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Clear Lake Shores, Texas
Inside Clear Lake Shores' city limits, shrink-swell clay limits houses without basements on 16% of mapped land. A shallow water table limits basements on 57%.
That clay share is below Galveston County's 23%. FEMA's flood data list 332 flood losses since 2016 in ZIP code 77565 overlapping the city. Of its 584 homes, 22% were built before 1980; the median dates from 1989.
Data as of October 13, 2026 · sources · in Galveston 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 Clear Lake Shores
Foundation repair in Clear Lake Shores: shrink-swell clay limits slab homes on 16% of Clear Lake Shores' mapped land.
About 500 of Clear Lake Shores' 584 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 Clear Lake Shores city limits
| Expansive clay (limits slab homes) | 16.2% |
| High water table (limits basements) | 57.5% |
| Septic fields very limited | 52.7% |
| Clay swell (LEP, by area) | 3.3% |
| High-swell land (LEP 6%+) | 18.0% |
| Mapped soil | 457 acres |
| Soil series | Share here | Series nationally: expansive clay |
|---|---|---|
| Bernard | 29% | 43% |
| Verland | 8% | n/a |
| Bacliff | 4% | n/a |
| Leton | 3% | n/a |
| Sievers | 3% | n/a |
| Kemah | 3% | n/a |
What the numbers mean here
Clay swell averages a linear extensibility of 3.3% by land area here, and 18% of the land reaches USDA's high class (6% or more). Clay like that swells when wet and shrinks when dry, under 16% of the mapped land.
Clay shrinks as it dries: 100% of Galveston County is in drought on the latest map, and 16% of Clear Lake Shores' mapped land has shrink-swell clay.
On 57% of Clear Lake Shores' mapped land, soil stays saturated within about 6 feet of the surface for part of the year, which is basement depth.
USDA rates 53% of the land very limited for septic absorption fields.
Drought in Galveston County
100% of Galveston 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 Clear Lake Shores. ZIP areas reach past city limits.
| ZIP | Share of city land | Flood losses | Paid |
|---|---|---|---|
| 77565 | 100% | 332 | $8.6 million |
Homes in Clear Lake Shores
| Housing units | 584 |
| Median year built | 1989 |
| Built before 1980 | 22% |
| Built 2000 or later | 35% |
| Owner-occupied | 76% |
| Median value, owner-occupied | $463,400 |
| Single-family detached | 81% |
Nearby cities
| Place | Distance | Expansive clay | High water table |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kemah | 1 mi | 20% | 93% |
| El Lago | 2 mi | 47% | 41% |
| Taylor Lake Village | 2 mi | 41% | 41% |
| Nassau Bay | 3 mi | 31% | 30% |
| Seabrook | 4 mi | 13% | 15% |
| Webster | 5 mi | 56% | 26% |
| Shoreacres | 5 mi | 68% | 39% |
| League City | 6 mi | 42% | 71% |
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