Remodeling and Outdoor Projects in Idalou, TX
A farm town of about 2,200 people, with houses that have been lived in for a long time and yards open to the wind.
Idalou is a farm town near Lubbock. Giovanni Home Services is a family-owned company in southwest Lubbock (79424) that serves Lubbock and surrounding communities. We remodel kitchens, baths and floors, and we design and build outdoor spaces and gardens. If your house is in Idalou, call (806) 853-7158 and tell us what you have in mind.
Cotton, apples and a town one mile square
Idalou grew up around a South Plains and Santa Fe Railway depot in the early 1910s. The post office came in 1917 and the town incorporated in 1925. It's named for Ida and Lou Bassett.
It's a farming town first. Idalou is an agricultural center for cotton, with a co-op gin. East of town on US 62/82 is the well-known apple orchard, certified organic with about 18 varieties.
The town itself covers about one square mile, all of it land. The 2020 census counted 2,193 people, close to the 2,250 of ten years earlier. Idalou ISD serves the town.
A town of lived-in houses
Idalou's population has held steady, so there aren't many new rooftops and most projects here will be on existing houses. Ages vary from street to street, so each house has to be sized up in person.
Across Lubbock County, the median home was built in 1985. A house near that age is due for a kitchen, baths and flooring. An older one adds questions about wiring, plumbing and framing, and those get answered before design starts.
- 1910s to 1925The depot years through incorporation. Little in a house this old can be taken on faith, so the structure, wiring and plumbing come before tile or cabinets.
- Around 1985The median year built across Lubbock County. Homes near this age are sound but dated, with original cabinets, tubs and flooring ready for replacement.
- 2010 to 2020Population stayed near 2,200 over these years. That points to remodeling and additions on existing homes far more than to new construction.
City Hall permits, farm-country wind
Out here the wind crosses open fields before it reaches your patio.
The City of Idalou requires a permit before construction, alteration, repair or demolition, and for electrical, gas, mechanical or plumbing work. City Hall is at 301 Main Street. That wording is broad, so check with the city on any job and don't assume Lubbock's exemptions apply.
Idalou is cotton country, and open ground gives wind a long run. The regional average is about 12.4 mph, and the record gust at Lubbock, set in 1952, was 90 mph. Dust storms cross the South Plains too. Outdoor structures need solid footings, and outdoor cabinets need doors that close tight.
Properties outside the city limits follow different rules than homes in town. If your place is on a septic system or a well, know where the tank, drain field and wellhead are before placing a slab or structure. Check county requirements directly before work begins.
- 1925Year Idalou incorporated as a town
- 1985Median year built for homes across Lubbock County
- 12.4 mphAverage annual wind speed measured at Lubbock
Four jobs that suit lived-in Idalou houses
Established houses and a local habit of growing things point to these four.
- Kitchen remodelingDecades of daily cooking wear out a kitchen sooner than the rooms around it. Our kitchen remodels start with a consultation and move to design. In Idalou, get the permit question settled before any building starts.
- Hardwood flooringOlder houses sometimes hide wood under carpet, or have floors too worn to save. We install hardwood in standard, continuous or herringbone layouts, and any wood floor in this climate has to allow for the dry air that makes boards move.
- Decks and exterior carpentryPorch steps, entries and siding out here get years of sun, wind and dust. When they're past repair we rebuild them to last, with board and batten siding or new entry steps where the house needs them.
- Landscape and garden designIdalou already grows apples, peaches and grapes, so a home garden fits right in. We design and install landscapes, gardens and permaculture plantings. In Idalou that means working with alkaline soil and about 18 inches of rain a year.
A family company and one written proposal
Taylor and Rhia Giovanni returned to Texas to build their life and raise their family, and this is a family-owned company. Before any work starts, you get one clear proposal with the scope written out.
From there we help with selections and design, then set the schedule. You won't have to chase us for news, because updates and project details sit in your client portal. A final walkthrough wraps it up. To talk it over, Book a Consultation or call (806) 853-7158.
How we run a projectQuestions from Idalou homeowners
Do I need a permit to remodel in Idalou?
Assume yes until City Hall tells you otherwise. The City of Idalou requires a permit before construction, alteration, repair or demolition, and for electrical, gas, mechanical and plumbing work. Roofing has its own permit application. Call City Hall on Main Street with your scope before work begins. Permit needs belong in the proposal stage, so they're part of the plan from the start.
Will you come to Idalou for a smaller project?
It depends on the project. We serve Lubbock and surrounding communities, and Idalou is nearby, so call (806) 853-7158 and describe it. We'll tell you if the job suits us or not. If it does, the next step is a consultation and a written proposal.
How do I keep dust out of an outdoor kitchen?
You can't stop dust, but you can build for it. Choose cabinets with doors and drawers that close tight, and pick surfaces that rinse clean. Put the kitchen on the sheltered side of the house when you can, out of the prevailing south wind. A solid wall or screen on the windward side helps a lot.
Can you design a garden that handles Idalou's climate?
Yes, and it starts with the numbers. The area averages about 18 inches of rain a year, with the last spring freeze around April 9 or 10 and the first fall freeze near October 31. The subsoil is alkaline. A garden here needs plants that tolerate those conditions, arranged to catch and hold rain. Our landscape and garden design page explains more.
Planning a project in Idalou?
Call (806) 853-7158 and tell us what you have in mind. We serve Lubbock and surrounding communities, and we'll give you an answer on the phone.