How We Work
The Process That
Protects Your
Investment
Historic homes require a fundamentally different build process than new construction. What follows is not a general contractor’s approach — it is ours, refined over twenty years and 140+ Houston projects.
18+
Years of craft
140+
Projects delivered
$1M+
Luxury tier expertise
100%
Client satisfaction
Why Process Matters More in Historic Homes
Most Builders Quote
Before They Look
A 1920s River Oaks Georgian and a 2010 Tanglewood new-build require fundamentally different construction approaches — and fundamentally different pre-construction processes. The first has original horsehair plaster walls, balloon framing, knob-and-tube wiring from two eras, a pier-and-beam foundation that has moved with eighty Houston summers, and galvanized supply lines that may be days from failure. The second has a set of construction documents that told you exactly what was there before you started.
Most builders quote historic renovations the way they quote new construction: they look at your plans and give you a number based on what they expect to find. We quote after we actually look — opening walls, inspecting structure, documenting mechanical condition before a line of contract is written. The process takes longer upfront. It eliminates nearly every surprise during construction.
01
Phase One — Complimentary
Discovery &
Initial Alignment
Every engagement begins with a conversation — typically 30 to 60 minutes with Kirby directly. We listen to your vision, your timeline, your concerns about what you have heard from other contractors, and your sense of what the project should feel like when it is finished. No sales presentation. No glossy brochure. Just a direct conversation between a builder and the family he is deciding whether to serve.
- —Complimentary discovery call with Kirby — not a coordinator or sales representative
- —Preliminary project type assessment: renovation scope, custom build, or addition
- —Honest alignment conversation about budget range, timeline expectations, and project complexity
- —Site visit scheduling if mutual fit is established
- —Introduction to our process, our contract structure, and what you should expect at each phase
Shadowlawn Estate — Where the Conversation Begins
02
Phase Two — The Signature Step
Pre-Construction
Assessment
This is what separates Kirby Taylor Homes from every general contractor who ever gave you a quote in twenty minutes. Before we write a fixed-price contract for any renovation, we assess the property — physically. Walls are opened in key locations. Structure is examined. Mechanical systems are documented. Every discovery is photographed and priced before contract is executed. What you sign reflects what is actually behind your walls, not what we hope to find.
- —Structural inspection: foundation type, framing method, load-bearing conditions, evidence of movement
- —Electrical documentation: panel age and amperage, wiring material, circuit capacity throughout
- —Plumbing assessment: supply line material (copper vs. galvanized), drain condition, fixture connections
- —HVAC evaluation: system capacity, distribution condition, ductwork age and routing
- —Material and character survey: original flooring species, plaster profiles, millwork details, brick match assessment
- —Permit and regulatory research: setback confirmation, deed restriction review, permit history
Behind the Walls — Every System Documented
03
Phase Three — Design & Contract
Design, Specification
& Fixed-Price Agreement
With the assessment complete and all discoveries documented, we move into the planning phase. For renovations, this means scope-of-work finalization, material specification, and subcontractor engagement. For custom builds, it means architectural collaboration, complete document review, and value-engineering input before construction locks. The fixed-price contract is executed at the conclusion of this phase — after we know exactly what we are building, not before.
- —Scope-of-work documentation: every line item in plain English before you sign anything
- —Material specification and lead time confirmation across all trades
- —Architectural plan review and constructability input (custom builds)
- —Subcontractor bid review and selection — all trades approved by Kirby personally
- —Fixed-price contract execution with milestone-based payment schedule
- —Construction timeline publication with float built in for Houston weather and material lead times
Specification Locked — Plans, Materials, Trades
04
Phase Four — Construction
Construction with
Full Transparency
Construction is where most client relationships with other builders break down: the communication dries up, the surprises accumulate, and the completion date quietly moves. Our construction phase is defined by the opposite: weekly written updates, documented milestone walkthroughs at every critical stage, and Kirby on site every week regardless of project complexity. If something changes — weather, supply chain, subcontractor schedule — you hear about it from us before it becomes a problem.
- —Kirby on site for a minimum of one documented weekly review — every week, every project
- —Written progress reports delivered weekly with photography and schedule status
- —Milestone walkthroughs: foundation (custom builds), framing, mechanical rough-in, drywall, and substantial completion
- —All change orders documented in writing with cost and schedule impact before execution — no verbal approvals
- —Full permit inspection management — we coordinate every city inspection and provide documentation
- —Direct access to Kirby by phone throughout construction — your questions do not wait for the next scheduled meeting
Active Build — Documented Weekly, On Site Personally
05
Phase Five — Completion
Delivery &
Lasting Relationship
Key delivery is not the end of our relationship. It is the beginning of the one that lasts. We conduct a thorough final walkthrough with you — room by room, system by system — before keys are transferred. A punch-list is executed completely before we consider the project closed. After delivery, we remain your first call for warranty items, trade referrals, and the questions that surface as you settle into the space. Most of our new projects come from clients or neighbors of clients whose work we finished in the past five years.
- —Room-by-room final walkthrough with Kirby before key transfer
- —Complete punch-list execution — nothing deferred or carried as ‘acceptable with conditions’
- —Certificate of occupancy and permit close-out documentation provided
- —Appliance, system, and material warranty documentation organized and delivered
- —Post-completion availability for warranty items — direct line to Kirby, not an anonymous service department
- —Ongoing trade referral network for future maintenance, landscaping, and specialty work
Delivered — A Home Returned to Its Family
What Historic Homes Reveal
What We Find — and What We Do With It
In twenty years of Houston’s historic neighborhoods, we have seen every surprise a wall can hide. The difference between us and contractors who charge you for discoveries is that we find them before we write the contract.
01
Balloon Framing
Pre-1940 Houston homes were often built with balloon framing — continuous studs running from foundation to roof without platform separation. Beautiful from a character standpoint. Complex from a renovation standpoint. We know what it means for your walls, your insulation, and your fireblocking requirements before we touch a nail.
02
Knob-and-Tube Wiring
Homes built before the 1940s frequently retain knob-and-tube electrical — and sometimes mid-century work overlaid on top of it. We document the full electrical picture before contract. The replacement cost is in your fixed-price number, not in a mid-project change order that derails your budget.
03
Galvanized Supply Lines
Galvanized steel water supply lines in pre-1960 homes degrade from the inside, restricting flow and eventually failing without warning. We locate and assess galvanized runs during pre-construction assessment and include full replacement within your renovation scope when warranted — not as a surprise the morning a pipe bursts.
04
Pier-and-Beam Movement
Houston’s expansive clay soils move. Homes on pier-and-beam foundations in The Heights, Montrose, and River Oaks show decades of this movement — floor deflections, door frame racking, and diagonal cracking in plaster. We assess and document the structural picture so you know exactly what the home has been doing and what it will require going forward.
What You Can Always Count On
Our Standing Commitments
These are not promises we make in proposals and walk back during construction. They are operational standards we have maintained for twenty years — because they are the reason clients come back and refer their neighbors.
Fixed-Price Contracts
The number you sign is the number you pay. Overruns from our estimates are absorbed by us. Cost impacts from client-directed scope changes are documented in writing before execution — always.
Weekly Written Updates
Every active project receives a written progress report every week without exception. Schedule status, photography, and upcoming decisions — in writing, before your questions can form.
Principal On Site Weekly
Kirby Taylor reviews every active project on site every week — personally. Not a project manager. Not a site supervisor reporting to someone you have never met. Kirby.
No Verbal Change Orders
Every change in scope — however small — is documented in writing with cost and schedule impact clearly stated, and requires your written approval before any work proceeds. Period.
Communication on Your Project
You Are Never
Left Wondering
The most common complaint we hear from clients who have worked with other contractors is not cost overruns or missed deadlines. It is silence. The inability to get a clear picture of what was happening with the most significant financial commitment they had ever made. We built our communication cadence specifically to eliminate that experience.
Weekly
Written Progress Report
Photographs of completed work, schedule status vs. baseline, upcoming decisions that require your input, and any issues identified that week — delivered every Friday without exception.
As-Built
Milestone Walkthroughs
You walk the project with Kirby at every major milestone — framing, mechanical rough-in, drywall, and substantial completion. See the work before it is covered by the next phase.
Always
Direct Line to Kirby
Questions do not wait for the next scheduled meeting. Kirby’s number is in your phone. Calls are returned the same day. If a decision needs to be made, you hear about it from the person who will implement it.
Before
Every Change Order Approved First
No work proceeds on any change in scope until you have the written cost and schedule impact and have signed the change order. You are never surprised by what you are paying for.
Common Process Questions
What Clients Ask
Before They Begin
How long does the pre-construction assessment take for a renovation?
Typically one to two weeks from site access to written assessment delivery. We schedule the physical inspection, engage our specialist trades for their portions, compile findings, and present the complete picture along with our fixed-price proposal. You will never wait more than two weeks for a number you can trust.
Does the pre-construction assessment cost anything?
The initial discovery conversation and preliminary site visit are complimentary. For larger projects, we may require a nominal pre-construction retainer that is applied toward your project contract if we proceed. We discuss this specifically during our first conversation and will never begin a billable phase without your written agreement.
What happens if you discover something during construction that wasn’t in the assessment?
Genuinely unanticipated discoveries do occasionally occur — a wall we could not access, a system concealed in a way that pre-construction inspection could not reveal. When that happens, we stop, photograph, and document the discovery before any additional work proceeds. We present the cost impact in writing, and no work on that item moves forward without your written approval. The assessment process is designed to minimize these moments; our change order process is designed to handle them fairly when they occur.
How many projects is Kirby actively supervising at any time?
Fewer than most clients expect. We deliberately limit our active project calendar so that Kirby can be physically on site at every project every week. The exact number varies by project complexity, but our standing commitment is that no project goes a week without Kirby’s personal on-site presence and review. That constraint is the reason our satisfaction rate exists.
Phase One Is Complimentary
Your Discovery Call
Costs Nothing
Thirty minutes with Kirby. No obligation, no sales presentation. Just an honest conversation about your project.
Call Kirby directly