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Rowlett, Texas
Inside Rowlett's city limits, shrink-swell clay limits houses without basements on 78% of mapped land, the 3rd-highest of 24 cities in Dallas County. A shallow water table limits basements on under 1%.
That clay share is above Dallas County's 51%. FEMA's flood data list 2 flood losses since 2016 in the 2 ZIP codes overlapping the city. Of its 24,216 homes, 10% were built before 1980; the median dates from 1997.
Data as of October 13, 2026 · sources · in Dallas 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 Rowlett
Foundation repair in Rowlett: shrink-swell clay limits slab homes on 78% of Rowlett's mapped land, more than in 84% of Texas cities.
The city requires a permit for the work.
About 20,100 of Rowlett's 24,216 homes are detached houses.
| City permit | Required. Rowlett lists foundation repair among the work for which permits are also required. (City of Rowlett, Texas, read October 2, 2026) |
| 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 Rowlett city limits
| Expansive clay (limits slab homes) | 78.4% |
| High water table (limits basements) | 0.1% |
| Septic fields very limited | 82.4% |
| Clay swell (LEP, by area) | 11.6% |
| High-swell land (LEP 6%+) | 81.0% |
| Urban land, not rated | 1.5% |
| Mapped soil | 13,324 acres |
| Soil series | Share here | Series nationally: expansive clay |
|---|---|---|
| Houston Black | 37% | 91% |
| Heiden | 17% | 80% |
| Burleson | 8% | 84% |
| Ferris | 8% | n/a |
| Altoga | 7% | n/a |
| Branyon | 5% | 92% |
What the numbers mean here
Clay swell averages a linear extensibility of 11.6% by land area here, and 81% of the land reaches USDA's high class (6% or more). Clay like that swells when wet and shrinks when dry, under 78% of the mapped land.
Clay shrinks as it dries: 100% of Dallas County is in drought on the latest map, and 78% of Rowlett's mapped land has shrink-swell clay.
USDA rates 82% of the land very limited for septic absorption fields.
Drought in Dallas County
100% of Dallas 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 Rowlett. ZIP areas reach past city limits.
| ZIP | Share of city land | Flood losses | Paid |
|---|---|---|---|
| 75089 | 53% | 1 | $0 |
| 75088 | 43% | 1 | $90,643 |
Homes in Rowlett
| Housing units | 24,216 |
| Median year built | 1997 |
| Built before 1980 | 10% |
| Built 2000 or later | 42% |
| Owner-occupied | 75% |
| Median value, owner-occupied | $368,800 |
| Single-family detached | 83% |
Nearby cities
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