Full Home Renovation in Friendswood, TX | Franco BuildWorks

This page covers full home renovation for Friendswood, TX homeowners. For the full step-by-step guide, see our Full Home Renovation service page — or explore all our work in Friendswood.

A patchwork of eras under one ZIP code

Friendswood grew in waves, and 77546 covers homes from very different decades. The Quaker-founded town center near FM 518 has early- to mid-century houses; the big 1960s to 80s subdivisions, Wedgewood Village, Imperial Estates, Heritage Park, Forest Bend, make up much of the middle; and master-planned West Ranch and Autumn Creek brought 2000s construction. A full renovation means very different things depending on which of those your home belongs to.

In a 2000s home a whole-home renovation is largely cosmetic and layout-driven. In a 1970s ranch it is often as much about the systems you cannot see, plumbing, wiring, insulation, as the kitchen and baths. We scope the two very differently, and it is worth knowing which conversation you are in before you plan a budget.

The floodplain rule that catches people off guard

This is the most important thing a Friendswood homeowner should understand before a gut renovation, and it surprises a lot of people. If your home is in a FEMA special flood hazard area, and much of Friendswood along Clear Creek, Coward’s Creek, and Mary’s Creek is, the substantial improvement rule applies. If the cost of the renovation reaches roughly 50 percent of the structure’s value, the City of Friendswood can require the entire home be brought up to current floodplain standards, which in practice can mean elevating it.

That single rule can change a project from a straightforward remodel into an elevation-and-rebuild. It is not our rule and we cannot waive it, the city’s floodplain administrator applies it, but planning around it honestly is essential. We would rather raise it on day one than have a homeowner discover it partway through demolition.

Old plumbing, old wiring, old ceilings

In Friendswood’s older housing, a full renovation is the moment to deal with systems that are near the end of their service life. Galvanized supply lines corrode and restrict flow, and cast-iron drains eventually crack; when walls and slabs are already open, that is the sensible time to replace them. Homes from the 1960s and 70s can also carry aluminum branch wiring, which needs proper handling by a licensed electrician.

There is also the ceiling question. Popcorn ceilings in homes built before the early 1980s can contain asbestos, and they should be tested before anyone scrapes them, not after. Handling that correctly is part of doing a whole-home renovation responsibly in a town with this much older stock.

• Galvanized and cast-iron plumbing typically replaced while walls and slab are open
• Aluminum branch wiring in some 1960s and 70s homes, handled by a licensed electrician
• Pre-1980s popcorn ceilings tested for asbestos before removal, not after

Clay soil sets the ceiling on perfect

A full renovation is the time homeowners most want everything dead-level and crack-free, and on Friendswood’s expansive clay that is worth an honest conversation. The soil moves seasonally, foundations ride that movement, and even a beautifully finished home can develop hairline cracks at door corners over the following year. A renovation can address existing cracks and finish everything flat, but it does not change the soil beneath the slab.

If a home already shows significant foundation movement, that is a decision point: sometimes foundation work belongs before the cosmetic renovation, not after, so you are not finishing over a problem that is still active. We will say so if we see it.

Permits, phasing, and living through it

A whole-home renovation in Friendswood typically pulls building, electrical, plumbing, and mechanical permits through the city, plus a floodplain development permit if the home is in the special flood hazard area. Franco BuildWorks generally handles that permitting and the inspection schedule as part of the project. Sequencing matters too, rough-in and inspections have to happen in the right order before anything gets closed up.

We also talk honestly about whether you can live in the home during the work. A phased renovation that keeps part of the house usable is sometimes possible; a true gut, especially one triggering flood-code work, usually is not. Knowing that up front helps you plan.

How Franco approaches a whole-home project

We start by figuring out which Friendswood you are renovating in, the cosmetic-update home or the systems-and-structure home, and whether the floodplain rule is in play. Those two questions shape everything else. From there the plan should be specific about what is cosmetic, what is mechanical, and what, if anything, the city’s flood rules require.

We would rather deliver an accurate scope than an optimistic one. On an older Friendswood home there are almost always a few surprises behind the walls, and building a little honesty about that into the plan is better than pretending a 1972 ranch will renovate like a 2015 build.

Full Home Renovation in Friendswood: FAQ

We are gutting our house. Could Friendswood make us elevate it?

Possibly, if the home is in a FEMA flood zone and the renovation cost reaches about 50 percent of the structure’s value. That is the substantial-improvement rule, applied by the City of Friendswood floodplain administrator. It can turn a remodel into an elevation project, so we raise it before any demolition.

My house is from the 1970s. What surprises should I expect?

Commonly aging galvanized or cast-iron plumbing, possibly aluminum branch wiring, dated insulation, and popcorn ceilings that may contain asbestos and should be tested first. A full renovation is the practical time to address those while walls are open, so we scope for them rather than around them.

Can you make everything perfectly level and crack-free?

We can finish flat and repair existing cracks, but Friendswood’s expansive clay soil moves seasonally, and hairline cracks can return at stress points. If the foundation is actively moving, we may recommend addressing that before the cosmetic work rather than finishing over it.

Can we live in the home during the renovation?

Sometimes, if the work can be phased to keep part of the house usable. A full gut, especially one that triggers flood-code requirements, usually cannot be lived in. We will be honest about which situation yours is early on.

Do you handle the permits?

For a whole-home renovation Franco typically pulls the building, electrical, plumbing, and mechanical permits through the City of Friendswood, plus a floodplain permit if the home is in the flood hazard area, and coordinates the inspections.

Other services in Friendswood

• Kitchen Remodeling in Friendswood
• Bathroom Remodeling in Friendswood
• Room Additions in Friendswood
• Drywall Repair in Friendswood
• Tile Installation in Friendswood
• Vinyl Plank Flooring in Friendswood
• Interior Painting in Friendswood

Zip codes served in Friendswood: 77546.