What are foundation conditions like in Newcastle, Oklahoma?
In short: Only about 5% of Newcastle is mapped in high shrink-swell soil; 52% rates low 1. The soil survey also maps bedrock within 40 inches under about 38% and occasional or frequent flooding on about 17% 1. Which of these a house sits on decides whether clay swell, water, rock or soft ground is the thing to watch.
What does the soil survey show for Newcastle?
Newcastle covers about 60 square miles 2 and had 10,984 people in the 2020 Census 2.
| Measure | Share of the area |
|---|---|
| High shrink-swell soil (linear extensibility 6% or more) | 5% 1 |
| Moderate shrink-swell (3% to under 6%) | 24% 1 |
| Low shrink-swell (under 3%) | 52% 1 |
| Somewhat poorly or poorly drained | 10% 1 |
| Water table within 2 feet at some time of year | 13% 1 |
| Bedrock within 40 inches (soft or hard) | 38% 1 |
| Occasional or frequent flooding | 17% 1 |
Which soils matter most for houses in Newcastle?
- Grant, about 13% of the area 1: Deep, well drained, moderately permeable soils 3.
- Nash, about 13% of the area 1: Moderately deep, well drained, moderately permeable upland soils that formed in material weathered from sandstone of Permian age 4.
- Gracemore, about 10% of the area 1: Very deep, somewhat poorly drained, moderately rapid to rapidly permeable soils formed in calcareous sandy alluvium of Recent age 5.
- Stephenville, about 10% of the area 1: Moderately deep, well drained, soils formed in material weathered from sandstone of Permian age 6.
- Lucien, about 9% of the area 1: Shallow, well drained soils on the summits and shoulders of low hills that formed in material weathered from sandstone, interbedded with clay, siltstone, or sandy shale of Permian age 7.
What does this mean for houses in Newcastle?
Shallow rock. Where bedrock is close to the surface, lots are often cut into rock on one side and built up with fill on the other, so fill settlement and slope creep matter more than clay swell, and piers can stop at very different depths across one house. See depth to rock from borings.
Flood-prone soils. Floodplain soils are layered stream deposits: softer, wetter and more variable than upland soils, and they flood. See soft soil consolidation and Quaternary alluvium and terraces.
Which soils cover Newcastle?
| Soil | Share |
|---|---|
| Grant | 12.8% 1 |
| Nash | 12.6% 1 |
| Gracemore | 9.8% 1 |
| Stephenville | 9.6% 1 |
| Lucien | 8.8% 1 |
| Minco | 7.1% 1 |
| Pond Creek | 5.5% 1 |
| Bethany | 4.3% 1 |
ZIP codes in Newcastle
Looking for a foundation company near Newcastle?
Companies that serve Newcastle can appear on the company map in the Homeowner Hub. Paid listings there are marked Sponsored; the library and the AI guide don't rank or recommend any of them.
Buying or selling a house in Newcastle? Realtors who serve the area can be on the same map, also marked Sponsored, and for realtors covers the seller disclosure form, inspections and the sale timeline. Seeing cracks at home? Start with for homeowners.
How were these numbers measured?
We overlaid the city limits from the Census Bureau 2 on the USDA soil survey's map units 1 and added up the area of each soil. Where a map unit is a mix of soils, its area was split by the percentages the survey lists for its major soils, so shares leave out minor inclusions and do not add to 100%. Shrink-swell is rated by the linear extensibility of a soil's most expansive layer, the survey's measure of how much it changes length between wet and dry (6% or more is high). Water table, bedrock and flooding come from the survey's map-unit summaries: the shallowest water table in any month, the shallowest bedrock, and the most common flooding frequency. Bedrock here includes soft, weathered sandstone and shale that a pier can push through, so it is not the depth where piers stop. These are mapped averages, not a test of any one lot; fill, grading and the soil actually under a house can differ, which is why a site visit or soil boring still decides a repair.
Related
- Oklahoma City metro
- Blanchard
- Moore
- Tuttle
- Mustang
- Compare Oklahoma cities
- Shrink-swell and the active zone
Common questions
How much of Newcastle has expansive clay soil?
About 5% of Newcastle is mapped in soils rated high shrink-swell, 24% moderate and 52% low, measured inside the city limits from the USDA soil survey.
What is the most common soil in Newcastle?
Grant, which covers about 13% of the city. USDA describes it as deep, well drained, moderately permeable soils.
Is rock shallow in Newcastle?
Bedrock is within 40 inches of the surface under about 38% of the city, according to the USDA soil survey's map-unit data. Where rock is that shallow, piers and footings can reach it quickly, and cut-and-fill lots are common.
Does Newcastle have high groundwater or flooding?
The soil survey maps a water table within 2 feet of the surface at some time of year under about 13% of the city, and occasional or frequent flooding on about 17%.
Sources
- Soil Survey Geographic Database (SSURGO), queried through Soil Data Access, November 2026 USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service
- TIGERweb, 2020 Census: Incorporated Places and ZIP Code Tabulation Areas U.S. Census Bureau
- Official Soil Series Description: GRANT Series USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service
- Official Soil Series Description: NASH Series USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service
- Official Soil Series Description: GRACEMORE Series USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service
- Official Soil Series Description: STEPHENVILLE Series USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service
- Official Soil Series Description: LUCIEN Series USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service
Was this page helpful?
Thanks. Your note goes straight to the person who maintains this library.