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Carmine, Texas
Inside Carmine's city limits, shrink-swell clay limits houses without basements on 96% of mapped land, the highest of 7 cities in Fayette County. A shallow water table limits basements on 6%, the 4th-highest of 7 cities in Fayette County.
That clay share is above Fayette County's 67%. FEMA's flood data list 1 flood losses since 2016 in ZIP code 78932 overlapping the city. Of its 144 homes, 71% were built before 1980; the median dates from 1968.
Data as of October 13, 2026 · sources · in Fayette 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 Carmine
Foundation repair in Carmine: shrink-swell clay limits slab homes on 96% of Carmine's mapped land, more than in 99% of Texas cities.
About 100 of Carmine's 144 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 Carmine city limits
| Expansive clay (limits slab homes) | 96.1% |
| High water table (limits basements) | 5.7% |
| Septic fields very limited | 96.1% |
| Clay swell (LEP, by area) | 7.7% |
| High-swell land (LEP 6%+) | 96.1% |
| Mapped soil | 1,041 acres |
| Soil series | Share here | Series nationally: expansive clay |
|---|---|---|
| Shiro | 31% | n/a |
| Arol | 31% | n/a |
| Singleton | 24% | n/a |
| Flatonia | 4% | n/a |
| Falba | 3% | n/a |
| Straber | 3% | n/a |
What the numbers mean here
Clay swell averages a linear extensibility of 7.7% by land area here, and 96% of the land reaches USDA's high class (6% or more). Clay like that swells when wet and shrinks when dry, under 96% of the mapped land.
Clay shrinks as it dries: 100% of Fayette County is in drought on the latest map, and 96% of Carmine's mapped land has shrink-swell clay.
USDA rates 96% of the land very limited for septic absorption fields.
Drought in Fayette County
100% of Fayette 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 Carmine. ZIP areas reach past city limits.
| ZIP | Share of city land | Flood losses | Paid |
|---|---|---|---|
| 78932 | 100% | 1 | $0 |
Homes in Carmine
| Housing units | 144 |
| Median year built | 1968 |
| Built before 1980 | 71% |
| Built 2000 or later | 19% |
| Owner-occupied | 87% |
| Single-family detached | 83% |
Nearby cities
| Place | Distance | Expansive clay | High water table |
|---|---|---|---|
| Burton | 6 mi | 48% | 0% |
| Round Top | 6 mi | 24% | 7% |
| Giddings | 14 mi | 86% | 48% |
| Somerville | 17 mi | 60% | 30% |
| Fayetteville | 17 mi | 77% | 12% |
| Industry | 17 mi | 25% | 14% |
| Brenham | 18 mi | 35% | under 1% |
| La Grange | 20 mi | 64% | 4% |
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