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Baytown, Texas
Inside Baytown's city limits, shrink-swell clay limits houses without basements on 61% of mapped land, the 5th-highest of 27 cities in Harris County. A shallow water table limits basements on 59%, the 3rd-highest of 27 cities in Harris County.
That clay share is above Harris County's 25%. FEMA's flood data list 1,825 flood losses since 2016 in the 3 ZIP codes overlapping the city. Of its 34,125 homes, 49% were built before 1980; the median dates from 1981.
Data as of October 13, 2026 · sources · in Harris County
expansive clay: shrink-swell limits slab homes
high water table: limits basements
flood losses since 2016 in 3 overlapping ZIPs
of homes built before 1980
Foundation repair in Baytown
Foundation repair in Baytown: shrink-swell clay limits slab homes on 61% of Baytown's mapped land, more than in 66% of Texas cities.
The city lists a permit for the work.
About 20,000 of Baytown's 34,125 homes are detached houses.
| City permit | Baytown's residential building permit fee schedule lists a Foundation repair permit with a $128.00 fee. (City of Baytown, Texas, read October 2, 2026) |
| Permit fee | Baytown's residential miscellaneous fee schedule lists foundation repair at $128.00. (City of Baytown, Texas) |
| 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 Baytown city limits
| Expansive clay (limits slab homes) | 61.1% |
| High water table (limits basements) | 59.3% |
| Septic fields very limited | 83.2% |
| Clay swell (LEP, by area) | 11.4% |
| High-swell land (LEP 6%+) | 60.6% |
| Urban land, not rated | 14.6% |
| Mapped soil | 28,338 acres |
| Soil series | Share here | Series nationally: expansive clay |
|---|---|---|
| League | 26% | 92% |
| Beaumont | 16% | n/a |
| Labelle | 9% | n/a |
| Mocarey | 5% | n/a |
| Texla | 5% | n/a |
| Dylan | 5% | n/a |
What the numbers mean here
Clay swell averages a linear extensibility of 11.4% by land area here, and 61% of the land reaches USDA's high class (6% or more). Clay like that swells when wet and shrinks when dry, under 61% of the mapped land.
Clay shrinks as it dries: 82.9% of Harris County is in drought on the latest map, and 61% of Baytown's mapped land has shrink-swell clay.
On 59% of Baytown's mapped land, soil stays saturated within about 6 feet of the surface for part of the year, which is basement depth.
USDA rates 83% of the land very limited for septic absorption fields.
Drought in Harris County
82.9% of Harris 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 Baytown. ZIP areas reach past city limits.
| ZIP | Share of city land | Flood losses | Paid |
|---|---|---|---|
| 77521 | 47% | 1,121 | $134.1 million |
| 77520 | 38% | 386 | $15.3 million |
| 77523 | 15% | 318 | $21.6 million |
Homes in Baytown
| Housing units | 34,125 |
| Median year built | 1981 |
| Built before 1980 | 49% |
| Built 2000 or later | 29% |
| Owner-occupied | 52% |
| Median value, owner-occupied | $197,300 |
| Single-family detached | 59% |
Nearby cities
| Place | Distance | Expansive clay | High water table |
|---|---|---|---|
| Morgan's Point | 7 mi | 36% | 23% |
| Beach City | 7 mi | 22% | 40% |
| Mont Belvieu | 8 mi | 42% | 44% |
| La Porte | 9 mi | 74% | 39% |
| Cove | 10 mi | 72% | 51% |
| Deer Park | 11 mi | 58% | 74% |
| Shoreacres | 11 mi | 68% | 39% |
| Old River-Winfree | 11 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