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Browndell, Texas
Inside Browndell's city limits, shrink-swell clay limits houses without basements on 33% of mapped land, the 2nd-highest of 3 cities in Jasper County. A shallow water table limits basements on 60%, the highest of 3 cities in Jasper County.
That clay share is above Jasper County's 15%. FEMA's flood data list 5 flood losses since 2016 in ZIP code 75931 overlapping the city.
Data as of October 13, 2026 · sources · in Jasper County
expansive clay: shrink-swell limits slab homes
high water table: limits basements
flood losses since 2016 in 1 overlapping ZIP
Foundation repair in Browndell
Foundation repair in Browndell: shrink-swell clay limits slab homes on 33% of Browndell's mapped land.
| 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 Browndell city limits
| Expansive clay (limits slab homes) | 33.3% |
| High water table (limits basements) | 60.4% |
| Septic fields very limited | 84.3% |
| Clay swell (LEP, by area) | 3.9% |
| High-swell land (LEP 6%+) | 33.3% |
| Mapped soil | 1,560 acres |
| Soil series | Share here | Series nationally: expansive clay |
|---|---|---|
| Rayburn | 14% | n/a |
| Mantachie | 13% | n/a |
| Letney | 12% | n/a |
| Tehran | 10% | n/a |
| Iuka | 10% | n/a |
| Bleakwood | 9% | n/a |
What the numbers mean here
Clay swell averages a linear extensibility of 3.9% by land area here, and 33% of the land reaches USDA's high class (6% or more). Clay like that swells when wet and shrinks when dry, under 33% of the mapped land.
Clay shrinks as it dries: 100% of Jasper County is in drought on the latest map, and 33% of Browndell's mapped land has shrink-swell clay.
On 60% of Browndell's mapped land, soil stays saturated within about 6 feet of the surface for part of the year, which is basement depth.
USDA rates 84% of the land very limited for septic absorption fields.
Drought in Jasper County
100% of Jasper 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 Browndell. ZIP areas reach past city limits.
| ZIP | Share of city land | Flood losses | Paid |
|---|---|---|---|
| 75931 | 100% | 5 | $39,731 |
Homes
Browndell has fewer than 100 housing units in the ACS 2020-2024 estimates, too few for reliable shares.
Nearby cities
| Place | Distance | Expansive clay | High water table |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pineland | 8 mi | 44% | 56% |
| Jasper | 14 mi | 41% | 7% |
| Hemphill | 17 mi | 64% | 26% |
| Broaddus | 21 mi | 65% | 27% |
| Newton | 23 mi | 0% | 9% |
| Zavalla | 26 mi | 10% | 32% |
| San Augustine | 29 mi | 0% | 32% |
| Colmesneil | 30 mi | 3% | 7% |
Sources: USDA SSURGO (August 5, 2026) · US Drought Monitor (October 13, 2026) · FEMA NFIP v3 (September 9, 2026). Methods · Data status