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West University Place, Texas
Inside West University Place's city limits, shrink-swell clay limits houses without basements on 56% of mapped land, higher than 63% of Texas cities. A shallow water table limits basements on 48%.
That clay share is above Harris County's 25%. USDA doesn't rate the 37% of mapped land classed as urban land, so these shares are floors. FEMA's flood data list 248 flood losses since 2016 in ZIP code 77005 overlapping the city. Of its 5,362 homes, 27% were built before 1980; the median dates from 1992.
Data as of October 13, 2026 · sources · in Harris 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 West University Place
Foundation repair in West University Place: shrink-swell clay limits slab homes on 56% of West University Place's mapped land, more than in 63% of Texas cities.
About 5,100 of West University Place's 5,362 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 West University Place city limits
| Expansive clay (limits slab homes) | 56.3% |
| High water table (limits basements) | 47.8% |
| Septic fields very limited | 77.3% |
| Clay swell (LEP, by area) | 8.7% |
| High-swell land (LEP 6%+) | 56.3% |
| Urban land, not rated | 36.8% |
| Mapped soil | 1,285 acres |
| Soil series | Share here | Series nationally: expansive clay |
|---|---|---|
| Bernard | 33% | 43% |
| Bacliff | 15% | n/a |
| Lake Charles | 9% | 97% |
| Verland | 1% | n/a |
| Aris | under 1% | n/a |
What the numbers mean here
Clay swell averages a linear extensibility of 8.7% by land area here, and 56% of the land reaches USDA's high class (6% or more). Clay like that swells when wet and shrinks when dry, under 56% of the mapped land.
Clay shrinks as it dries: 82.9% of Harris County is in drought on the latest map, and 56% of West University Place's mapped land has shrink-swell clay.
On 48% of West University Place's mapped land, soil stays saturated within about 6 feet of the surface for part of the year, which is basement depth.
USDA rates 77% of the land very limited for septic absorption fields.
Drought in Harris County
82.9% of Harris 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 West University Place. ZIP areas reach past city limits.
| ZIP | Share of city land | Flood losses | Paid |
|---|---|---|---|
| 77005 | 98% | 248 | $10.0 million |
Homes in West University Place
| Housing units | 5,362 |
| Median year built | 1992 |
| Built before 1980 | 27% |
| Built 2000 or later | 33% |
| Owner-occupied | 93% |
| Median value, owner-occupied | $1.5 million |
| Single-family detached | 96% |
Nearby cities
| Place | Distance | Expansive clay | High water table |
|---|---|---|---|
| Southside Place | 0 mi | 63% | 57% |
| Bellaire | 2 mi | 56% | 28% |
| Houston | 5 mi | 29% | 48% |
| Hunters Creek Village | 6 mi | 24% | 49% |
| Piney Point Village | 6 mi | 20% | 54% |
| Hilshire Village | 6 mi | 27% | 56% |
| Spring Valley Village | 7 mi | 0% | 56% |
| Hedwig Village | 7 mi | 0% | 55% |
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