Hays, Texas
Inside Hays' city limits, shrink-swell clay limits houses without basements on 25% of mapped land. A shallow water table limits basements on 0%.
That clay share is above Hays County's 14%. FEMA's flood data list 18 flood losses since 2016 in ZIP code 78610 overlapping the city.
Data as of October 13, 2026 · sources · in Hays County
expansive clay: shrink-swell limits slab homes
high water table: limits basements
flood losses since 2016 in 1 overlapping ZIP
Foundation repair in Hays
Foundation repair in Hays: shrink-swell clay limits slab homes on 25% of Hays' mapped land.
| 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 Hays city limits
| Expansive clay (limits slab homes) | 25.3% |
| High water table (limits basements) | 0.0% |
| Septic fields very limited | 86.3% |
| Clay swell (LEP, by area) | 6.2% |
| High-swell land (LEP 6%+) | 25.3% |
| Mapped soil | 144 acres |
| Soil series | Share here | Series nationally: expansive clay |
|---|---|---|
| Rumple | 29% | n/a |
| Tarpley | 18% | n/a |
| Comfort | 15% | n/a |
| Medlin | 13% | n/a |
| Eckrant | 13% | 8% |
| Real | 3% | n/a |
What the numbers mean here
Clay swell averages a linear extensibility of 6.2% by land area here, and 25% of the land reaches USDA's high class (6% or more). Clay like that swells when wet and shrinks when dry, under 25% of the mapped land.
Clay shrinks as it dries: 100% of Hays County is in drought on the latest map, and 25% of Hays' mapped land has shrink-swell clay.
USDA rates 86% of the land very limited for septic absorption fields.
Drought in Hays County
100% of Hays 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 Hays. ZIP areas reach past city limits.
| ZIP | Share of city land | Flood losses | Paid |
|---|---|---|---|
| 78610 | 100% | 18 | $272,344 |
Homes
Hays has fewer than 100 housing units in the ACS 2020-2024 estimates, too few for reliable shares.
Nearby cities
| Place | Distance | Expansive clay | High water table |
|---|---|---|---|
| Buda | 3 mi | 61% | under 1% |
| San Leanna | 4 mi | 35% | 0% |
| Mountain City | 6 mi | 17% | 0% |
| Bear Creek | 6 mi | 6% | 0% |
| Sunset Valley | 8 mi | 58% | 0% |
| Creedmoor | 9 mi | 85% | under 1% |
| Kyle | 9 mi | 51% | under 1% |
| Niederwald | 11 mi | 84% | 1% |
Sources: USDA SSURGO (August 5, 2026) · US Drought Monitor (October 13, 2026) · FEMA NFIP v3 (September 9, 2026). Methods · Data status