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Richmond, Texas
Inside Richmond's city limits, shrink-swell clay limits houses without basements on 58% of mapped land, higher than 64% of Texas cities. A shallow water table limits basements on 22%.
That clay share is below Fort Bend County's 64%. FEMA's flood data list 1,101 flood losses since 2016 in the 2 ZIP codes overlapping the city. Of its 5,063 homes, 47% were built before 1980; the median dates from 1984.
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 2 overlapping ZIPs
of homes built before 1980
Foundation repair in Richmond
Foundation repair in Richmond: shrink-swell clay limits slab homes on 58% of Richmond's mapped land, more than in 64% of Texas cities.
About 2,400 of Richmond's 5,063 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 Richmond city limits
| Expansive clay (limits slab homes) | 58.1% |
| High water table (limits basements) | 21.5% |
| Septic fields very limited | 78.7% |
| Clay swell (LEP, by area) | 10.2% |
| High-swell land (LEP 6%+) | 65.4% |
| Mapped soil | 3,287 acres |
| Soil series | Share here | Series nationally: expansive clay |
|---|---|---|
| Lake Charles | 30% | 97% |
| Bernard | 11% | 43% |
| Pledger | 9% | n/a |
| Clemville | 8% | n/a |
| Brazoria | 8% | n/a |
| Edna | 6% | n/a |
What the numbers mean here
Clay swell averages a linear extensibility of 10.2% by land area here, and 65% of the land reaches USDA's high class (6% or more). Clay like that swells when wet and shrinks when dry, under 58% of the mapped land.
Clay shrinks as it dries: 83.3% of Fort Bend County is in drought on the latest map, and 58% of Richmond's mapped land has shrink-swell clay.
On 22% of Richmond's mapped land, soil stays saturated within about 6 feet of the surface for part of the year, which is basement depth.
USDA rates 79% 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 Richmond. ZIP areas reach past city limits.
| ZIP | Share of city land | Flood losses | Paid |
|---|---|---|---|
| 77469 | 86% | 254 | $10.3 million |
| 77406 | 14% | 847 | $64.3 million |
Homes in Richmond
| Housing units | 5,063 |
| Median year built | 1984 |
| Built before 1980 | 47% |
| Built 2000 or later | 35% |
| Owner-occupied | 54% |
| Median value, owner-occupied | $231,500 |
| Single-family detached | 47% |
Nearby cities
| Place | Distance | Expansive clay | High water table |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rosenberg | 5 mi | 77% | 64% |
| Sugar Land | 8 mi | 58% | 12% |
| Pleak | 8 mi | 80% | 58% |
| Fairchilds | 10 mi | 87% | 59% |
| Thompsons | 10 mi | 42% | 23% |
| Beasley | 11 mi | 81% | 52% |
| Fulshear | 11 mi | 17% | 27% |
| Meadows Place | 11 mi | 85% | 24% |
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