Middle band · Flower Mound, Texas
Foundation Repair in Flower Mound, TX
Sandy topsoil, a clay layer just below it and a house from the 1990s: what that mix means, and a free inspection.
A larger share of Flower Mound's homes went up in the 1990s than in any other town we studied around Denton. Of its 28,479 homes, 41.1% date from that decade. So if your house is about 30 years old and a crack has just appeared, it's natural to wonder whether it's the house, the ground or both.
- Free inspection
- No obligation
- Town-by-town soil data
- Referral service, disclosed
- Call (940) 535-7201
What have you seen?
The ground is gentler than in much of Denton County. None of our Flower Mound soil samples on land landed on very high shrink-swell clay. But sandy soil isn't the same as no clay, and that's the part most people miss. Here's what the public records say about foundation repair in Flower Mound, and what they mean for your house.
The Ground Under Flower Mound
Flower Mound sits on the middle band of Denton County, the Woodbine. On the state geologic map, 84% of our 25 sample points landed on the Woodbine Formation, a layer of sandstone and mudstone. The other four landed on open water at the south end of our grid. Texas Parks and Wildlife says the soils of the Cross Timbers formed on sandy rock such as the Woodbine, and calls them "sandy or sandy loam."
The USDA soil survey tells the same story, with one twist. It puts 22 of the points on land, one more than the geologic map, at the edge of the water. Only 3 of those 22 (13.6%) fell on soil rated high for shrink and swell, and none on very high. Here are the soils we found most often, as a share of all 25 points:
- Callisburg, 20%. About 5 inches of fine sandy loam, then sandy clay that's 40% clay. It reads 4.5 (moderate) all the way to 80 inches, with no rock.
- Gasil, 20%. The sandiest soil in town. It has a foot or more of fine sandy loam, then sandy clay loam that reads just 1.8 (low).
- Birome, 16%. About 6 to 8 inches of sandy loam over a layer that's 45% clay and reads 4.5, with soft bedrock about 31 to 34 inches down.
- Konsil, 12%. About a foot of sandy loam over sandy clay loam reading 4.5, down to about 5 and a half feet.
- Navo, 8%. The commoner of the two soils here rated high. A clay loam top gives way to clay, 45% clay, that reads 7.5 from about 5 inches down to about 6 feet.
The other 3 land points fell on less common soils. One of them is the second high soil, Wilson clay loam, which reads 7.5 below a top about 7 inches thick. On the USDA's scale, a reading of 4.5 is moderate and 7.5 is high, and very high starts at 9.
That twist is the clay layer. Four of those five soils have a sandy top 5 to 17 inches thick, then a subsoil that's 25% to 45% clay. So a flower bed can look like sand while the ground a foot or so below is something else. A reading of 4.5 is moderate, not zero, and the USDA says that once a soil rates moderate or higher, "shrinking and swelling can damage buildings."
What does that mean in practice? On Flower Mound's ground, the seasonal swing is likely smaller than on the black clay east of Lewisville. So when a crack keeps growing here, water deserves a close look: a slow leak, a downspout that empties at the wall, or a yard that drains toward the slab. Our guide to Denton County soil and rock shows how to look up the soil under your own lot.
Flower Mound Homes by Decade
The median Flower Mound home was built in 1997, the Census says. The 1990s alone brought 41.1% of the town's homes, the largest share of any of the 33 towns we studied. Corinth is next, at 35.0%. The 1980s added 14.9%, the 2000s 18.6% and the 2010s 17.7%, with 2.2% since 2020. Only 0.7% are older than 1960.
A build year doesn't say what's under the floor, but a Texas house of that age is more likely to be a slab than a raised floor. The Post-Tensioning Institute dates its design method for house slabs on expansive soil to 1980, so a 1990s slab was built well after it. Many slabs of that age have steel cables tightened inside the concrete. If yours does, nobody should cut or drill into it until the cables are found. A stamp in the garage floor near the door is a common place for a notice, though not every slab has one.
Age also helps you read a crack. HUD's rehab inspection guide says a crack half an inch wide can mean fast settling in a new building, but very slow movement in one that's 50 years old. A median Flower Mound house, at 29 years, sits in between. That's one more reason to judge a crack by whether it's still growing, not by its width alone.
- 1997Median year Flower Mound homes were built
- 0.7%Built before 1960
- 79.6%Built in 1990 or later
Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2023.
Permits and Rules in Flower Mound
Flower Mound puts its rule in one line: a homeowner must get a permit from Building Inspections to have a foundation repaired, and the work must be designed by a State-licensed engineer.
That works in your favor. The repair plan comes from an engineer, not only from the company doing the work. The town's permit page doesn't list the fee, so ask Building Inspections at 972-874-6355.
If the problem turns out to be plumbing, that's a separate permit. Flower Mound requires one for water and sewer line repairs, and the plumber has to hold a Texas license and be registered with the town.
Watering Rules in Flower Mound
The town's watering rules come from its Long-Term Water Conservation Plan:
- Sprinklers and automatic systems are off from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. and run two days a week by address. Even numbers water on Tuesday and Friday, odd numbers on Wednesday and Saturday.
- At any time, you can water by hand-held hose, a bucket filled at the faucet, drip irrigation, rainwater you've collected or water from your own well.
- For a foundation, the town suggests a soaker hose or drip line 8 to 18 inches from the foundation, run until the soil is soaked 8 to 10 inches deep.
That depth fits Flower Mound's ground well. On Callisburg, Birome and Navo, the top layer is 5 to 8 inches thick, so water soaked 8 to 10 inches deep reaches the clay below it, the part that grows and shrinks most. The Texas engineers' guidelines favor soil moisture that stays close to even on all sides of the house, and they warn against overwatering. So go around the whole house at a steady pace, not just the corner with the crack.
One catch: the town's any-time list names drip irrigation, not soaker hoses. If you'd rather use a soaker hose, ask the town how it's treated, and check the town's water conservation page for any drought stage first. Our watering guide goes into timing and amounts.
Lake and Flood Notes for Flower Mound
The Corps of Engineers lists Flower Mound among the towns around Grapevine Lake. The lake was made by damming Denton Creek, a branch of the Elm Fork of the Trinity River, and the dam was finished in 1952.
Around the lake, the government holds a flowage easement on private land at and below the 572-foot contour. That's the right to flood it. Placing a structure or doing any work inside that line needs the Corps' written permission, and the easement may not show up on the deed or plat you got from the seller. If your lot backs onto Corps land, check your deed at the county courthouse before planning work near the back of the lot. To ask about work inside the line, call the Corps' Grapevine Lake Office at (817) 865-2600.
FEMA's flood map reaches into town too. Of our 21 land points, 2 fell in the 1%-annual-chance floodplain. Our points are more than a mile apart and take in creek valleys, so that tells you nothing about any one street. To check your own address, look it up on FEMA's Flood Map Service Center.
Foundation Repair Services in Flower Mound
- Foundation inspection to measure a 1990s slab and keep the readings for next time
- Slab foundation repair for slabs on Callisburg, Birome and Navo
- Foundation crack repair to work out whether a crack is only in the drywall or goes further
- House leveling when doors start to stick or floors slope
- Pier and beam repair for raised floors over a crawl space
Flower Mound Foundation Repair Questions
My Flower Mound house sits on sandy soil. Can it still move?
Yes. Most of Flower Mound's common soils have a clay layer a few inches to a foot down, reading 4.5, which the USDA rates moderate. That's enough for shrinking and swelling to damage a building. The swing is likely smaller than on the black clay farther east, so check water and drainage as well.
Can I water my foundation at any time in Flower Mound?
By hand-held hose or drip line, yes: the town allows both at any time. Its list doesn't name soaker hoses, even though the town's own foundation tip mentions one. Ask the town about a soaker hose, or use drip.
Does a foundation repair in Flower Mound need an engineer?
Yes. The town says the work must be designed by a State-licensed engineer, and a permit from Building Inspections is needed. Texas itself doesn't license foundation repair companies, so the engineer's design is the town's check on the job.
I live near Grapevine Lake. Does that change anything?
It might. Private land at and below the 572-foot contour carries a federal flowage easement, and work inside it needs the Corps of Engineers' written permission. The deed records are at the county courthouse, not the lake office.
Nearby Towns in the Same Band
Close by on the same middle band: Trophy Club (28.6% of land points high or very high), Highland Village (16.7%), Lantana (12%) and Corinth (4.8%). Denton sits on the edge of this band and the clay band to the west.
Head east and the ground changes fast. Lewisville, about 8 miles away, sits mostly on river deposits, and 80% of its land points read high or very high. See all service areas.
Get a Free Foundation Inspection in Flower Mound
Sandy ground can still carry a clay layer, and a 1990s slab can move for more than one reason. Tell us what you've noticed. A foundation repair company that works in Flower Mound can measure the floors and talk you through the numbers, at no cost and with nothing to sign.
What have you seen?