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Huntsville, Texas
Inside Huntsville's city limits, shrink-swell clay limits houses without basements on 36% of mapped land, the 3rd-highest of 3 cities in Walker County. A shallow water table limits basements on 58%, the highest of 3 cities in Walker County.
That clay share is close to Walker County's 40%. FEMA's flood data list 197 flood losses since 2016 in the 4 ZIP codes overlapping the city. Of its 18,184 homes, 38% were built before 1980; the median dates from 1986.
Data as of October 13, 2026 · sources · in Walker County
expansive clay: shrink-swell limits slab homes
high water table: limits basements
flood losses since 2016 in 4 overlapping ZIPs
of homes built before 1980
Foundation repair in Huntsville
Foundation repair in Huntsville: shrink-swell clay limits slab homes on 36% of Huntsville's mapped land.
The city lists a permit for the work.
About 7,700 of Huntsville's 18,184 homes are detached houses.
| City permit | Huntsville's FY 25-26 fee schedule lists a foundation repair fee of $125. (City of Huntsville, read October 2, 2026) |
| Permit fee | Huntsville's FY 25-26 fee schedule lists a $125 fee for foundation repair. (City of Huntsville) |
| 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 Huntsville city limits
| Expansive clay (limits slab homes) | 36.4% |
| High water table (limits basements) | 58.1% |
| Septic fields very limited | 82.1% |
| Clay swell (LEP, by area) | 5.7% |
| High-swell land (LEP 6%+) | 46.1% |
| Urban land, not rated | 1.4% |
| Mapped soil | 27,281 acres |
| Soil series | Share here | Series nationally: expansive clay |
|---|---|---|
| Depcor | 21% | n/a |
| Annona | 16% | n/a |
| Huntsburg | 12% | n/a |
| Gunter | 9% | n/a |
| Ferris | 8% | n/a |
| Falba | 5% | n/a |
What the numbers mean here
Clay swell averages a linear extensibility of 5.7% by land area here, and 46% of the land reaches USDA's high class (6% or more). Clay like that swells when wet and shrinks when dry, under 36% of the mapped land.
Clay shrinks as it dries: 100% of Walker County is in drought on the latest map, and 36% of Huntsville's mapped land has shrink-swell clay.
On 58% of Huntsville's mapped land, soil stays saturated within about 6 feet of the surface for part of the year, which is basement depth.
USDA rates 82% of the land very limited for septic absorption fields.
Drought in Walker County
100% of Walker 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 Huntsville. ZIP areas reach past city limits.
| ZIP | Share of city land | Flood losses | Paid |
|---|---|---|---|
| 77340 | 56% | 96 | $6.1 million |
| 77320 | 43% | 101 | $5.9 million |
| 77342 | 1% | 0 | $0 |
| 77341 | 0% | 0 | $0 |
Homes in Huntsville
| Housing units | 18,184 |
| Median year built | 1986 |
| Built before 1980 | 38% |
| Built 2000 or later | 30% |
| Owner-occupied | 41% |
| Median value, owner-occupied | $236,600 |
| Single-family detached | 43% |
Nearby cities
| Place | Distance | Expansive clay | High water table |
|---|---|---|---|
| New Waverly | 12 mi | 43% | 53% |
| Riverside | 14 mi | 54% | 58% |
| Willis | 19 mi | 15% | 85% |
| Trinity | 20 mi | 16% | 83% |
| Point Blank | 21 mi | 63% | 67% |
| Panorama Village | 22 mi | 0% | 63% |
| Montgomery | 23 mi | 81% | 27% |
| Bedias | 24 mi | 82% | 13% |
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