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Rosenberg, Texas
Inside Rosenberg's city limits, shrink-swell clay limits houses without basements on 77% of mapped land, higher than 81% of Texas cities. A shallow water table limits basements on 64%, the 3rd-highest of 17 cities in Fort Bend County.
That clay share is above Fort Bend County's 64%. FEMA's flood data list 498 flood losses since 2016 in the 2 ZIP codes overlapping the city. Of its 16,070 homes, 28% were built before 1980; the median dates from 1997.
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 Rosenberg
Foundation repair in Rosenberg: shrink-swell clay limits slab homes on 77% of Rosenberg's mapped land, more than in 81% of Texas cities.
The city lists a permit for the work.
About 9,000 of Rosenberg's 16,070 homes are detached houses.
| City permit | Rosenberg's schedule of fees lists a $100 flat fee for foundation repair. (City of Rosenberg, read October 2, 2026) |
| Permit fee | Rosenberg's fee schedule lists a $100 flat fee for foundation repair. (City of Rosenberg) |
| 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 Rosenberg city limits
| Expansive clay (limits slab homes) | 76.8% |
| High water table (limits basements) | 63.8% |
| Septic fields very limited | 85.7% |
| Clay swell (LEP, by area) | 8.8% |
| High-swell land (LEP 6%+) | 76.9% |
| Mapped soil | 24,489 acres |
| Soil series | Share here | Series nationally: expansive clay |
|---|---|---|
| Edna | 31% | n/a |
| Lake Charles | 28% | 97% |
| Bernard | 24% | 43% |
| Brazoria | 3% | n/a |
| Verland | 3% | n/a |
| Cieno | 2% | n/a |
What the numbers mean here
Clay swell averages a linear extensibility of 8.8% by land area here, and 77% of the land reaches USDA's high class (6% or more). Clay like that swells when wet and shrinks when dry, under 77% of the mapped land.
Clay shrinks as it dries: 83.3% of Fort Bend County is in drought on the latest map, and 77% of Rosenberg's mapped land has shrink-swell clay.
On 64% of Rosenberg's mapped land, soil stays saturated within about 6 feet of the surface for part of the year, which is basement depth.
USDA rates 86% 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 Rosenberg. ZIP areas reach past city limits.
| ZIP | Share of city land | Flood losses | Paid |
|---|---|---|---|
| 77471 | 87% | 244 | $9.3 million |
| 77469 | 12% | 254 | $10.3 million |
Homes in Rosenberg
| Housing units | 16,070 |
| Median year built | 1997 |
| Built before 1980 | 28% |
| Built 2000 or later | 46% |
| Owner-occupied | 54% |
| Median value, owner-occupied | $219,100 |
| Single-family detached | 56% |
Nearby cities
| Place | Distance | Expansive clay | High water table |
|---|---|---|---|
| Richmond | 5 mi | 58% | 22% |
| Pleak | 5 mi | 80% | 58% |
| Beasley | 7 mi | 81% | 52% |
| Fairchilds | 8 mi | 87% | 59% |
| Orchard | 10 mi | 37% | 69% |
| Weston Lakes | 10 mi | 32% | 6% |
| Needville | 11 mi | 81% | 95% |
| Fulshear | 11 mi | 17% | 27% |
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