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Ellinger, Texas
Inside Ellinger's city limits, shrink-swell clay limits houses without basements on 90% of mapped land, the 3rd-highest of 7 cities in Fayette County. A shallow water table limits basements on 3%.
That clay share is above Fayette County's 67%. Of its 162 homes, 57% were built before 1980; the median dates from 1977.
Data as of October 13, 2026 · sources · in Fayette County
expansive clay: shrink-swell limits slab homes
high water table: limits basements
of homes built before 1980
Foundation repair in Ellinger
Foundation repair in Ellinger: shrink-swell clay limits slab homes on 90% of Ellinger's mapped land, more than in 97% of Texas cities.
About 100 of Ellinger's 162 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 Ellinger city limits
| Expansive clay (limits slab homes) | 89.9% |
| High water table (limits basements) | 2.8% |
| Septic fields very limited | 93.4% |
| Clay swell (LEP, by area) | 7.9% |
| High-swell land (LEP 6%+) | 89.9% |
| Mapped soil | 290 acres |
What the numbers mean here
Clay swell averages a linear extensibility of 7.9% by land area here, and 90% of the land reaches USDA's high class (6% or more). Clay like that swells when wet and shrinks when dry, under 90% of the mapped land.
Clay shrinks as it dries: 100% of Fayette County is in drought on the latest map, and 90% of Ellinger's mapped land has shrink-swell clay.
USDA rates 93% 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.
Homes in Ellinger
| Housing units | 162 |
| Median year built | 1977 |
| Built before 1980 | 57% |
| Built 2000 or later | 28% |
| Owner-occupied | 79% |
| Median value, owner-occupied | $206,900 |
| Single-family detached | 78% |
Nearby cities
| Place | Distance | Expansive clay | High water table |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fayetteville | 5 mi | 77% | 12% |
| Weimar | 10 mi | 68% | 2% |
| La Grange | 11 mi | 64% | 4% |
| Columbus | 13 mi | 12% | 22% |
| Industry | 15 mi | 25% | 14% |
| Round Top | 16 mi | 24% | 7% |
| Schulenburg | 16 mi | 65% | 13% |
| Carmine | 21 mi | 96% | 6% |
Sources: USDA SSURGO (August 5, 2026) · US Drought Monitor (October 13, 2026) · Census ACS 2020-2024. Methods · Data status