Question
Hi, I'm looking at purchasing a home in Chandler, Arizona, and I would like to avoid the problems that accompany expansive soils. Am I safe in Chandler. Sean
Answer
Hi Sean. Expansive soils are clay-rich soils that expand when wet and shrink when they dry out. They are frequently called shrink-swell soils and they are common in many places in the U.S. including Arizona.
Investigating and characterizing soils is outside the scope of the mission of the Arizona Geological Survey. But we do know where you can go for soil information, the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) of the U.S. Dept of Agriculture. The NRCS has an office in Phoenix and can be reached at 602-280-8826. Their web services are located here: https://www.nrcs.usda.gov/wps/portal/nrcs/surveylist/soils/survey/state/?stateId=AZ
NRCS provides a marvelous online soil mapping tool, Web Soil Survey .
For more on problem soils, see our Down-To-Earth booklet: A Home Buyer's Guide to Geologic Hazards in Arizona; see pages 11 - 15.
