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Bevil Oaks, Texas
Inside Bevil Oaks' city limits, shrink-swell clay limits houses without basements on 25% of mapped land. A shallow water table limits basements on 80%, the highest of 9 cities in Jefferson County.
That clay share is below Jefferson County's 56%. FEMA's flood data list 891 flood losses since 2016 in ZIP code 77713 overlapping the city. Of its 533 homes, 59% were built before 1980; the median dates from 1978.
Data as of October 13, 2026 · sources · in Jefferson 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 Bevil Oaks
Foundation repair in Bevil Oaks: shrink-swell clay limits slab homes on 25% of Bevil Oaks' mapped land.
About 500 of Bevil Oaks' 533 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 Bevil Oaks city limits
| Expansive clay (limits slab homes) | 25.0% |
| High water table (limits basements) | 79.5% |
| Septic fields very limited | 74.1% |
| Clay swell (LEP, by area) | 6.5% |
| High-swell land (LEP 6%+) | 25.0% |
| Urban land, not rated | 19.1% |
| Mapped soil | 1,317 acres |
| Soil series | Share here | Series nationally: expansive clay |
|---|---|---|
| Texla | 49% | n/a |
| Simelake | 24% | n/a |
| Pluck | 1% | n/a |
| Cowmarsh | 1% | n/a |
| Kian | 1% | n/a |
| Evadale | 1% | n/a |
What the numbers mean here
Clay swell averages a linear extensibility of 6.5% by land area here, and 25% of the land reaches USDA's high class (6% or more). Clay like that swells when wet and shrinks when dry, under 25% of the mapped land.
Clay shrinks as it dries: 98.7% of Jefferson County is in drought on the latest map, and 25% of Bevil Oaks' mapped land has shrink-swell clay.
On 80% of Bevil Oaks' mapped land, soil stays saturated within about 6 feet of the surface for part of the year, which is basement depth.
USDA rates 74% of the land very limited for septic absorption fields.
Drought in Jefferson County
98.7% of Jefferson 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 Bevil Oaks. ZIP areas reach past city limits.
| ZIP | Share of city land | Flood losses | Paid |
|---|---|---|---|
| 77713 | 100% | 891 | $130.4 million |
Homes in Bevil Oaks
| Housing units | 533 |
| Median year built | 1978 |
| Built before 1980 | 59% |
| Built 2000 or later | 7% |
| Owner-occupied | 93% |
| Median value, owner-occupied | $232,700 |
| Single-family detached | 96% |
Nearby cities
| Place | Distance | Expansive clay | High water table |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rose Hill Acres | 5 mi | 82% | 16% |
| China | 8 mi | 50% | 51% |
| Sour Lake | 8 mi | 67% | 58% |
| Lumberton | 8 mi | 0% | 57% |
| Beaumont | 9 mi | 28% | 28% |
| Nome | 12 mi | 47% | 51% |
| Rose City | 14 mi | 18% | 42% |
| Pine Forest | 14 mi | 41% | 55% |
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