Frequently Asked Questions
Answers You
Deserve
We believe a well-informed client makes better decisions and has better outcomes. These are the questions we are asked most often — answered without evasion or fine print.
18+
Years of craft
140+
Projects delivered
$1M+
Luxury tier expertise
100%
Client satisfaction
01
What Makes Historic Homes Different
Historic Houston Homes
Why do historic homes require a different renovation approach than newer construction?
A 1930s River Oaks Georgian and a 2015 Tanglewood new-build exist in entirely different construction universes. The historic home was built with materials that are no longer manufactured the same way — longleaf pine floors, horsehair plaster, old-growth timber framing — using techniques that predate modern building codes by decades. The mechanical systems behind those walls may be three or four generations old, layered on top of each other without ever being fully replaced. A renovator who approaches a historic home the way they approach a contemporary one will fail the home and the client.
What are the most common things you find behind the walls of a Houston historic home?
In roughly twenty years and 140+ projects, we encounter a predictable set of conditions in pre-1960 Houston homes: knob-and-tube wiring (sometimes partially upgraded, sometimes not), galvanized steel supply pipes with significant corrosion and reduced flow, pier-and-beam foundations with decades of differential movement, balloon framing that creates fireblocking challenges, original plaster in varying condition, cast iron drain lines that may be cracked or root-damaged, and insulation situations ranging from none at all to improper mid-century retrofits. We document all of it during pre-construction assessment before we write a contract that has to account for it.
Can original features like longleaf pine floors and plaster moldings be preserved during renovation?
Yes — and this is where our 20 years of Houston historic home work becomes genuinely valuable. Original longleaf pine floors can be restored, re-milled to match, or extended into new areas using reclaimed stock. Original plaster profiles can be cast, reproduced, and restored when the substrate is sound. Period millwork can be matched using custom millwork shops we have developed relationships with over decades. Preserving original character is not an obstacle to renovation — it is often the most important design goal. We treat it as a constraint that produces better outcomes.
Do Houston’s historic neighborhoods have special permit or regulatory requirements?
Houston does not have a formal historic preservation commission the way many cities do, which means fewer regulatory hurdles but not zero. Most of Houston’s historic neighborhoods — River Oaks, The Heights, Southampton, West University Place — are governed by deed restrictions and private covenants that control exterior materials, setbacks, garage placement, addition size, and in some cases architectural style. Violations can trigger legal action from neighborhood associations. We conduct a full covenant and permit history review during our pre-construction assessment so that the renovation plan we design is compliant before it is priced.
My home was built in the 1920s. Is it too old to renovate well?
Some of our most successful projects — and most enduring relationships — have come from homes built between 1920 and 1945. These homes were typically built with better materials than what is available today: old-growth timber that is denser and more stable than new-growth lumber, brick fired to a hardness that modern production brick rarely matches, and architectural detail that reflects a level of craftsmanship that is expensive to reproduce. A well-built 1920s home, properly renovated, will outlast almost any new construction on the market today. Age is not a barrier. Deferred maintenance combined with inadequate assessment is.
02
First Steps
Getting Started
How do I begin working with Kirby Taylor Homes?
Call (713) 542-7970 or submit an inquiry through our contact page. Kirby responds personally within one business day — not a coordinator, not an automated message. From there, a 30-minute discovery call establishes whether there is mutual fit, and if so, we schedule a site visit. There is no obligation at any stage before you sign a contract.
Do you select your clients, or do you take all inquiries?
We accept a deliberately limited number of projects each year — the number that Kirby can supervise personally on site every week. This means we are sometimes unable to take on a project we would like to do because our calendar is at capacity. We are direct about this from the first conversation. If your timeline and ours do not align, we will tell you immediately rather than string you along through a lengthy proposal process.
What do I need to prepare for our first conversation?
Nothing formal. A general sense of what you want to accomplish, a rough budget range, your preferred timeline, and whatever you know about the home’s history. You do not need drawings, engineering reports, or a finalized scope. Many of our best client relationships began with a client who had a vision and very little else — and we helped them build the framework from there.
Do you work with clients who are considering purchasing a home to renovate?
Yes, and often. A pre-purchase site assessment from a builder’s perspective — before you close — can save significant financial and emotional capital. We can walk a prospective purchase with you, assess the visible condition of systems and structure, identify the likely scope and cost of bringing it to the standard you want, and give you the information you need to negotiate, proceed, or walk away with confidence.
03
Renovation Projects
Renovations
What is your minimum renovation project size?
Our renovation projects begin at $150,000. Below that threshold, the economics of our process — thorough pre-construction assessment, fixed-price contracting, principal supervision, and the quality of trades we engage — become difficult to support properly. If a scope falls below this threshold, we will say so directly at the first conversation rather than wasting your time or ours.
Can I live in my home during renovation?
For kitchen-only or suite-only renovations, habitability in the remainder of the home is often possible. For whole-home renovations, we typically recommend temporary relocation for the primary construction period — the disruption, dust, and access requirements make meaningful habitability very difficult. We discuss this specifically during our planning phase and help you think through temporary housing, sequencing, and timing so the displacement period is as short and predictable as possible.
How do you handle unexpected discoveries during construction?
We handle them the way we should: immediately, transparently, and in writing. When something is discovered that was not visible during our pre-construction assessment — a concealed structural condition, a buried pipe in an unexpected location — we stop work on that element, photograph the discovery, document the cost and schedule impact, and present it to you in writing before any additional work proceeds. No verbal approvals, no cost absorbed into a later invoice. The discovery, the cost, and your authorization — all in writing, every time.
Do you manage the permit process for renovation projects?
Yes, entirely. Permit applications, inspection scheduling, engineer coordination when required, regulatory submissions, and final certificate of occupancy — all managed by us from first application through final sign-off. The City of Houston’s permit process for renovation projects can be complex, particularly in neighborhoods with specific zoning overlays or deed restriction compliance requirements. We have navigated this process hundreds of times. It does not require your involvement beyond providing property ownership documentation.
04
New Construction
Custom Home Builds
What is the minimum investment for a custom home build?
Our custom home builds typically begin at $800,000. This reflects the material quality, craftsmanship standards, site management, and principal involvement that we commit to every build. Clients whose projects fall below this range are better served by production builders whose model — and margin structure — differs significantly from ours.
How long does a custom home build take?
Most custom home builds range from 12 to 18 months from permit issuance to final walkthrough. The range reflects variation in architectural complexity, material specification and lead times, site conditions, and Houston’s unpredictable weather. We build schedules we are prepared to defend, with float built in for the conditions we know Houston will deliver. When we commit to a completion date, it is a date we are confident in — not a best-case scenario used to win the bid.
Do we need to have an architect before calling you?
No. We work in both directions. If you have an architect whose drawings you want built precisely, we are an excellent fit. If you are starting without one, we can introduce you to the Houston residential architects whose design sensibility, process, and scale of work aligns well with our build standards. Early builder involvement in the design process often produces better-built, better-budgeted outcomes — we bring a construction perspective to design decisions before those decisions become expensive to change.
Can you help us evaluate a lot before we purchase it?
Yes. This is one of the highest-value services we provide and one of the most underused. We will walk a prospective site, assess soil conditions, drainage patterns, utility access, setback implications, and deed restriction requirements, and give you a builder’s perspective on what it will cost to build what you have in mind on that specific piece of land. The cost of this service — if there is any — is negligible compared to the cost of purchasing a lot that turns out to be significantly more expensive to build on than you anticipated.
05
Cost and Contracts
Budget & Contracts
What exactly does \”fixed-price contract\” mean?
It means the number you sign is the number you pay — with one exception: client-directed changes in scope or material. Our estimating overruns, subcontractor cost increases, and material price fluctuations are absorbed by us, not passed to you. This aligns our incentives correctly: we benefit from efficient execution and careful pre-construction planning, not from scope creep and change order volume. We do not pad fixed-price contracts with contingency reserves that become our profit when things go well.
What do payment milestones look like?
Payments are tied to documented construction milestones — not to calendar dates or arbitrary percentages. You pay as verified progress is achieved. We provide written milestone documentation and photography alongside each payment request. The milestone structure is defined in your contract before you sign it, so there are no ambiguous payment triggers or disputes about what \”substantial completion\” means in practice on your project.
Is there a deposit required to begin?
A retainer may be required to initiate the pre-construction assessment phase for larger projects. This retainer covers our time and the specialist trade input required to assess the property properly. It is applied toward your project contract if we proceed together. We discuss the retainer structure during our first conversation — you will always know what any phase of our engagement costs before it begins.
How should I think about renovation budgets in Houston’s current market?
Houston’s high-end residential renovation market has seen significant cost inflation in the past five years across materials, labor, and trade capacity. The budgets that produced excellent results in 2019 produce less scope today. For honest planning purposes: expect kitchen renovations in the $150,000–$300,000 range, primary suites in the $120,000–$220,000 range, and whole-home renovations in the $400,000–$1.5M range depending on scope and specification level. We would rather give you an accurate market picture upfront than underpromise to win the project and disappoint you with reality later.
06
During Your Project
Communication
How often will I hear from Kirby during construction?
Every week, without exception. A written progress report — with photography and schedule status — is delivered every Friday of active construction. In addition, Kirby is reachable by phone throughout the week for questions that cannot wait for a report. If something changes on your project — a material delay, a weather event, a subcontractor schedule shift — you hear about it from us before the next scheduled communication. We do not let you discover problems at the next site visit.
Can I visit the job site during construction?
Yes, and we welcome it. Milestone walkthroughs with Kirby are scheduled at key construction stages — framing, mechanical rough-in, drywall, and substantial completion. Between scheduled walkthroughs, site visits can be arranged with reasonable notice. For safety reasons, we ask that unaccompanied site visits be coordinated with our team rather than made spontaneously — active construction sites have conditions that change daily.
What happens if I want to change something after construction has begun?
Changes during construction are possible but carry cost and schedule implications that vary significantly depending on what has already been built. Every change request is evaluated, costed, and presented to you in writing — with both the cost impact and any schedule impact clearly stated — before any work on the change proceeds. Your written authorization is required before execution. This process exists not to discourage changes but to ensure you make them with full information and no surprises on either side.
Still Have Questions?
The Fastest Answer
is a Direct Call
Every project has unique questions that a FAQ page cannot anticipate. A 20-minute conversation with Kirby will answer yours more specifically and more usefully than any written resource we could provide.