The shrink-swell hazard is an important soil factor that affects infrastructural development of the soil. The shrink-swell potential of some flood-plain soil profiles was determined using the coefficient of linear extensibility (COLE). Most Nigerian soils under investigation have slight to moderate shrink-swell potential. Clay content, plastic limit (PL), moisture contents, mineralogy and total forms of soil elements contribute significantly to the shrink-swell hazard. The principal component analysis reduced 28 soil factors relating to COLE to only 4 components, out of which the total forms of Fe2O3, Na2O, moisture content at 0.1 MPa and liquid limit (LL) are properties which could be used to predict COLE. These are the component defining variables (CDV).