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Fredericksburg, Texas
Inside Fredericksburg's city limits, shrink-swell clay limits houses without basements on 42% of mapped land, higher than 51% of Texas cities. A shallow water table limits basements on 0%.
That clay share is above Gillespie County's 23%. FEMA's flood data list 9 flood losses since 2016 in ZIP code 78624 overlapping the city. Of its 6,525 homes, 41% were built before 1980; the median dates from 1986.
Data as of October 13, 2026 · sources · in Gillespie 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 Fredericksburg
Foundation repair in Fredericksburg: shrink-swell clay limits slab homes on 42% of Fredericksburg's mapped land, more than in 51% of Texas cities.
About 4,900 of Fredericksburg's 6,525 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 Fredericksburg city limits
| Expansive clay (limits slab homes) | 42.4% |
| High water table (limits basements) | 0.0% |
| Septic fields very limited | 66.6% |
| Clay swell (LEP, by area) | 4.2% |
| High-swell land (LEP 6%+) | 19.9% |
| Mapped soil | 6,145 acres |
| Soil series | Share here | Series nationally: expansive clay |
|---|---|---|
| Heaton | 25% | n/a |
| Pedernales | 25% | n/a |
| Luckenbach | 13% | n/a |
| Loneoak | 5% | n/a |
| Hensley | 5% | n/a |
| Boerne | 4% | n/a |
What the numbers mean here
Clay swell averages a linear extensibility of 4.2% by land area here, and 20% of the land reaches USDA's high class (6% or more). Clay like that swells when wet and shrinks when dry, under 42% of the mapped land.
USDA rates 67% of the land very limited for septic absorption fields.
Drought in Gillespie County
0% of Gillespie 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 Fredericksburg. ZIP areas reach past city limits.
| ZIP | Share of city land | Flood losses | Paid |
|---|---|---|---|
| 78624 | 100% | 9 | $706,354 |
Homes in Fredericksburg
| Housing units | 6,525 |
| Median year built | 1986 |
| Built before 1980 | 41% |
| Built 2000 or later | 32% |
| Owner-occupied | 63% |
| Median value, owner-occupied | $460,300 |
| Single-family detached | 75% |
Nearby cities
| Place | Distance | Expansive clay | High water table |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kerrville | 22 mi | 33% | 0% |
| Ingram | 25 mi | 34% | 0% |
| Johnson City | 28 mi | 51% | 0% |
| Blanco | 30 mi | 28% | 0% |
| Round Mountain | 32 mi | 31% | 0% |
| Boerne | 34 mi | 43% | 0% |
| Sunrise Beach Village | 35 mi | 1% | 0% |
| Horseshoe Bay | 35 mi | 10% | 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