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New Berlin, Texas
Inside New Berlin's city limits, shrink-swell clay limits houses without basements on 69% of mapped land, higher than 74% of Texas cities. A shallow water table limits basements on 1%, the 3rd-highest of 8 cities in Guadalupe County.
That clay share is above Guadalupe County's 52%. FEMA's flood data list 24 flood losses since 2016 in the 3 ZIP codes overlapping the city. Of its 255 homes, 30% were built before 1980; the median dates from 1999.
Data as of October 13, 2026 · sources · in Guadalupe County
expansive clay: shrink-swell limits slab homes
high water table: limits basements
flood losses since 2016 in 3 overlapping ZIPs
of homes built before 1980
Foundation repair in New Berlin
Foundation repair in New Berlin: shrink-swell clay limits slab homes on 69% of New Berlin's mapped land, more than in 74% of Texas cities.
About 200 of New Berlin's 255 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 New Berlin city limits
| Expansive clay (limits slab homes) | 69.5% |
| High water table (limits basements) | 1.3% |
| Septic fields very limited | 81.5% |
| Clay swell (LEP, by area) | 9.6% |
| High-swell land (LEP 6%+) | 70.3% |
| Mapped soil | 6,172 acres |
| Soil series | Share here | Series nationally: expansive clay |
|---|---|---|
| Branyon | 21% | 92% |
| Heiden | 19% | 80% |
| Crockett | 11% | 94% |
| Lewisville | 10% | n/a |
| Windthorst | 9% | 37% |
| Houston Black | 6% | 91% |
What the numbers mean here
Clay swell averages a linear extensibility of 9.6% by land area here, and 70% of the land reaches USDA's high class (6% or more). Clay like that swells when wet and shrinks when dry, under 69% of the mapped land.
Clay shrinks as it dries: 100% of Guadalupe County is in drought on the latest map, and 69% of New Berlin's mapped land has shrink-swell clay.
USDA rates 81% of the land very limited for septic absorption fields.
Drought in Guadalupe County
100% of Guadalupe 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 New Berlin. ZIP areas reach past city limits.
| ZIP | Share of city land | Flood losses | Paid |
|---|---|---|---|
| 78155 | 76% | 22 | $478,533 |
| 78124 | 14% | 2 | $0 |
| 78121 | 10% | 0 | $0 |
Homes in New Berlin
| Housing units | 255 |
| Median year built | 1999 |
| Built before 1980 | 30% |
| Built 2000 or later | 49% |
| Owner-occupied | 79% |
| Median value, owner-occupied | $434,500 |
| Single-family detached | 71% |
Nearby cities
| Place | Distance | Expansive clay | High water table |
|---|---|---|---|
| Marion | 6 mi | 84% | under 1% |
| St. Hedwig | 8 mi | 54% | under 1% |
| Santa Clara | 8 mi | 82% | under 1% |
| Cibolo | 8 mi | 78% | under 1% |
| La Vernia | 9 mi | 7% | 0% |
| Schertz | 10 mi | 63% | under 1% |
| Seguin | 11 mi | 74% | 2% |
| Converse | 12 mi | 85% | 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