Bells, Texas
Inside Bells' city limits, shrink-swell clay limits houses without basements on 83% of mapped land, the 2nd-highest of 16 cities in Grayson County. A shallow water table limits basements on 7%, the highest of 16 cities in Grayson County.
That clay share is above Grayson County's 60%. FEMA's flood data list no flood losses since 2016 in ZIP code 75414 overlapping the city. Of its 934 homes, 40% were built before 1980; the median dates from 1986.
Data as of October 13, 2026 · sources · in Grayson 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 Bells
Foundation repair in Bells: shrink-swell clay limits slab homes on 83% of Bells' mapped land, more than in 90% of Texas cities.
About 700 of Bells' 934 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 Bells city limits
| Expansive clay (limits slab homes) | 83.2% |
| High water table (limits basements) | 6.6% |
| Septic fields very limited | 91.1% |
| Clay swell (LEP, by area) | 9.3% |
| High-swell land (LEP 6%+) | 81.1% |
| Urban land, not rated | 5.3% |
| Mapped soil | 1,358 acres |
What the numbers mean here
Clay swell averages a linear extensibility of 9.3% by land area here, and 81% of the land reaches USDA's high class (6% or more). Clay like that swells when wet and shrinks when dry, under 83% of the mapped land.
Clay shrinks as it dries: 100% of Grayson County is in drought on the latest map, and 83% of Bells' mapped land has shrink-swell clay.
USDA rates 91% of the land very limited for septic absorption fields.
Drought in Grayson County
100% of Grayson 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 Bells. ZIP areas reach past city limits.
| ZIP | Share of city land | Flood losses | Paid |
|---|---|---|---|
| 75414 | 100% | 0 | $0 |
Homes in Bells
| Housing units | 934 |
| Median year built | 1986 |
| Built before 1980 | 40% |
| Built 2000 or later | 29% |
| Owner-occupied | 70% |
| Median value, owner-occupied | $232,400 |
| Single-family detached | 77% |
Nearby cities
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