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Balcones Heights, Texas
Inside Balcones Heights' city limits, shrink-swell clay limits houses without basements on 52% of mapped land, higher than 59% of Texas cities. A shallow water table limits basements on 0%.
That clay share is close to Bexar County's 51%. FEMA's flood data list 18 flood losses since 2016 in the 2 ZIP codes overlapping the city. Of its 1,552 homes, 79% were built before 1980; the median dates from 1973.
Data as of October 13, 2026 · sources · in Bexar 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
Foundation repair in Balcones Heights
Foundation repair in Balcones Heights: shrink-swell clay limits slab homes on 52% of Balcones Heights' mapped land, more than in 59% of Texas cities.
About 200 of Balcones Heights' 1,552 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 Balcones Heights city limits
| Expansive clay (limits slab homes) | 52.2% |
| High water table (limits basements) | 0.0% |
| Septic fields very limited | 92.5% |
| Clay swell (LEP, by area) | 4.8% |
| High-swell land (LEP 6%+) | 2.4% |
| Mapped soil | 421 acres |
| Soil series | Share here | Series nationally: expansive clay |
|---|---|---|
| Austin | 52% | 93% |
| Whitewright | 38% | n/a |
| Houston Black | 8% | 91% |
| Eddy | 3% | 0% |
What the numbers mean here
Clay swell averages a linear extensibility of 4.8% by land area here, and 2% of the land reaches USDA's high class (6% or more). Clay like that swells when wet and shrinks when dry, under 52% of the mapped land.
Clay shrinks as it dries: 79.6% of Bexar County is in drought on the latest map, and 52% of Balcones Heights' mapped land has shrink-swell clay.
USDA rates 92% of the land very limited for septic absorption fields.
Drought in Bexar County
79.6% of Bexar 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 Balcones Heights. ZIP areas reach past city limits.
| ZIP | Share of city land | Flood losses | Paid |
|---|---|---|---|
| 78201 | 83% | 11 | $127,629 |
| 78213 | 17% | 7 | $76,921 |
Homes in Balcones Heights
| Housing units | 1,552 |
| Median year built | 1973 |
| Built before 1980 | 79% |
| Built 2000 or later | 8% |
| Owner-occupied | 14% |
| Median value, owner-occupied | $199,500 |
| Single-family detached | 14% |
Nearby cities
| Place | Distance | Expansive clay | High water table |
|---|---|---|---|
| San Antonio | 3 mi | 61% | under 1% |
| Castle Hills | 3 mi | 67% | 0% |
| Olmos Park | 4 mi | 65% | 0% |
| Leon Valley | 4 mi | 64% | 0% |
| Alamo Heights | 5 mi | 43% | 0% |
| Terrell Hills | 6 mi | 74% | 0% |
| Shavano Park | 7 mi | 54% | under 1% |
| Hill Country Village | 7 mi | 71% | 0% |
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