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Little Elm, Texas
Inside Little Elm's city limits, shrink-swell clay limits houses without basements on 52% of mapped land, higher than 58% of Texas cities. A shallow water table limits basements on 1%.
That clay share is close to Denton County's 50%. FEMA's flood data list 11 flood losses since 2016 in the 2 ZIP codes overlapping the city. Of its 19,778 homes, 2% were built before 1980; the median dates from 2011.
Data as of October 13, 2026 · sources · in Denton 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 Little Elm
Foundation repair in Little Elm: shrink-swell clay limits slab homes on 52% of Little Elm's mapped land, more than in 58% of Texas cities.
The city lists a permit for the work.
About 14,700 of Little Elm's 19,778 homes are detached houses.
| City permit | Little Elm's development services fee schedule updated June 18, 2019 lists a residential Foundation Repair Permit. (Town of Little Elm, Texas, read October 2, 2026) |
| 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 Little Elm city limits
| Expansive clay (limits slab homes) | 51.5% |
| High water table (limits basements) | 1.5% |
| Septic fields very limited | 59.8% |
| Clay swell (LEP, by area) | 10.3% |
| High-swell land (LEP 6%+) | 58.7% |
| Mapped soil | 14,506 acres |
What the numbers mean here
Clay swell averages a linear extensibility of 10.3% by land area here, and 59% of the land reaches USDA's high class (6% or more). Clay like that swells when wet and shrinks when dry, under 52% of the mapped land.
Clay shrinks as it dries: 100% of Denton County is in drought on the latest map, and 52% of Little Elm's mapped land has shrink-swell clay.
USDA rates 60% of the land very limited for septic absorption fields.
Drought in Denton County
100% of Denton 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 Little Elm. ZIP areas reach past city limits.
| ZIP | Share of city land | Flood losses | Paid |
|---|---|---|---|
| 75068 | 73% | 7 | $14,599 |
| 76227 | 22% | 4 | $65,231 |
Homes in Little Elm
| Housing units | 19,778 |
| Median year built | 2011 |
| Built before 1980 | 2% |
| Built 2000 or later | 92% |
| Owner-occupied | 70% |
| Median value, owner-occupied | $420,700 |
| Single-family detached | 74% |
Nearby cities
| Place | Distance | Expansive clay | High water table |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hackberry | 3 mi | 84% | 0% |
| Providence Village | 4 mi | 18% | 7% |
| Oak Point | 4 mi | 31% | under 1% |
| Cross Roads | 5 mi | 1% | under 1% |
| Lakewood Village | 5 mi | 77% | 0% |
| Frisco | 6 mi | 76% | under 1% |
| Krugerville | 7 mi | 5% | under 1% |
| The Colony | 7 mi | 68% | 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