HomeTexasOrange CountyPine Forest
Pine Forest, Texas
Inside Pine Forest's city limits, shrink-swell clay limits houses without basements on 41% of mapped land, the 4th-highest of 7 cities in Orange County. A shallow water table limits basements on 55%, the 2nd-highest of 7 cities in Orange County.
That clay share is above Orange County's 26%. FEMA's flood data list 2,224 flood losses since 2016 in ZIP code 77662 overlapping the city. Of its 213 homes, 47% were built before 1980; the median dates from 1982.
Data as of October 13, 2026 · sources · in Orange 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 Pine Forest
Foundation repair in Pine Forest: shrink-swell clay limits slab homes on 41% of Pine Forest's mapped land.
About 200 of Pine Forest's 213 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 Pine Forest city limits
| Expansive clay (limits slab homes) | 40.8% |
| High water table (limits basements) | 54.7% |
| Septic fields very limited | 87.3% |
| Clay swell (LEP, by area) | 7.4% |
| High-swell land (LEP 6%+) | 56.3% |
| Mapped soil | 1,816 acres |
| Soil series | Share here | Series nationally: expansive clay |
|---|---|---|
| Spurger | 24% | n/a |
| Evadale | 16% | n/a |
| Vamont | 12% | n/a |
| Belrose | 11% | n/a |
| Caneyhead | 10% | n/a |
| Simelake | 5% | n/a |
What the numbers mean here
Clay swell averages a linear extensibility of 7.4% by land area here, and 56% of the land reaches USDA's high class (6% or more). Clay like that swells when wet and shrinks when dry, under 41% of the mapped land.
Clay shrinks as it dries: 100% of Orange County is in drought on the latest map, and 41% of Pine Forest's mapped land has shrink-swell clay.
On 55% of Pine Forest'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 Orange County
100% of Orange 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 Pine Forest. ZIP areas reach past city limits.
| ZIP | Share of city land | Flood losses | Paid |
|---|---|---|---|
| 77662 | 100% | 2,224 | $217.7 million |
Homes in Pine Forest
| Housing units | 213 |
| Median year built | 1982 |
| Built before 1980 | 47% |
| Built 2000 or later | 28% |
| Owner-occupied | 90% |
| Median value, owner-occupied | $155,600 |
| Single-family detached | 78% |
Nearby cities
| Place | Distance | Expansive clay | High water table |
|---|---|---|---|
| Vidor | 4 mi | 38% | 52% |
| Rose City | 5 mi | 18% | 42% |
| Beaumont | 9 mi | 28% | 28% |
| Rose Hill Acres | 9 mi | 82% | 16% |
| Lumberton | 12 mi | 0% | 57% |
| Bevil Oaks | 14 mi | 25% | 80% |
| Nederland | 14 mi | under 1% | under 1% |
| Silsbee | 14 mi | 1% | 43% |
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