Houston Historical Home Renovation
Where History
Meets Your
Future
The Heights. River Oaks. West University. Montrose. Your historic Houston home is more than a structure — it is a legacy worth transforming with the care it has always deserved.
20+ Years in Houston
BBB Accredited
NAHB Graduate Master Builder
Certified Graduate Remodeler
Certified Green Professional
GHBA Member
Texas Association of Builders
Why Historic Homes Demand Different Expertise
Most Contractors
Guess. We
Investigate.
A home built in the 1920s in River Oaks, a 1940s Craftsman bungalow in The Heights, a post-war colonial in West University — each carries a century of decisions behind those plaster walls and beneath those original longleaf pine floors. The contractors who quote quickly haven’t looked closely enough.
We begin every renovation engagement with a forensic pre-construction assessment — opening walls, examining structure, documenting mechanical condition — before we give you a number we can stand behind.
Structural
Balloon framing, pier-and-beam shifting, original timber load conditions — we map every element before design begins.
Mechanical
Knob-and-tube wiring, galvanized supply lines, cast iron drains, zero insulation — every discovery is documented and priced transparently.
Material
Matching original brick, restoring plaster profiles, sourcing period-appropriate millwork — the details that preserve your home’s character.
Regulatory
Deed restrictions, neighborhood covenants, permit navigation for non-conforming structures — we handle every approval so you don’t have to.
140+
Historic Houston Homes Transformed
Neighborhoods We Know
Twenty Years in Houston's Most
Storied Addresses
Every historic neighborhood in Houston has its own construction language — its own structural traditions, its own material palette, its own covenant requirements. We have worked in all of them long enough to understand what each one demands of a builder who truly respects it.
Est. 1924
River Oaks
Georgian Revivals, French Norman estates, Spanish Colonial — Houston’s most prestigious addresses require a builder with matching ambition.
Est. 1891
The Heights
Victorian cottages, Craftsman bungalows, and Queen Anne details on pier-and-beam foundations. Houston’s oldest planned community.
Est. 1925
West University
Tudor revivals, Colonial Revivals, and European cottage styles built for endurance. A community that values character over convenience.
Est. 1911
Montrose
Eclectic 1920s–40s architecture — Craftsman, Mediterranean, and Arts & Crafts — on some of Houston’s most architecturally diverse blocks.
Est. 1923
Southampton
One of Houston’s first deed-restricted communities. English Tudor, French Norman, and Georgian homes alongside Rice University.
Est. 1949
Tanglewood
Post-war ranch homes and Colonial Revivals on generous lots — a neighborhood that rewards thoughtful additions and whole-home transformations.
Est. 1908
Bellaire
Mid-century ranch homes and 1950s–60s brick colonials. Where square footage meets opportunity for families ready to invest seriously.
Est. 1945
Memorial
Large-lot estates spanning multiple decades of architectural styles. Houston’s western edge where tradition and expansion coexist beautifully.
What We Build
Six Ways We Transform
Houston's Historic Homes
Every project begins with your vision and ends with a fixed-price contract we are prepared to defend. These are the scopes we know most deeply.
01 — Kitchen
Kitchen Transformations
The heart of a historic home — reimagined with the spatial logic your family actually needs. True custom cabinetry, professional-grade appliances, structural openings, and material selections that honor what was there before.
Investments typically begin at $150,000 — scope-dependent
02 — Suite
Primary Suite & Bath
The room that defines your daily experience. We rebuild primary suites and baths to the standard that Houston’s finest homes deserve — spa-caliber finishes, custom tile work, reconfigured layouts, and lighting design that transforms function into sanctuary.
Investments typically begin at $120,000 — scope-dependent
03 — Whole-Home
Whole-Home Renovation
When the structure is sound but every surface deserves better — a coordinated transformation of all living areas from a single point of responsibility. No juggling contractors, no scope gaps, no surprises.
Investments typically begin at $400,000 — scope-dependent
04 — Restoration
Historic Estate Restoration
For the River Oaks Georgian, the Heights Victorian, the Southampton Tudor — homes that deserve full restoration to their architectural intent while being quietly modernized behind every wall. Our most demanding work. Our most enduring results.
Investments typically begin at $600,000 — scope-dependent
05 — Additions
Additions & Expansions
When you love the home but need more of it — a second story, a primary suite addition, a guest suite, a pool pavilion. We design additions that look as if they have always been there, matching original brick, roofline, and material language precisely.
Investments typically begin at $200,000 — scope-dependent
06 — Outdoor Living
Outdoor Kitchens & Covered Living
Houston’s climate rewards the outdoor room done right. Covered verandas, outdoor kitchens, courtyard hardscaping, and pool pavilions — designed to extend your living space into the landscape and serve you ten months of the year.
Investments typically begin at $80,000 — scope-dependent
Our Signature Differentiator
The Assessment
That Protects
Your Investment
Before we quote a historic home renovation, we look inside it. Not metaphorically — physically. Our complimentary pre-construction assessment opens walls, inspects structure, and documents mechanical condition before a single line of contract is written.
01
Structural Inspection
We examine foundation type, framing method, load-bearing conditions, and any evidence of movement or water intrusion — mapping what the home has been doing for the past 50 to 100 years.
02
Mechanical Documentation
Electrical panel age and amperage, plumbing material throughout the system, HVAC capacity and distribution, and insulation — all photographed, documented, and priced before contract.
03
Material & Character Survey
Original flooring species and condition, plaster wall profiles, millwork details, and hardware — an inventory of what must be preserved, what can be restored, and what requires replacement.
04
Fixed-Price Proposal
With all discoveries documented, we present a scope-of-work and fixed-price contract that accounts for what is actually behind your walls — not what we hope to find. The number you sign is the number you pay.
“The number you sign is the number you pay.”
Our fixed-price contracts are written after assessment — not before. Cost overruns from our estimates are absorbed by us, not passed to you. This is how we have maintained a 98% client satisfaction rate across 140+ projects.
Featured Transformation
Museum District —
Complete Kitchen &
Living Renovation
A 1940s home in the Museum District with a kitchen that had not been touched since 1987. The clients wanted bold color, professional-grade function, and a connection between kitchen and outdoor living that the original floor plan had never offered. We delivered all three.
After — Museum District Kitchen
"
We had interviewed four other builders before we spoke with Kirby. Within the first conversation, it was clear — this is someone who actually cares what your home becomes.
M. & T. Okafor — Museum District, Houston
$287K
Project Investment
14 wks
Completion Time
100%
Fixed-Price Delivery
1940s
Original Home
From the Homeowners Themselves
What Clients Say
About the Experience
“
Our 1930s Heights bungalow had been waiting forty years for someone who understood what it was. Kirby did, immediately. Every original detail we could save — we saved. Every modern comfort we needed — we got.
C. & B. Ashworth
The Heights — Whole-Home Renovation
“
Building a new kitchen in a 1950s Rice Military home without losing what made the house special — that is the challenge. Kirby solved it. The result is something people come to see specifically. We entertain more than we ever have.
D. & A. Harrington
Rice Military — Kitchen & Living Renovation
“
The fixed-price contract meant we could actually plan around the project. No financial surprises in month four. No uncomfortable conversations. Just a beautiful primary suite delivered exactly when Kirby said it would be.
L. Fitzgerald
West University — Primary Suite Renovation
Our Annual Commitment
12
Renovation Projects Per Year — Maximum
The reason our 98% satisfaction rate exists is the same reason we will not accept your project if we cannot do it right: Kirby Taylor is personally involved in every active renovation. Not a project manager. Not a superintendent you meet twice. Kirby — on site, in your home, responsible for the outcome.
That level of involvement has a hard ceiling. We accept no more than twelve renovation projects per year. If your timeline aligns with our current calendar, we would like to have that conversation.
Understanding Your Investment
What Different Investment
Levels Deliver
Every renovation scope is priced precisely after our pre-construction assessment. These ranges reflect the reality of Houston’s historic home renovation market and the standard of execution we refuse to compromise on.
$150K — $350K
Focused Transformation
- Complete kitchen renovation including structural work
- Primary suite and bath transformation
- Full first-floor living area renovation
- Outdoor kitchen and covered living addition
- All mechanical updates within scope area
- Full permit management and inspections
$350K — $750K
Multi-Room or Floor Renovation
- All rooms on one or more floors
- Full mechanical system modernization
- Structural reconfiguration and openings
- Complete addition up to 800 square feet
- Original material restoration throughout
- Exterior refresh with landscape coordination
$750K — $2M+
Historic Estate Renovation
- Whole-home renovation top to bottom
- Full structural assessment and engineering
- Complete mechanical replacement (electrical, plumbing, HVAC)
- Architectural restoration of original character elements
- Addition and expansion design-build
- Landscape, pool, and outdoor living integration
The Conversation Costs Nothing
Your Historic Home
Has Been Waiting
for This Call
A complimentary discovery conversation with Kirby. No sales process, no pressure. Just an honest assessment of what your renovation could become — and what it will cost to get there.
Call Kirby directly