BasementSoil

Oklahoma: basement moisture and foundation risk by county

77 counties, ranked by our combined index. Highest combined risk is Custer County (61), lowest is Latimer County (27). The worst soil for foundation cracks specifically is in Caddo County.

CountyIndexMoistureCracksWater tableRegion
Custer County614010046Permian red beds
McIntosh County614110046Permian red beds
Roger Mills County614110046Permian red beds
Caddo County594510030Permian red beds
Carter County58428946Permian red beds
Kay County584210030Permian red beds
McClain County58428846Permian red beds
Noble County58438946Permian red beds
Love County57438646Permian red beds
Marshall County57408946Permian red beds
Washington County574010030Permian red beds
Cleveland County56447946Permian red beds
Garvin County56428446Permian red beds
Harper County56408746Permian red beds
Jefferson County56458046Permian red beds
Kingfisher County56449330Permian red beds
Okmulgee County564510016Permian red beds
Sequoyah County56459130Permian red beds
Ellis County55419330Permian red beds
Greer County554310016Permian red beds
Murray County55429130Permian red beds
Pontotoc County55429130Permian red beds
Cotton County54409230Permian red beds
Osage County53419616Permian red beds
Seminole County53448230Permian red beds
Tillman County53407546Permian red beds
Canadian County52446846Permian red beds
Harmon County52407346Permian red beds
Hughes County52437930Permian red beds
Johnston County52448030Permian red beds
Kiowa County52419316Permian red beds
Okfuskee County52408430Permian red beds
Rogers County52446946Permian red beds
Stephens County52438130Permian red beds
Beckham County51428030Permian red beds
Comanche County51418130Permian red beds
Lincoln County51447730Permian red beds
Pottawatomie County51408130Permian red beds
Creek County50409016Permian red beds
Dewey County50448316Permian red beds
Grant County50406646Permian red beds
Payne County50447230Permian red beds
Atoka County49436046Permian red beds
Bryan County49426146Permian red beds
Garfield County49456930Permian red beds
Logan County49446930Permian red beds
Wagoner County49407530Permian red beds
Woods County49417530Permian red beds
Woodward County49447916Permian red beds
Blaine County47426630Permian red beds
Grady County47406930Permian red beds
Jackson County47408016Permian red beds
Muskogee County47416730Permian red beds
Oklahoma County47436430Permian red beds
Pittsburg County47446330Permian red beds
Tulsa County46426230Permian red beds
Alfalfa County45445830Permian red beds
Coal County45417316Permian red beds
Nowata County45417316Permian red beds
Pawnee County45436030Permian red beds
Major County43446016Permian red beds
Washita County43446016Permian red beds
Beaver County37345716High Plains
Cimarron County35344130High Plains
Le Flore County35343930Ouachita Mountains
Texas County35304530High Plains
Cherokee County34323930Ozark highland
Ottawa County34304130Ozark highland
Craig County33303830Ozark highland
McCurtain County33313730Ouachita Mountains
Pushmataha County33313930Ouachita Mountains
Choctaw County32334316Ouachita Mountains
Delaware County31322930Ozark highland
Adair County30342530Ozark highland
Haskell County30303130Ouachita Mountains
Latimer County27332816Ouachita Mountains
Mayes County27331630Ozark highland

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

The physiographic regions inside Oklahoma

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

Permian red beds

The red clay under Oklahoma City and Fort Worth. Strongly expansive, and because the climate swings between drought and heavy spring storms, the wet-dry cycle is severe. Pier-and-beam and post-tension slabs both move here.

62 counties: Alfalfa County, Atoka County, Beckham County, Blaine County, Bryan County, Caddo County, Canadian County, Carter County, Cleveland County, Coal County, Comanche County, Cotton County, Creek County, Custer County, Dewey County, Ellis County, Garfield County, Garvin County, Grady County, Grant County, Greer County, Harmon County, Harper County, Hughes County, Jackson County, Jefferson County, Johnston County, Kay County, Kingfisher County, Kiowa County, Lincoln County, Logan County, Love County, Major County, Marshall County, McClain County, McIntosh County, Murray County, Muskogee County, Noble County, Nowata County, Okfuskee County, Oklahoma County, Okmulgee County, Osage County, Pawnee County, Payne County, Pittsburg County, Pontotoc County, Pottawatomie County, Roger Mills County, Rogers County, Seminole County, Sequoyah County, Stephens County, Tillman County, Tulsa County, Wagoner County, Washington County, Washita County, Woods County, Woodward County

Ozark highland

Shallow bedrock and karst pathways. Shrink-swell is low, but water moves through the subsurface in concentrated routes — a basement can be dry for twenty years and then leak through one specific joint in a single event.

6 counties: Adair County, Cherokee County, Craig County, Delaware County, Mayes County, Ottawa County

Ouachita Mountains

Steep east-west ridges with shallow bedrock. Sloping sites mean water arrives laterally along the rock surface, so a house cut into a hillside collects it at the uphill wall. Volume change is not the issue; drainage on a slope is.

6 counties: Choctaw County, Haskell County, Latimer County, Le Flore County, McCurtain County, Pushmataha County

High Plains

The water table is tens of metres down and rainfall is low. Basement damp here is nearly always condensation or a failed supply line rather than groundwater — and that distinction is worth thousands of dollars.

3 counties: Beaver County, Cimarron County, Texas County

Page data updated