Ames, Texas
Inside Ames' city limits, shrink-swell clay limits houses without basements on 8% of mapped land. A shallow water table limits basements on 86%, the 3rd-highest of 11 cities in Liberty County.
That clay share is below Liberty County's 46%. FEMA's flood data list 375 flood losses since 2016 in ZIP code 77575 overlapping the city. Of its 488 homes, 31% were built before 1980; the median dates from 2000.
Data as of October 13, 2026 · sources · in Liberty County
expansive clay: shrink-swell limits slab homes
high water table: limits basements
flood losses since 2016 in 1 overlapping ZIP
of homes built before 1980
Foundation repair in Ames
Foundation repair in Ames: shrink-swell clay limits slab homes on 8% of Ames' mapped land.
About 400 of Ames' 488 homes are detached houses.
| Who designs the repair | The ASCE Texas Section's repair guidelines say a Texas-licensed engineer should evaluate the foundation and design the repair (2022 guidelines) |
| Prices | Cost guide ranges compared |
Soil under Ames city limits
| Expansive clay (limits slab homes) | 7.7% |
| High water table (limits basements) | 86.3% |
| Septic fields very limited | 85.3% |
| Clay swell (LEP, by area) | 5.2% |
| High-swell land (LEP 6%+) | 13.3% |
| Urban land, not rated | 5.2% |
| Mapped soil | 2,116 acres |
| Soil series | Share here | Series nationally: expansive clay |
|---|---|---|
| Texla | 44% | n/a |
| Aris | 24% | n/a |
| Anahuac | 6% | n/a |
| Orcadia | 6% | n/a |
| Camptown | 4% | n/a |
| Viterbo | 2% | n/a |
What the numbers mean here
On 86% of Ames' mapped land, soil stays saturated within about 6 feet of the surface for part of the year, which is basement depth.
USDA rates 85% of the land very limited for septic absorption fields.
Drought in Liberty County
61.2% of Liberty 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 Ames. ZIP areas reach past city limits.
| ZIP | Share of city land | Flood losses | Paid |
|---|---|---|---|
| 77575 | 100% | 375 | $24.6 million |
Homes in Ames
| Housing units | 488 |
| Median year built | 2000 |
| Built before 1980 | 31% |
| Built 2000 or later | 51% |
| Owner-occupied | 62% |
| Median value, owner-occupied | $203,600 |
| Single-family detached | 75% |
Nearby cities
| Place | Distance | Expansive clay | High water table |
|---|---|---|---|
| Liberty | 3 mi | 51% | 69% |
| Hardin | 7 mi | 37% | 55% |
| Kenefick | 7 mi | 53% | 48% |
| Daisetta | 7 mi | 43% | 56% |
| Dayton Lakes | 8 mi | 27% | 86% |
| Devers | 9 mi | 13% | 86% |
| Dayton | 12 mi | 59% | 56% |
| Old River-Winfree | 13 mi | 63% | 39% |
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