Foundation repair · Selma, Texas
Foundation Repair in Selma, TX
The newest homes in the area, mostly calm ground, and one clay that hides below the top layer.
Selma has the highest share of new homes of all 27 places we studied around New Braunfels. About 95.5% of its homes were built in 1990 or later, and nearly half, 49.6%, in the 2010s alone. If you're finding cracks in a Selma house that's only a few years old, it can feel like something must have gone wrong.
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- Free inspectionIt costs nothing
- No obligationStopping after the inspection is fine
- Town-by-town soil dataFrom the USDA soil survey
- Referral service, disclosedWe pass requests to local pros
- Call (830) 500-5898Or send the short form
Sometimes it has, and sometimes it's the ground. Most of Selma sits on calmer soils than its neighbors, but one clay found there reads 17.0 for shrink and swell, tied for the highest reading anywhere in our study. If you're looking into foundation repair in Selma, knowing which ground your house is on is the place to start.
Clay or Rock: The Ground Under Selma
We sampled the USDA soil survey at 25 points across Selma. Here's what turned up:
The calmer ground, 44% of our points:
- Austin silty clay, 12%, reading 5.1. The survey says it formed from chalk, with bedrock about 29 inches down.
- Eckrant cobbly clay, 12%, reading 4.8. It formed from limestone, with bedrock about 11 inches down.
- Sunev loam, 12%, reading just 1.5, low on the USDA's scale.
- Whitewright, 8%, reading 4.5. It formed from Austin chalk, with bedrock about 15 inches down.
The middle ground: Lewisville silty clay, 16%, reading 7.5, in the high band. It's Selma's most common soil.
The active clay, 12% of our points: Houston Black. In Selma, the survey has it reading 7.5 near the surface and 17.0 from about 8 inches down. That top layer can make it look calmer than it is.
On the USDA's scale, anything over 9 is very high. Only 12% of our Selma points landed there, the lowest share of any town we serve except Canyon Lake, and well below New Braunfels' 40%. But a house that does sit on Selma's Houston Black is on some of the most active ground in the survey.
What it means for your house: on Austin, Eckrant, Sunev or Whitewright, there's little soil to swell or shrink, so a moving house is a reason to look for water first, such as a plumbing leak, a downspout emptying at the wall, or a low corner. On Houston Black, even moisture around the slab matters most. Our guide to New Braunfels soil shows how to look up your own lot.
What Selma Homes Are Built On
The US Census counts 4,179 homes in Selma, with a median build year of 2010. About 95.5% went up in 1990 or later: 6.2% in the 1990s, 38.0% in the 2000s, 49.6% in the 2010s and 1.7% since 2020. Only 4.2% date from 1960 to 1989, and 0.4% from before 1960.
The Census records build years, not foundations. Still, homes this young are very likely on concrete slabs, and many are probably post-tension, with steel cables pulled tight inside the concrete. That's a trend, not a fact about your house. It matters because nobody should drill or cut into a post-tension slab without knowing where the cables run. Our post-tension slab guide explains how to tell.
With homes this new, a builder's warranty may still apply. If you bought from a builder, look through your closing papers for any warranty that covers the foundation before you arrange a repair.
- 2010Median year Selma homes were built
- 0.4%Built before 1960
- 95.5%Built in 1990 or later
Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2023.
Permits and Rules in Selma
Selma's permits page says permits and inspections are required for a number of jobs, and names "work involving foundation" first among its examples. So plan on a permit and inspections for foundation repair in Selma.
The city doesn't publish a fee or a list of documents for foundation repair that we could find. Its page asks people to call 210-651-7807 before beginning construction, and that's the number to use to confirm what's needed for your job.
A permit means the city has a record of the work and inspects it. If anyone offers to skip it, that's a good reason to get another quote. Our guide to foundation repair permits compares the rules across the area.
Foundation Repair Services in Selma
- Slab foundation repair for young slabs, on clay or on rock
- Foundation inspection to measure the floors and find the cause before anyone prices a repair
- Foundation crack repair to tell a settling crack in a new house from one that's still moving
- House leveling when floors have gone out of level
- Pier and beam repair for older raised houses
Selma Foundation Repair Questions
Why is my new Selma house cracking?
It could be the ground, or something else. Most of Selma sits on calmer soils, so if your lot is on one of them, a plumbing leak or poor drainage is worth ruling out first. If it's on Houston Black, which reads 17.0 from about 8 inches down in Selma, clay movement is a strong suspect.
Do I need a permit for foundation repair in Selma?
Yes. Selma's permits page lists work involving foundation among the jobs that need permits and inspections. Call 210-651-7807 to confirm the fee and what to submit.
What are Selma's watering rules?
We couldn't find current watering rules on the city's utilities page, so check with the city before you set up a soaker hose. Whatever the rules, the goal is even moisture all the way around the slab. Our foundation watering guide explains how.
Is my house on chalk or limestone?
It depends on the lot. In our Selma sample, Austin and Whitewright formed from chalk, and Eckrant formed from limestone. The USDA's free Web Soil Survey will show the soil for your address.
Nearby Towns We Serve
We serve Selma and the towns around it, including Schertz, Live Oak, Universal City, Garden Ridge, Converse and Cibolo.
Live Oak, next door, shows how fast things change. It had 48% of its sample points on very high clay, four times Selma's 12%. See all service areas.
Get a Free Foundation Inspection in Selma
Let us know what you've noticed, and we'll pass it to a foundation repair professional who works in Selma. They'll take a look and talk you through what they find. It costs nothing, and there's no obligation.
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