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Garland, Texas
Inside Garland's city limits, shrink-swell clay limits houses without basements on 59% of mapped land, higher than 65% of Texas cities. A shallow water table limits basements on under 1%.
That clay share is above Dallas County's 51%. FEMA's flood data list 14 flood losses since 2016 in the 5 ZIP codes overlapping the city. Of its 86,216 homes, 55% were built before 1980; the median dates from 1978.
Data as of November 3, 2026 · sources · in Dallas County
expansive clay: shrink-swell limits slab homes
high water table: limits basements
flood losses since 2016 in 5 overlapping ZIPs
of homes built before 1980
Foundation repair in Garland
Foundation repair in Garland: shrink-swell clay limits slab homes on 59% of Garland's mapped land, more than in 65% of Texas cities.
Whether the city requires a permit depends on the job.
About 59,000 of Garland's 86,216 homes are detached houses.
| City permit | Depends on the job. Garland requires a foundation repair permit whenever the repairs are worth $2,000 or more. (City of Garland, Building Inspection Department, read October 2, 2026) |
| Engineer | An engineer's letter outlining the planned repairs must come with the application. (City of Garland, Building Inspection Department) |
| Prices | Cost guide ranges compared |
Soil under Garland city limits
| Expansive clay (limits slab homes) | 59.0% |
| High water table (limits basements) | 0.4% |
| Septic fields very limited | 84.1% |
| Clay swell (LEP, by area) | 10.5% |
| High-swell land (LEP 6%+) | 55.0% |
| Urban land, not rated | 17.6% |
| Mapped soil | 36,476 acres |
| Soil series | Share here | Series nationally: expansive clay |
|---|---|---|
| Houston Black | 20% | 91% |
| Frio | 7% | n/a |
| Lewisville | 6% | n/a |
| Dalco | 6% | n/a |
| Branyon | 5% | 92% |
| Ferris | 5% | n/a |
What the numbers mean here
Clay swell averages a linear extensibility of 10.5% by land area here, and 55% of the land reaches USDA's high class (6% or more). Clay like that swells when wet and shrinks when dry, under 59% of the mapped land.
Clay shrinks as it dries: 100% of Dallas County is in drought on the latest map, and 59% of Garland's mapped land has shrink-swell clay.
USDA rates 84% of the land very limited for septic absorption fields.
Garland covers 56.9 square miles of land and counts 86,216 housing units, about 1,516 per square mile.
62% of Garland's occupied homes are owner-occupied, and the median owner-occupied home is valued at $270,800; 18% of all homes in the city date from 2000 or later.
The largest soil series under Garland is Houston Black, on 20% of the mapped land, followed by Frio at 7%.
USDA's soil survey maps 36,476 acres inside Garland's city limits.
Drought in Dallas County
100% of Dallas County is in drought (D1 or worse) on the November 3, 2026 map. County detail.
Flood losses by ZIP code
FEMA flood records since 2016 in the ZIP codes that overlap Garland. ZIP areas reach past city limits.
| ZIP | Share of city land | Flood losses | Paid |
|---|---|---|---|
| 75040 | 28% | 0 | $0 |
| 75043 | 24% | 4 | $120,761 |
| 75044 | 18% | 5 | $29,675 |
| 75041 | 14% | 3 | $6,859 |
| 75042 | 13% | 2 | $0 |
Homes in Garland
| Housing units | 86,216 |
| Median year built | 1978 |
| Built before 1980 | 55% |
| Built 2000 or later | 18% |
| Owner-occupied | 62% |
| Median value, owner-occupied | $270,800 |
| Single-family detached | 68% |
Nearby cities
| Place | Distance | Expansive clay | High water table |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rowlett | 5 mi | 78% | under 1% |
| Sachse | 5 mi | 81% | under 1% |
| Richardson | 6 mi | 52% | under 1% |
| Murphy | 7 mi | 80% | under 1% |
| Sunnyvale | 9 mi | 78% | 6% |
| Wylie | 10 mi | 56% | 1% |
| Heath | 10 mi | 82% | 3% |
| Parker | 10 mi | 69% | under 1% |
Sources: USDA SSURGO (August 5, 2026) · US Drought Monitor (November 3, 2026) · FEMA NFIP v3 (September 9, 2026) · Census ACS 2020-2024. Methods · Data status