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Stafford, Texas
Inside Stafford's city limits, shrink-swell clay limits houses without basements on 71% of mapped land, higher than 76% of Texas cities. A shallow water table limits basements on 43%.
That clay share is above Fort Bend County's 64%. FEMA's flood data list 102 flood losses since 2016 in ZIP code 77477 overlapping the city. Of its 7,099 homes, 21% were built before 1980; the median dates from 1993.
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 1 overlapping ZIP
of homes built before 1980
Foundation repair in Stafford
Foundation repair in Stafford: shrink-swell clay limits slab homes on 71% of Stafford's mapped land, more than in 76% of Texas cities.
About 3,100 of Stafford's 7,099 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 Stafford city limits
| Expansive clay (limits slab homes) | 71.3% |
| High water table (limits basements) | 43.3% |
| Septic fields very limited | 86.7% |
| Clay swell (LEP, by area) | 9.9% |
| High-swell land (LEP 6%+) | 71.3% |
| Mapped soil | 4,513 acres |
| Soil series | Share here | Series nationally: expansive clay |
|---|---|---|
| Lake Charles | 53% | 97% |
| Bernard | 31% | 43% |
| Edna | 6% | n/a |
| Bacliff | 4% | n/a |
| Verland | 2% | n/a |
| Telferner | 1% | n/a |
What the numbers mean here
Clay swell averages a linear extensibility of 9.9% by land area here, and 71% of the land reaches USDA's high class (6% or more). Clay like that swells when wet and shrinks when dry, under 71% of the mapped land.
Clay shrinks as it dries: 83.3% of Fort Bend County is in drought on the latest map, and 71% of Stafford's mapped land has shrink-swell clay.
On 43% of Stafford'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 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 Stafford. ZIP areas reach past city limits.
| ZIP | Share of city land | Flood losses | Paid |
|---|---|---|---|
| 77477 | 99% | 102 | $2.2 million |
Homes in Stafford
| Housing units | 7,099 |
| Median year built | 1993 |
| Built before 1980 | 21% |
| Built 2000 or later | 33% |
| Owner-occupied | 39% |
| Median value, owner-occupied | $257,700 |
| Single-family detached | 44% |
Nearby cities
| Place | Distance | Expansive clay | High water table |
|---|---|---|---|
| Meadows Place | 2 mi | 85% | 24% |
| Sugar Land | 4 mi | 58% | 12% |
| Missouri City | 5 mi | 58% | 29% |
| Bellaire | 8 mi | 56% | 28% |
| Piney Point Village | 10 mi | 20% | 54% |
| Southside Place | 10 mi | 63% | 57% |
| Bunker Hill Village | 10 mi | 9% | 54% |
| Arcola | 10 mi | 80% | 23% |
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