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Garrett, Texas
Inside Garrett's city limits, shrink-swell clay limits houses without basements on 88% of mapped land, the highest of 15 cities in Ellis County. A shallow water table limits basements on under 1%.
That clay share is above Ellis County's 72%. FEMA's flood data list 3 flood losses since 2016 in the 2 ZIP codes overlapping the city. Of its 362 homes, 28% were built before 1980; the median dates from 1991.
Data as of October 13, 2026 · sources · in Ellis County
expansive clay: shrink-swell limits slab homes
high water table: limits basements
flood losses since 2016 in 2 overlapping ZIPs
of homes built before 1980
Foundation repair in Garrett
Foundation repair in Garrett: shrink-swell clay limits slab homes on 88% of Garrett's mapped land, more than in 96% of Texas cities.
About 200 of Garrett's 362 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 Garrett city limits
| Expansive clay (limits slab homes) | 87.8% |
| High water table (limits basements) | under 0.1% |
| Septic fields very limited | 87.8% |
| Clay swell (LEP, by area) | 9.5% |
| High-swell land (LEP 6%+) | 87.8% |
| Mapped soil | 1,156 acres |
| Soil series | Share here | Series nationally: expansive clay |
|---|---|---|
| Wilson | 42% | 88% |
| Crockett | 20% | 94% |
| Heiden | 20% | 80% |
| Houston Black | 8% | 91% |
| Burleson | 3% | 84% |
| Ferris | 3% | n/a |
What the numbers mean here
Clay swell averages a linear extensibility of 9.5% by land area here, and 88% of the land reaches USDA's high class (6% or more). Clay like that swells when wet and shrinks when dry, under 88% of the mapped land.
Clay shrinks as it dries: 100% of Ellis County is in drought on the latest map, and 88% of Garrett's mapped land has shrink-swell clay.
USDA rates 88% of the land very limited for septic absorption fields.
Drought in Ellis County
100% of Ellis 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 Garrett. ZIP areas reach past city limits.
| ZIP | Share of city land | Flood losses | Paid |
|---|---|---|---|
| 75119 | 80% | 1 | $8,775 |
| 75152 | 20% | 2 | $49,354 |
Homes in Garrett
| Housing units | 362 |
| Median year built | 1991 |
| Built before 1980 | 28% |
| Built 2000 or later | 24% |
| Owner-occupied | 70% |
| Median value, owner-occupied | $125,800 |
| Single-family detached | 68% |
Nearby cities
| Place | Distance | Expansive clay | High water table |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ennis | 4 mi | 86% | 5% |
| Palmer | 4 mi | 83% | under 1% |
| Bardwell | 8 mi | 81% | 0% |
| Alma | 9 mi | 86% | 1% |
| Pecan Hill | 11 mi | 78% | under 1% |
| Ferris | 11 mi | 81% | under 1% |
| Waxahachie | 11 mi | 73% | under 1% |
| Red Oak | 12 mi | 81% | 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