Remodeling and Outdoor Living in Lubbock, TX
Lubbock has 1920s bungalows near Texas Tech and houses finished last year, and a plan that suits one won't suit the other.
Giovanni Home Services is based in southwest Lubbock (79424), and we work all across the city and in surrounding communities. Inside, that's remodeling kitchens, baths and floors. Outside, it's designing and building pergolas and outdoor kitchens. To start, call (806) 853-7158 and book a consultation.
One city, several generations of houses
Lubbock sits on the Llano Estacado at about 3,202 feet. It's the Lubbock County seat, and the 2020 census counted 257,141 people here. The land is flat and the wind is steady.
The oldest homes cluster near Texas Tech. South Overton was platted in 1907 and is on the National Register, with Craftsman bungalows and Tudor Revival homes on early brick streets. Tech Terrace, Heart of Lubbock and Maxey Park took shape from the 1920s through the 1950s.
Move outward and the houses get younger. Melonie Park and Rush are mid-century, and Raintree is ranch style, with listings from the late 1970s and early 1980s. LakeRidge grew around its country club in the 1980s and 1990s. South of 114th Street, Vintage Township broke ground in 2007.
What Lubbock houses tend to need
The median Lubbock home dates to 1984, which puts a typical house at about 40 years old, the age when kitchens, baths and floors come due. Houses from those years also tend to have closed-off rooms.
Older central homes ask for more care, because new trim, doors and flooring have to be fitted to what's already there. In newer homes the work is mostly about finishes and how a room functions.
- 1920s to 1940sSouth Overton, Tech Terrace and Heart of Lubbock. Bungalows, cottages and Tudor Revival homes. Expect small kitchens and baths, wood floors worth a look, and trim that must be matched.
- 1950s to 1960sMid-century homes in places like Rush and Melonie Park. Common jobs are opening a closed kitchen, redoing an original bath, and replacing worn flooring through the main rooms.
- 1970s to 1990sRanch homes in Raintree, then LakeRidge and Preston Smith. Sound houses with dated cabinets, tubs and tile. This group sits nearest the citywide median age.
- 2000s to todayVintage Township and the Kelsey Park area, where most homes went up after 1999. Needs lean toward built-ins, better tile, and shade over the back patio.
Permits, wind and dirt inside the city limits
In Lubbock, anything attached to your house needs a permit, no matter how small.
City of Lubbock Building Safety, at 1314 Avenue K, enforces the 2021 International Residential Code. Finish work like tile, paint, cabinets and countertops is exempt, but moving plumbing, adding circuits or taking out a wall isn't. Our guide to remodeling permits in Lubbock covers the details.
Outside, the code treats any structure attached to the house as an addition. A detached building of 200 square feet or less skips the building permit. The city's design wind speed is 115 mph, and footings go at least 12 inches down.
Digging here often hits caliche, a hard carbonate layer, a few feet below the surface. It slows post holes and can slow drainage, so footings and patio slope have to be planned around it.
- 1984Median year a Lubbock home was built, per Census ACS data
- 115 mphDesign wind speed in the city's amended residential code
- 12 inFrost line depth, and the minimum depth for exterior footings
Services that fit Lubbock homes
The median house here is about 40 years old, so inside work leads.
- Kitchen remodelingA kitchen from the 1980s has usually outlived its cabinets, counters and layout. We handle the consultation, design and build. Which changes will need a city permit is a question to settle early.
- Bathroom remodelingBaths in mid-century and 1980s homes are often small, with old tile and tired fixtures. A remodel fixes the layout and the waterproofing at once, so the new tile lasts.
- Hardwood flooringOlder central homes may still have wood floors under carpet, and newer ones often want wood for the first time. Flooring is a specialty for us, and Lubbock's dry air shapes how any wood floor should go in.
- Trim carpentryIn a Craftsman bungalow or Tudor Revival home, new casing and base have to match what's there. We build painted or stain grade trim so it looks like it was always part of the house.
How we work with Lubbock homeowners
We're a family-owned company, and Lubbock is home base. Every project starts with a consultation and a detailed written proposal, so you see the full scope before anything is scheduled.
After that come selections, design and scheduling. During the build you get progress updates and a client portal that keeps your project information in one place. We finish with a final walkthrough. Read more about our approach.
How we run a projectQuestions from Lubbock homeowners
Will my Lubbock kitchen remodel need a city permit?
Only if the work goes past finishes. Cabinets, countertops, tile and paint are finish work, and the city exempts them. Once you remove a wall, add a circuit, move plumbing or change ductwork, you need a permit before work starts. Electrical permits are pulled by the electrical contractor. Your proposal should flag the permit items before the schedule is set.
My house near Texas Tech is close to 100 years old. Can you match the original trim and floors?
In most cases we can get close. Homes in South Overton and Tech Terrace have Craftsman and Tudor Revival details that are worth keeping. We look at what's original, what can be repaired, and what must be made new. Then we tell you which parts will be a true match and which will only come near.
Does a pergola or patio cover need a permit in Lubbock?
If it attaches to the house, yes. The city treats any attached structure as an addition, whatever its size, with plan review. A freestanding structure of 200 square feet or less is generally exempt from the building permit, but the code doesn't name pergolas directly. Get the city's answer before anything is built.
How does Lubbock wind change an outdoor project?
It decides where a pergola goes, how deep the footings are, and which way a fire feature faces. Average wind runs about 12.4 mph, with March and April higher, and it blows mostly from the south. See our guide to outdoor structures and West Texas wind for more.
Let's look at your Lubbock home together.
Call us or book a consultation. Old bungalow or brand new build, we start by looking closely at the house you have.