Dive Brief:
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Officials in Rapid City, SD, are considering a requirement for homebuilders to test the soil on each new home lot before building to determine if it is “expansive.”
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Homeowners have complained to the City Council that the foundation of their homes have been damaged by clay-based soils that expand and contract when they get wet and then dry out. One homeowner estimated the damage to his home at $100,000, and said he had to give the house back to the bank and rent an apartment.
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The proposed law would change the city’s residential building code and require that homes be designed to withstand movement caused by expansive soil.
Dive Insight:
Homebuilders would be responsible for choosing soil specialists to determine the condition of the soil, and for paying for the testing, the Associated Press reported.
One city building officials said the ordinance would protect builders as well as homeowners. “We’re aware of a number of contractors that are being sued right now” over damaged foundations, he told the AP.