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Orchard, Texas
Inside Orchard's city limits, shrink-swell clay limits houses without basements on 37% of mapped land. A shallow water table limits basements on 69%, the 2nd-highest of 17 cities in Fort Bend County.
That clay share is below Fort Bend County's 64%. FEMA's flood data list 8 flood losses since 2016 in ZIP code 77464 overlapping the city. Of its 131 homes, 66% were built before 1980; the median dates from 1974.
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 Orchard
Foundation repair in Orchard: shrink-swell clay limits slab homes on 37% of Orchard's mapped land.
About 100 of Orchard's 131 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 Orchard city limits
| Expansive clay (limits slab homes) | 37.0% |
| High water table (limits basements) | 68.9% |
| Septic fields very limited | 89.5% |
| Clay swell (LEP, by area) | 4.9% |
| High-swell land (LEP 6%+) | 37.0% |
| Mapped soil | 257 acres |
| Soil series | Share here | Series nationally: expansive clay |
|---|---|---|
| Bernard | 56% | 43% |
| Lake Charles | 29% | 97% |
| Edna | 12% | n/a |
| Verland | 1% | n/a |
| Cieno | 1% | n/a |
| Leton | 1% | n/a |
What the numbers mean here
Clay swell averages a linear extensibility of 4.9% by land area here, and 37% of the land reaches USDA's high class (6% or more). Clay like that swells when wet and shrinks when dry, under 37% of the mapped land.
Clay shrinks as it dries: 83.3% of Fort Bend County is in drought on the latest map, and 37% of Orchard's mapped land has shrink-swell clay.
On 69% of Orchard's mapped land, soil stays saturated within about 6 feet of the surface for part of the year, which is basement depth.
USDA rates 90% 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 Orchard. ZIP areas reach past city limits.
| ZIP | Share of city land | Flood losses | Paid |
|---|---|---|---|
| 77464 | 100% | 8 | $263,465 |
Homes in Orchard
| Housing units | 131 |
| Median year built | 1974 |
| Built before 1980 | 66% |
| Built 2000 or later | 24% |
| Owner-occupied | 76% |
| Median value, owner-occupied | $231,300 |
| Single-family detached | 66% |
Nearby cities
| Place | Distance | Expansive clay | High water table |
|---|---|---|---|
| Weston Lakes | 4 mi | 32% | 6% |
| Simonton | 5 mi | 41% | 2% |
| Wallis | 6 mi | 86% | 61% |
| East Bernard | 8 mi | 74% | 36% |
| Beasley | 8 mi | 81% | 52% |
| Fulshear | 8 mi | 17% | 27% |
| Rosenberg | 10 mi | 77% | 64% |
| Kendleton | 11 mi | 74% | 57% |
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