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Lockhart, Texas
Inside Lockhart's city limits, shrink-swell clay limits houses without basements on 79% of mapped land, the highest of 3 cities in Caldwell County. A shallow water table limits basements on under 1%.
That clay share is above Caldwell County's 59%. FEMA's flood data list 1 flood losses since 2016 in ZIP code 78644 overlapping the city. Of its 5,865 homes, 39% were built before 1980; the median dates from 1986.
Data as of October 13, 2026 · sources · in Caldwell 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 Lockhart
Foundation repair in Lockhart: shrink-swell clay limits slab homes on 79% of Lockhart's mapped land, more than in 84% of Texas cities.
About 4,000 of Lockhart's 5,865 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 Lockhart city limits
| Expansive clay (limits slab homes) | 79.0% |
| High water table (limits basements) | 0.3% |
| Septic fields very limited | 85.3% |
| Clay swell (LEP, by area) | 11.4% |
| High-swell land (LEP 6%+) | 79.0% |
| Mapped soil | 10,451 acres |
| Soil series | Share here | Series nationally: expansive clay |
|---|---|---|
| Branyon | 51% | 92% |
| Lewisville | 10% | n/a |
| Heiden | 8% | 80% |
| Burleson | 8% | 84% |
| Queeny | 6% | n/a |
| Houston Black | 5% | 91% |
What the numbers mean here
Clay swell averages a linear extensibility of 11.4% by land area here, and 79% of the land reaches USDA's high class (6% or more). Clay like that swells when wet and shrinks when dry, under 79% of the mapped land.
Clay shrinks as it dries: 100% of Caldwell County is in drought on the latest map, and 79% of Lockhart's mapped land has shrink-swell clay.
USDA rates 85% of the land very limited for septic absorption fields.
Drought in Caldwell County
100% of Caldwell 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 Lockhart. ZIP areas reach past city limits.
| ZIP | Share of city land | Flood losses | Paid |
|---|---|---|---|
| 78644 | 100% | 1 | $0 |
Homes in Lockhart
| Housing units | 5,865 |
| Median year built | 1986 |
| Built before 1980 | 39% |
| Built 2000 or later | 35% |
| Owner-occupied | 67% |
| Median value, owner-occupied | $251,600 |
| Single-family detached | 69% |
Nearby cities
| Place | Distance | Expansive clay | High water table |
|---|---|---|---|
| Uhland | 9 mi | 82% | under 1% |
| Martindale | 10 mi | 70% | under 1% |
| Niederwald | 10 mi | 84% | 1% |
| Staples | 12 mi | 83% | under 1% |
| Mustang Ridge | 12 mi | 88% | under 1% |
| Luling | 14 mi | 75% | 3% |
| Creedmoor | 14 mi | 85% | under 1% |
| Kyle | 14 mi | 51% | 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