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Fair Oaks Ranch, Texas
Inside Fair Oaks Ranch's city limits, shrink-swell clay limits houses without basements on 46% of mapped land, the 2nd-highest of 5 cities in Comal County. A shallow water table limits basements on under 1%.
That clay share is above Comal County's 19%. FEMA's flood data list 2 flood losses since 2016 in ZIP code 78015 overlapping the city. Of its 3,991 homes, 3% were built before 1980; the median dates from 2002.
Data as of October 13, 2026 · sources · in Comal 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 Fair Oaks Ranch
Foundation repair in Fair Oaks Ranch: shrink-swell clay limits slab homes on 46% of Fair Oaks Ranch's mapped land, more than in 53% of Texas cities.
About 3,900 of Fair Oaks Ranch's 3,991 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 Fair Oaks Ranch city limits
| Expansive clay (limits slab homes) | 45.6% |
| High water table (limits basements) | under 0.1% |
| Septic fields very limited | 86.9% |
| Clay swell (LEP, by area) | 6.4% |
| High-swell land (LEP 6%+) | 40.6% |
| Mapped soil | 7,856 acres |
What the numbers mean here
Clay swell averages a linear extensibility of 6.4% by land area here, and 41% of the land reaches USDA's high class (6% or more). Clay like that swells when wet and shrinks when dry, under 46% of the mapped land.
Clay shrinks as it dries: 82.6% of Comal County is in drought on the latest map, and 46% of Fair Oaks Ranch's mapped land has shrink-swell clay.
USDA rates 87% of the land very limited for septic absorption fields.
Drought in Comal County
82.6% of Comal 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 Fair Oaks Ranch. ZIP areas reach past city limits.
| ZIP | Share of city land | Flood losses | Paid |
|---|---|---|---|
| 78015 | over 99% | 2 | $26,019 |
Homes in Fair Oaks Ranch
| Housing units | 3,991 |
| Median year built | 2002 |
| Built before 1980 | 3% |
| Built 2000 or later | 54% |
| Owner-occupied | 97% |
| Median value, owner-occupied | $657,600 |
| Single-family detached | 97% |
Nearby cities
| Place | Distance | Expansive clay | High water table |
|---|---|---|---|
| Boerne | 6 mi | 43% | 0% |
| Grey Forest | 9 mi | 56% | 0% |
| Bulverde | 12 mi | 13% | 0% |
| Helotes | 12 mi | 53% | 0% |
| Shavano Park | 12 mi | 54% | under 1% |
| Hollywood Park | 14 mi | 52% | 0% |
| Hill Country Village | 14 mi | 71% | 0% |
| Spring Branch | 17 mi | 18% | 0% |
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