Protecting Your Foundation in a Texas Drought

On the Blackland Prairie clays east of I-35, and in clay pockets across the metro, drought is when foundations move most. As the soil dries, it shrinks and pulls away from the slab edges, so corners drop and cracks open. Then the fall rains come, the clay swells, and the slab moves again. You can't control the weather, but you can make soil moisture under your foundation more consistent.

How to tell your soil is drying

• Gaps between soil and the slab edge.
• Cracks in the yard wide enough to fit fingers.
• New or wider cracks in drywall or brick.
• Doors that start sticking in late summer.

A seasonal routine

Spring

• Clean gutters and confirm downspouts discharge several feet away from the house.
• Check grading. Soil should slope away from the foundation.
• Photograph and date existing cracks.

Summer drought

• Water near the foundation consistently using soaker hoses placed a short distance from the slab, not right against it. The goal is even moisture, not mud.
• Water in the early morning or evening, and follow local watering restrictions.
• Keep an eye on cracks. Pencil-mark the ends and date them.

Fall

• As rains return, make sure water drains away. Fix low spots that pond near the slab.
• Compare crack marks to your summer notes.

Winter

• Check for plumbing leaks (higher water bills, warm spots on floors, the meter moving with everything off). Under-slab leaks can cause localized heave.

Trees and roots

Large trees near the house draw heavy amounts of moisture in drought. Options include:

• root barriers installed by professionals;
• deep watering of the tree away from the house;
• consulting an arborist before removing a tree, since sudden removal changes soil moisture and Austin regulates large trees. See Austin tree rules.

Don't overwater

Saturating soil against a foundation can cause heave and attract pests. Consistent, moderate moisture is the goal.

When to call an engineer

• cracks wider than you can comfortably fit a coin into, or still growing over time;
• doors and windows that no longer close;
• sloping floors;
• cracks in brick that run across several courses.

Hire a licensed professional engineer for an independent evaluation before contacting repair companies. Minor crack repairs are relatively inexpensive. HomeGuide's 2026 guide puts them at $250 to $800 per crack, while settlement repairs cost far more. See our foundation repair guide.

Plumbing checks

If movement is unexplained, a plumbing leak test by a licensed plumber can reveal under-slab leaks. After any foundation lift, a test confirms drains weren't damaged.

Soaker hose setup tips

• Run the hose in a loop around the house, roughly 12 to 18 inches from the slab edge, so water soaks into soil next to the foundation rather than pooling against it.
• Bury it under an inch or two of mulch to slow evaporation.
• A timer makes watering consistent. Short, regular cycles beat occasional floods.
• Check that soil next to the slab stays moist but not muddy, a few inches down.
• Pay attention to the sunny south and west sides, which dry out fastest.

Drainage fixes that pay off

Poor drainage causes as much movement as drought. Fixes include:

• extending downspouts or connecting them to buried drain lines that discharge well away from the house;
• regrading beds that slope toward the slab;
• installing French drains where runoff from neighbors' yards collects;
• keeping flower bed edging from trapping water against the foundation.

Keeping records

Keep a simple log: date, crack photos with a ruler, interior door fit, and watering schedule. If you ever need an engineer, a year of observations helps them separate seasonal movement from progressive settlement. That record also helps when you sell.