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Marble Falls, Texas
Inside Marble Falls' city limits, shrink-swell clay limits houses without basements on 44% of mapped land, the 3rd-highest of 8 cities in Burnet County. A shallow water table limits basements on under 1%.
That clay share is above Burnet County's 27%. FEMA's flood data list 187 flood losses since 2016 in ZIP code 78654 overlapping the city. Of its 3,483 homes, 21% were built before 1980; the median dates from 2001.
Data as of October 13, 2026 · sources · in Burnet 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 Marble Falls
Foundation repair in Marble Falls: shrink-swell clay limits slab homes on 44% of Marble Falls' mapped land, more than in 52% of Texas cities.
About 1,700 of Marble Falls' 3,483 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 Marble Falls city limits
| Expansive clay (limits slab homes) | 44.2% |
| High water table (limits basements) | under 0.1% |
| Septic fields very limited | 75.6% |
| Clay swell (LEP, by area) | 7.3% |
| High-swell land (LEP 6%+) | 43.3% |
| Mapped soil | 11,015 acres |
| Soil series | Share here | Series nationally: expansive clay |
|---|---|---|
| Eckrant | 17% | 8% |
| Spicewood | 12% | n/a |
| Harper | 10% | n/a |
| Hensley | 9% | n/a |
| Krum | 7% | n/a |
| Tarpley | 6% | n/a |
What the numbers mean here
Clay swell averages a linear extensibility of 7.3% by land area here, and 43% of the land reaches USDA's high class (6% or more). Clay like that swells when wet and shrinks when dry, under 44% of the mapped land.
Clay shrinks as it dries: 21.3% of Burnet County is in drought on the latest map, and 44% of Marble Falls' mapped land has shrink-swell clay.
USDA rates 76% of the land very limited for septic absorption fields.
Drought in Burnet County
21.3% of Burnet 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 Marble Falls. ZIP areas reach past city limits.
| ZIP | Share of city land | Flood losses | Paid |
|---|---|---|---|
| 78654 | 93% | 187 | $10.8 million |
Homes in Marble Falls
| Housing units | 3,483 |
| Median year built | 2001 |
| Built before 1980 | 21% |
| Built 2000 or later | 55% |
| Owner-occupied | 41% |
| Median value, owner-occupied | $338,800 |
| Single-family detached | 50% |
Nearby cities
| Place | Distance | Expansive clay | High water table |
|---|---|---|---|
| Meadowlakes | 1 mi | 64% | 0% |
| Cottonwood Shores | 3 mi | 20% | 0% |
| Double Horn | 6 mi | 70% | 0% |
| Granite Shoals | 6 mi | 0% | 0% |
| Horseshoe Bay | 6 mi | 10% | 0% |
| Highland Haven | 8 mi | 6% | 0% |
| Sunrise Beach Village | 9 mi | 1% | 0% |
| Round Mountain | 12 mi | 31% | 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