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Schertz, Texas
Inside Schertz's city limits, shrink-swell clay limits houses without basements on 63% of mapped land, higher than 67% of Texas cities. A shallow water table limits basements on under 1%.
That clay share is above Guadalupe County's 52%. FEMA's flood data list 13 flood losses since 2016 in the 3 ZIP codes overlapping the city. Of its 16,573 homes, 17% were built before 1980; the median dates from 2002.
Data as of October 13, 2026 · sources · in Guadalupe County
expansive clay: shrink-swell limits slab homes
high water table: limits basements
flood losses since 2016 in 3 overlapping ZIPs
of homes built before 1980
Foundation repair in Schertz
Foundation repair in Schertz: shrink-swell clay limits slab homes on 63% of Schertz's mapped land, more than in 67% of Texas cities.
The city requires a permit for the work.
About 14,300 of Schertz's 16,573 homes are detached houses.
| City permit | Required. Schertz requires a building permit for foundation repair. (City of Schertz, Planning & Community Development, read October 2, 2026) |
| Permit fee | Schertz's 2025-26 fee schedule lists a $225 fee for foundation repair. (City of Schertz, Planning & Community Development) |
| Engineer | Schertz requires a letter or report signed and sealed by a Texas licensed engineer after repairs, saying the foundation was repaired to design specifications. (City of Schertz, Planning & Community Development) |
| Contractor registration | Schertz requires all contractors doing business in the city to register through its web portal. (City of Schertz, Planning & Community Development) |
| Prices | Cost guide ranges compared |
Soil under Schertz city limits
| Expansive clay (limits slab homes) | 62.8% |
| High water table (limits basements) | 0.1% |
| Septic fields very limited | 82.5% |
| Clay swell (LEP, by area) | 8.2% |
| High-swell land (LEP 6%+) | 61.1% |
| Mapped soil | 24,399 acres |
| Soil series | Share here | Series nationally: expansive clay |
|---|---|---|
| Houston Black | 21% | 91% |
| Heiden | 13% | 80% |
| Lewisville | 12% | n/a |
| Austin | 7% | 93% |
| Branyon | 7% | 92% |
| Patrick | 6% | n/a |
What the numbers mean here
Clay swell averages a linear extensibility of 8.2% by land area here, and 61% of the land reaches USDA's high class (6% or more). Clay like that swells when wet and shrinks when dry, under 63% of the mapped land.
Clay shrinks as it dries: 100% of Guadalupe County is in drought on the latest map, and 63% of Schertz's mapped land has shrink-swell clay.
USDA rates 83% of the land very limited for septic absorption fields.
Drought in Guadalupe County
100% of Guadalupe 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 Schertz. ZIP areas reach past city limits.
| ZIP | Share of city land | Flood losses | Paid |
|---|---|---|---|
| 78154 | 71% | 3 | $9,310 |
| 78108 | 16% | 2 | $48,778 |
| 78132 | 12% | 8 | $239,731 |
Homes in Schertz
| Housing units | 16,573 |
| Median year built | 2002 |
| Built before 1980 | 17% |
| Built 2000 or later | 55% |
| Owner-occupied | 78% |
| Median value, owner-occupied | $317,100 |
| Single-family detached | 86% |
Nearby cities
| Place | Distance | Expansive clay | High water table |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cibolo | 2 mi | 78% | under 1% |
| Universal City | 3 mi | 63% | 0% |
| Selma | 4 mi | 60% | 0% |
| Converse | 5 mi | 85% | 0% |
| Live Oak | 5 mi | 46% | 0% |
| Garden Ridge | 6 mi | 21% | under 1% |
| Santa Clara | 6 mi | 82% | under 1% |
| Marion | 7 mi | 84% | under 1% |
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