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Big Wells, Texas
Inside Big Wells' city limits, shrink-swell clay limits houses without basements on 47% of mapped land, the highest of 3 cities in Dimmit County. A shallow water table limits basements on under 1%.
That clay share is above Dimmit County's 30%. FEMA's flood data list no flood losses since 2016 in ZIP code 78830 overlapping the city. Of its 236 homes, 30% were built before 1980; the median dates from 1986.
Data as of October 13, 2026 · sources · in Dimmit 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 Big Wells
Foundation repair in Big Wells: shrink-swell clay limits slab homes on 47% of Big Wells' mapped land, more than in 54% of Texas cities.
About 200 of Big Wells' 236 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 Big Wells city limits
| Expansive clay (limits slab homes) | 46.6% |
| High water table (limits basements) | 0.5% |
| Septic fields very limited | 46.6% |
| Clay swell (LEP, by area) | 5.1% |
| High-swell land (LEP 6%+) | 46.6% |
| Mapped soil | 354 acres |
| Soil series | Share here | Series nationally: expansive clay |
|---|---|---|
| Brystal | 41% | n/a |
| Pryor | 40% | n/a |
| Chacon | 7% | n/a |
| Copita | 2% | n/a |
| Dilley | 2% | n/a |
| Tonio | 1% | n/a |
What the numbers mean here
Clay swell averages a linear extensibility of 5.1% by land area here, and 47% of the land reaches USDA's high class (6% or more). Clay like that swells when wet and shrinks when dry, under 47% of the mapped land.
Clay shrinks as it dries: 100% of Dimmit County is in drought on the latest map, and 47% of Big Wells' mapped land has shrink-swell clay.
Drought in Dimmit County
100% of Dimmit 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 Big Wells. ZIP areas reach past city limits.
| ZIP | Share of city land | Flood losses | Paid |
|---|---|---|---|
| 78830 | 100% | 0 | $0 |
Homes in Big Wells
| Housing units | 236 |
| Median year built | 1986 |
| Built before 1980 | 30% |
| Built 2000 or later | 23% |
| Owner-occupied | 76% |
| Median value, owner-occupied | $60,800 |
| Single-family detached | 76% |
Nearby cities
| Place | Distance | Expansive clay | High water table |
|---|---|---|---|
| Asherton | 14 mi | 8% | 0% |
| Crystal City | 18 mi | 37% | under 1% |
| Carrizo Springs | 18 mi | 3% | under 1% |
| Cotulla | 22 mi | 3% | under 1% |
| Dilley | 25 mi | 3% | 1% |
| Pearsall | 36 mi | 1% | 1% |
| Encinal | 39 mi | 0% | 1% |
| Uvalde | 46 mi | 23% | under 1% |
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