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Mesquite, Texas
Inside Mesquite's city limits, shrink-swell clay limits houses without basements on 74% of mapped land, the 5th-highest of 24 cities in Dallas County. A shallow water table limits basements on 3%.
That clay share is above Dallas County's 51%. FEMA's flood data list 27 flood losses since 2016 in the 4 ZIP codes overlapping the city. Of its 53,953 homes, 41% were built before 1980; the median dates from 1983.
Data as of November 3, 2026 · sources · in Dallas 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 Mesquite
Foundation repair in Mesquite: shrink-swell clay limits slab homes on 74% of Mesquite's mapped land, more than in 79% of Texas cities.
The city requires a permit for the work.
About 38,100 of Mesquite's 53,953 homes are detached houses.
| City permit | Required. Mesquite requires a permit, issued and paid for before work starts, for all foundation repair work. (City of Mesquite, Building Inspection Division, read October 2, 2026) |
| Permit fee | $100 on the city's 2026-2027 residential fee schedule. (City of Mesquite, Building Inspection Division) |
| Engineer | The application needs an engineer-sealed design, and the city closes the permit when it gets the engineer's letter approving the repairs. (City of Mesquite, Building Inspection Division) |
| Contractor registration | Anyone applying for a permit must first get a city professional license. (City of Mesquite, Building Inspection Division) |
| Prices | Cost guide ranges compared |
Soil under Mesquite city limits
| Expansive clay (limits slab homes) | 74.5% |
| High water table (limits basements) | 2.9% |
| Septic fields very limited | 84.2% |
| Clay swell (LEP, by area) | 12.9% |
| High-swell land (LEP 6%+) | 75.4% |
| Urban land, not rated | 10.1% |
| Mapped soil | 31,544 acres |
| Soil series | Share here | Series nationally: expansive clay |
|---|---|---|
| Houston Black | 26% | 91% |
| Heiden | 15% | 80% |
| Trinity | 12% | n/a |
| Ferris | 9% | n/a |
| Branyon | 5% | 92% |
| Burleson | 5% | 84% |
What the numbers mean here
Clay swell averages a linear extensibility of 12.9% by land area here, and 75% of the land reaches USDA's high class (6% or more). Clay like that swells when wet and shrinks when dry, under 74% of the mapped land.
Clay shrinks as it dries: 100% of Dallas County is in drought on the latest map, and 74% of Mesquite's mapped land has shrink-swell clay.
USDA rates 84% of the land very limited for septic absorption fields.
Mesquite covers 49.1 square miles of land and counts 53,953 housing units, about 1,099 per square mile.
63% of Mesquite's occupied homes are owner-occupied, and the median owner-occupied home is valued at $245,700; 16% of all homes in the city date from 2000 or later.
The largest soil series under Mesquite is Houston Black, on 26% of the mapped land, followed by Heiden at 15%.
USDA's soil survey maps 31,544 acres inside Mesquite's city limits.
Drought in Dallas County
100% of Dallas County is in drought (D1 or worse) on the November 3, 2026 map. County detail.
Flood losses by ZIP code
FEMA flood records since 2016 in the ZIP codes that overlap Mesquite. ZIP areas reach past city limits.
| ZIP | Share of city land | Flood losses | Paid |
|---|---|---|---|
| 75149 | 32% | 11 | $153,361 |
| 75181 | 32% | 1 | $75,333 |
| 75150 | 26% | 2 | $4,430 |
| 75126 | 10% | 13 | $467,237 |
Homes in Mesquite
| Housing units | 53,953 |
| Median year built | 1983 |
| Built before 1980 | 41% |
| Built 2000 or later | 16% |
| Owner-occupied | 63% |
| Median value, owner-occupied | $245,700 |
| Single-family detached | 71% |
Nearby cities
Sources: USDA SSURGO (August 5, 2026) · US Drought Monitor (November 3, 2026) · FEMA NFIP v3 (September 9, 2026) · Census ACS 2020-2024. Methods · Data status