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Helotes, Texas
Inside Helotes' city limits, shrink-swell clay limits houses without basements on 53% of mapped land, higher than 60% of Texas cities. A shallow water table limits basements on 0%.
That clay share is close to Bexar County's 51%. FEMA's flood data list 8 flood losses since 2016 in ZIP code 78023 overlapping the city. Of its 3,100 homes, 5% were built before 1980; the median dates from 2006.
Data as of October 13, 2026 · sources · in Bexar 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 Helotes
Foundation repair in Helotes: shrink-swell clay limits slab homes on 53% of Helotes' mapped land, more than in 60% of Texas cities.
About 3,100 of Helotes' 3,100 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 Helotes city limits
| Expansive clay (limits slab homes) | 53.1% |
| High water table (limits basements) | 0.0% |
| Septic fields very limited | 88.5% |
| Clay swell (LEP, by area) | 6.4% |
| High-swell land (LEP 6%+) | 49.1% |
| Mapped soil | 4,442 acres |
| Soil series | Share here | Series nationally: expansive clay |
|---|---|---|
| Eckrant | 50% | 8% |
| Lewisville | 8% | n/a |
| Crawford | 6% | n/a |
| Bexar | 6% | n/a |
| Krum | 6% | n/a |
| Patrick | 5% | n/a |
What the numbers mean here
Clay swell averages a linear extensibility of 6.4% by land area here, and 49% of the land reaches USDA's high class (6% or more). Clay like that swells when wet and shrinks when dry, under 53% of the mapped land.
Clay shrinks as it dries: 79.6% of Bexar County is in drought on the latest map, and 53% of Helotes' mapped land has shrink-swell clay.
USDA rates 88% of the land very limited for septic absorption fields.
Drought in Bexar County
79.6% of Bexar 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 Helotes. ZIP areas reach past city limits.
| ZIP | Share of city land | Flood losses | Paid |
|---|---|---|---|
| 78023 | 95% | 8 | $255,650 |
Homes in Helotes
| Housing units | 3,100 |
| Median year built | 2006 |
| Built before 1980 | 5% |
| Built 2000 or later | 70% |
| Owner-occupied | 97% |
| Median value, owner-occupied | $399,000 |
| Single-family detached | 98% |
Nearby cities
| Place | Distance | Expansive clay | High water table |
|---|---|---|---|
| Grey Forest | 3 mi | 56% | 0% |
| Leon Valley | 7 mi | 64% | 0% |
| Shavano Park | 7 mi | 54% | under 1% |
| Balcones Heights | 10 mi | 52% | 0% |
| Castle Hills | 10 mi | 67% | 0% |
| Fair Oaks Ranch | 12 mi | 46% | under 1% |
| Hill Country Village | 12 mi | 71% | 0% |
| Hollywood Park | 12 mi | 52% | 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