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DeSoto, Texas
Inside DeSoto's city limits, shrink-swell clay limits houses without basements on 49% of mapped land, higher than 56% of Texas cities. A shallow water table limits basements on under 1%.
That clay share is close to Dallas County's 51%. FEMA's flood data list 16 flood losses since 2016 in ZIP code 75115 overlapping the city. Of its 21,718 homes, 21% were built before 1980; the median dates from 1993.
Data as of October 13, 2026 · sources · in Dallas 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 DeSoto
Foundation repair in DeSoto: shrink-swell clay limits slab homes on 49% of DeSoto's mapped land, more than in 56% of Texas cities.
The city lists a permit for the work.
About 16,000 of DeSoto's 21,718 homes are detached houses.
| City permit | DeSoto's permit fee page lists a Foundation Repair line with a $160 fee. (City of DeSoto, Texas, read October 2, 2026) |
| 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 DeSoto city limits
| Expansive clay (limits slab homes) | 48.6% |
| High water table (limits basements) | 0.1% |
| Septic fields very limited | 84.4% |
| Clay swell (LEP, by area) | 5.5% |
| High-swell land (LEP 6%+) | 25.6% |
| Urban land, not rated | 3.4% |
| Mapped soil | 13,875 acres |
| Soil series | Share here | Series nationally: expansive clay |
|---|---|---|
| Austin | 26% | 93% |
| Eddy | 21% | 0% |
| Houston Black | 12% | 91% |
| Stephen | 7% | n/a |
| Lewisville | 6% | n/a |
| Dalco | 6% | n/a |
What the numbers mean here
Clay swell averages a linear extensibility of 5.5% by land area here, and 26% of the land reaches USDA's high class (6% or more). Clay like that swells when wet and shrinks when dry, under 49% of the mapped land.
Clay shrinks as it dries: 100% of Dallas County is in drought on the latest map, and 49% of DeSoto's mapped land has shrink-swell clay.
USDA rates 84% of the land very limited for septic absorption fields.
Drought in Dallas County
100% of Dallas 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 DeSoto. ZIP areas reach past city limits.
| ZIP | Share of city land | Flood losses | Paid |
|---|---|---|---|
| 75115 | 97% | 16 | $90,470 |
Homes in DeSoto
| Housing units | 21,718 |
| Median year built | 1993 |
| Built before 1980 | 21% |
| Built 2000 or later | 35% |
| Owner-occupied | 70% |
| Median value, owner-occupied | $319,400 |
| Single-family detached | 74% |
Nearby cities
| Place | Distance | Expansive clay | High water table |
|---|---|---|---|
| Glenn Heights | 3 mi | 75% | under 1% |
| Ovilla | 4 mi | 56% | under 1% |
| Duncanville | 4 mi | 31% | under 1% |
| Lancaster | 5 mi | 68% | under 1% |
| Cedar Hill | 6 mi | 37% | under 1% |
| Oak Leaf | 6 mi | 77% | under 1% |
| Red Oak | 8 mi | 81% | under 1% |
| Pecan Hill | 9 mi | 78% | 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