blue Ridge Mountains

Values from USDA NRCS SSURGO where available, otherwise our regional model — each county page states which. Methodology.

The physiographic regions inside Virginia

State lines are political; soil follows geology. These are the distinct ground types inside Virginia and why each behaves the way it does.

Piedmont

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.

59 counties: Albemarle County, Alexandria City, Amelia County, Appomattox County, Arlington County, Brunswick County, Buckingham County, Caroline County, Charles City County, Charlotte County, Charlottesville City, Chesterfield County, Clarke County, Colonial Heights City, Culpeper County, Cumberland County, Dinwiddie County, Emporia City, Fairfax County, Fairfax City, Falls Church City, Fauquier County, Fluvanna County, Frederick County, Fredericksburg City, Goochland County, Greene County, Greensville County, Hanover County, Harrisonburg City, Henrico County, Hopewell City, King George County, King William County, Loudoun County, Louisa County, Lunenburg County, Madison County, Manassas City, Mecklenburg County, Nottoway County, Orange County, Page County, Petersburg City, Powhatan County, Prince Edward County, Prince George County, Prince William County, Rappahannock County, Richmond County, Richmond City, Rockingham County, Shenandoah County, Southampton County, Spotsylvania County, Stafford County, Sussex County, Warren County, Winchester City

Blue Ridge Mountains

Steep ground with deep weathering. Volume change is low, but slope stability is not: colluvium on a mountainside can creep, and debris flows during hurricane rainfall are a documented hazard. A house benched into a slope collects water behind its uphill wall.

26 counties: Alleghany County, Amherst County, Augusta County, Bath County, Bedford County, Bedford City, Botetourt County, Buena Vista City, Campbell County, Covington City, Danville City, Franklin County, Franklin City, Halifax County, Henry County, Highland County, Lexington City, Lynchburg City, Martinsville City, Nelson County, Pittsylvania County, Roanoke County, Roanoke City, Rockbridge County, Staunton City, Waynesboro City

Southern Atlantic Coastal Plain

Low, flat and wet. Groundwater sits close to the surface for much of the year, which is why houses here sit on slabs or piers rather than over basements. Where clays are present they are moderately expansive; where sand dominates, the risk is moisture, not movement.

24 counties: Accomack County, Chesapeake City, Essex County, Gloucester County, Hampton City, Isle of Wight County, James City County, King and Queen County, Lancaster County, Mathews County, Middlesex County, New Kent County, Newport News City, Norfolk City, Northampton County, Northumberland County, Poquoson City, Portsmouth City, Suffolk City, Surry County, Virginia Beach City, Westmoreland County, Williamsburg City, York County

Ridge and Valley

Limestone valleys mean karst: permeability is excellent until it is not. Sinkhole activity is an underrated cause of foundation failure here.

13 counties: Bland County, Carroll County, Craig County, Floyd County, Galax City, Giles County, Grayson County, Montgomery County, Patrick County, Pulaski County, Radford City, Salem City, Wythe County

Appalachian Plateau

Water travels over bedrock under a thin skin of colluvium. A house cut into a hillside has an entire catchment behind its uphill wall — what decides the outcome here is a daylight drain, not a coating.

11 counties: Bristol City, Buchanan County, Dickenson County, Lee County, Norton City, Russell County, Scott County, Smyth County, Tazewell County, Washington County, Wise County

Page data updated