Clute, Texas
Inside Clute's city limits, shrink-swell clay limits houses without basements on 47% of mapped land, higher than 55% of Texas cities. A shallow water table limits basements on 28%.
That clay share is below Brazoria County's 64%. FEMA's flood data list 257 flood losses since 2016 in ZIP code 77531 overlapping the city. Of its 5,229 homes, 40% were built before 1980; the median dates from 1986.
Data as of October 13, 2026 · sources · in Brazoria 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 Clute
Foundation repair in Clute: shrink-swell clay limits slab homes on 47% of Clute's mapped land, more than in 55% of Texas cities.
About 2,500 of Clute's 5,229 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 Clute city limits
| Expansive clay (limits slab homes) | 47.4% |
| High water table (limits basements) | 27.6% |
| Septic fields very limited | 60.0% |
| Clay swell (LEP, by area) | 11.1% |
| High-swell land (LEP 6%+) | 47.4% |
| Urban land, not rated | 5.2% |
| Mapped soil | 3,634 acres |
| Soil series | Share here | Series nationally: expansive clay |
|---|---|---|
| Asa | 21% | 0% |
| Pledger | 17% | n/a |
| Brazoria | 14% | n/a |
| Surfside | 10% | n/a |
| Bernard | 10% | 43% |
| Lake Charles | 6% | 97% |
What the numbers mean here
Clay swell averages a linear extensibility of 11.1% 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 Brazoria County is in drought on the latest map, and 47% of Clute's mapped land has shrink-swell clay.
On 28% of Clute's mapped land, soil stays saturated within about 6 feet of the surface for part of the year, which is basement depth.
USDA rates 60% of the land very limited for septic absorption fields.
Drought in Brazoria County
100% of Brazoria 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 Clute. ZIP areas reach past city limits.
| ZIP | Share of city land | Flood losses | Paid |
|---|---|---|---|
| 77531 | 89% | 257 | $25.5 million |
Homes in Clute
| Housing units | 5,229 |
| Median year built | 1986 |
| Built before 1980 | 40% |
| Built 2000 or later | 38% |
| Owner-occupied | 49% |
| Median value, owner-occupied | $271,700 |
| Single-family detached | 49% |
Nearby cities
| Place | Distance | Expansive clay | High water table |
|---|---|---|---|
| Richwood | 3 mi | 78% | 6% |
| Lake Jackson | 4 mi | 67% | 15% |
| Oyster Creek | 5 mi | 48% | 27% |
| Jones Creek | 6 mi | 5% | 1% |
| Freeport | 6 mi | 49% | 75% |
| Surfside Beach | 8 mi | 13% | 93% |
| Quintana | 9 mi | 3% | 30% |
| Brazoria | 10 mi | 28% | 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