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Shaker Heights, Ohio
Inside Shaker Heights' city limits, a shallow water table limits basements on 32% of mapped land. Shrink-swell clay limits houses without basements on 0%.
That water-table share is below Cuyahoga County's 51%. USDA doesn't rate the 49% of mapped land classed as urban land, so these shares are floors. FEMA's flood data list 11 flood losses since 2016 in the 2 ZIP codes overlapping the city. Of its 13,947 homes, 91% were built before 1980; the median dates from 1945.
Data as of October 13, 2026 · sources · in Cuyahoga County
expansive clay: shrink-swell limits slab homes
high water table: limits basements
flood losses since 2016 in 2 overlapping ZIPs
of homes built before 1980
Basement waterproofing in Shaker Heights
Basement waterproofing in Shaker Heights: a shallow water table limits basements on 32% of Shaker Heights' mapped land, and the 2 ZIP codes overlapping Shaker Heights logged 11 FEMA flood losses since 2016.
The city requires a permit for the work.
In Cuyahoga County, 47% of the 90 flood-loss buildings with a recorded foundation type had basements.
About 7,500 of Shaker Heights' 13,947 homes are detached houses.
| City permit | Required. Shaker Heights' common residential permits table says a building permit is required for waterproofing foundations. (City of Shaker Heights Building Department, read October 2, 2026) |
| Contractor registration | Shaker Heights says all contractors doing work that needs a permit must get an annual city contractor license before starting. (City of Shaker Heights Building Department) |
| Prices | Cost guide ranges compared |
Soil under Shaker Heights city limits
| Expansive clay (limits slab homes) | 0.0% |
| High water table (limits basements) | 31.7% |
| Septic fields very limited | 37.7% |
| Clay swell (LEP, by area) | 3.6% |
| High-swell land (LEP 6%+) | 0.0% |
| Urban land, not rated | 49.1% |
| Mapped soil | 4,054 acres |
What the numbers mean here
On 32% of Shaker Heights' mapped land, soil stays saturated within about 6 feet of the surface for part of the year, which is basement depth.
Drought in Cuyahoga County
0% of Cuyahoga County is in drought (D1 or worse) on the October 13, 2026 map. County detail.
Flood losses by ZIP code
FEMA flood records since 2016 in the ZIP codes that overlap Shaker Heights. ZIP areas reach past city limits.
| ZIP | Share of city land | Flood losses | Paid |
|---|---|---|---|
| 44122 | 53% | 10 | $31,565 |
| 44120 | 42% | 1 | $331 |
Homes in Shaker Heights
| Housing units | 13,947 |
| Median year built | 1945 |
| Built before 1980 | 91% |
| Built 2000 or later | 5% |
| Owner-occupied | 60% |
| Median value, owner-occupied | $303,200 |
| Single-family detached | 54% |
Nearby cities
| Place | Distance | Expansive clay | High water table |
|---|---|---|---|
| University Heights | 1 mi | 0% | 32% |
| Beachwood | 2 mi | 0% | 58% |
| Highland Hills | 2 mi | 0% | 80% |
| Cleveland Heights | 2 mi | 0% | 21% |
| Warrensville Heights | 3 mi | 0% | 36% |
| North Randall | 3 mi | 0% | 26% |
| South Euclid | 4 mi | 0% | 31% |
| Woodmere | 4 mi | 0% | 45% |
Sources: USDA SSURGO (August 5, 2026) · US Drought Monitor (October 13, 2026) · FEMA NFIP v3 (September 9, 2026) · Census ACS 2020-2024. Methods · Data status