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Needville, Texas
Inside Needville's city limits, shrink-swell clay limits houses without basements on 81% of mapped land, the 4th-highest of 17 cities in Fort Bend County. A shallow water table limits basements on 95%, the highest of 17 cities in Fort Bend County.
That clay share is above Fort Bend County's 64%. FEMA's flood data list 108 flood losses since 2016 in ZIP code 77461 overlapping the city. Of its 1,277 homes, 55% were built before 1980; the median dates from 1976.
Data as of October 13, 2026 · sources · in Fort Bend 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 Needville
Foundation repair in Needville: shrink-swell clay limits slab homes on 81% of Needville's mapped land, more than in 87% of Texas cities.
About 1,100 of Needville's 1,277 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 Needville city limits
| Expansive clay (limits slab homes) | 81.1% |
| High water table (limits basements) | 95.1% |
| Septic fields very limited | 86.8% |
| Clay swell (LEP, by area) | 6.7% |
| High-swell land (LEP 6%+) | 81.1% |
| Mapped soil | 1,289 acres |
| Soil series | Share here | Series nationally: expansive clay |
|---|---|---|
| Edna | 71% | n/a |
| Bernard | 14% | 43% |
| Cieno | 6% | n/a |
| Lake Charles | 5% | 97% |
| Telferner | 3% | n/a |
| Verland | 1% | n/a |
What the numbers mean here
Clay swell averages a linear extensibility of 6.7% by land area here, and 81% of the land reaches USDA's high class (6% or more). Clay like that swells when wet and shrinks when dry, under 81% of the mapped land.
Clay shrinks as it dries: 83.3% of Fort Bend County is in drought on the latest map, and 81% of Needville's mapped land has shrink-swell clay.
On 95% of Needville's mapped land, soil stays saturated within about 6 feet of the surface for part of the year, which is basement depth.
USDA rates 87% of the land very limited for septic absorption fields.
Drought in Fort Bend County
83.3% of Fort Bend 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 Needville. ZIP areas reach past city limits.
| ZIP | Share of city land | Flood losses | Paid |
|---|---|---|---|
| 77461 | 100% | 108 | $6.5 million |
Homes in Needville
| Housing units | 1,277 |
| Median year built | 1976 |
| Built before 1980 | 55% |
| Built 2000 or later | 29% |
| Owner-occupied | 55% |
| Median value, owner-occupied | $221,700 |
| Single-family detached | 87% |
Nearby cities
| Place | Distance | Expansive clay | High water table |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fairchilds | 5 mi | 87% | 59% |
| Pleak | 6 mi | 80% | 58% |
| Beasley | 8 mi | 81% | 52% |
| Rosenberg | 11 mi | 77% | 64% |
| Kendleton | 11 mi | 74% | 57% |
| Richmond | 14 mi | 58% | 22% |
| Thompsons | 14 mi | 42% | 23% |
| East Bernard | 16 mi | 74% | 36% |
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