Quick answer: Franco BuildWorks takes on full-home renovations across Conroe, whether that’s a 1970s River Plantation house due for a top-to-bottom update or a dated Panorama Village home near Lake Conroe. Whole-home work means sequencing plumbing, electrical, and finishes correctly and confronting what older homes hide — dated wiring, cast-iron drains, and possible hazardous materials. We scope openly and permit properly.
This page covers full home renovation for Conroe, TX homeowners. For the full step-by-step guide, see our Full Home Renovation service page — or explore all our work in Conroe.
What a whole-home renovation means in Conroe
A full-home renovation is a different animal from a single-room remodel: systems interact, one decision cascades into the next, and the order of operations determines whether the job runs smoothly or backs up on itself. In Conroe, whole-home projects usually fall into one of two camps — bringing a 1970s-to-90s home up to current expectations, or reworking a builder-grade 2000s house into something more personal.
The value of doing it all at once is coordination: plumbing, electrical, HVAC, insulation, and finishes can be planned together instead of fighting each other later. We treat the house as a system and plan accordingly.
The eras we work in — and what each one hides
Conroe’s historic core (77301) holds early-1900s to mid-century homes, some on pier-and-beam, where a renovation may involve releveling, subfloor repair, and full mechanical replacement. Popcorn ceilings and old layers of paint in pre-1980 homes can contain asbestos, and pre-1978 paint can contain lead — both are things to test for and handle correctly, not disturb blindly.
The 1970s golf communities — River Plantation in 77302, Panorama Village in 77304 — commonly have aluminum branch wiring from that era, galvanized supply lines corroding from the inside, and cast-iron drains near the end of their life. The 1980s-90s Lake Conroe subdivisions like April Sound are newer but are often overdue for mechanical and finish updates.
- Pre-1978 homes: assume lead-based paint is possible and handle disturbance accordingly.
- Pre-1980 popcorn ceilings and some old flooring: possible asbestos — test before demolition.
- 1960s-70s homes: check for aluminum branch wiring and dated galvanized or cast-iron plumbing.
Foundations, soil, and flood realities
Montgomery County soils are a mix — sandier loams through the piney areas and expansive clays in the lower ground — and foundation movement shows up as the cracks, sticking doors, and sloping floors we assess before finishes go in. There’s little point installing new tile and trim over a foundation that’s still moving, so we look at that first.
Flood matters here too. Lake Conroe’s dam performs controlled releases during major storms — as the region saw during Harvey in 2017 — and homes near the San Jacinto West Fork, Stewarts Creek, or in mapped floodplains carry real constraints. If your lot is in or near a Special Flood Hazard Area, elevation and floodplain rules can shape what a renovation is allowed to do.
Sequencing a renovation so it doesn’t stall
Sequencing is where whole-home projects succeed or fail. We work demolition, then structural and foundation items, then rough-in plumbing, electrical, and HVAC, then inspections, insulation, drywall, and finishes — in an order that keeps inspectors, trades, and materials from colliding.
We’re realistic about living arrangements. Depending on scope, staying in the home during a full renovation ranges from workable to impractical, and we’ll tell you which yours is rather than letting you find out mid-stream.
Permits: City of Conroe vs. unincorporated Montgomery County
Inside Conroe city limits, a full renovation that touches structure, plumbing, electrical, or mechanical systems goes through City of Conroe permitting, where structural plan review can take roughly a month before work begins. Cosmetic-only elements generally don’t need a permit, but a whole-home job almost always includes work that does.
On unincorporated lots — much of the Lake Conroe fringe — Montgomery County’s process centers on floodplain management and on-site septic (OSSF) rather than a full building-code plan review, and septic-served properties add their own considerations if you’re adding bathrooms or fixtures.
How Franco approaches a full-home job honestly
Our approach on a whole-home job is to investigate before we promise. We assess the foundation, open representative sections of plumbing and wiring, identify likely hazardous-material issues, and put the real scope — including the unglamorous mechanical work — in front of you before demolition.
We don’t paper over problems to keep a number down. If a River Plantation home needs its drains replaced or a downtown bungalow needs releveling, that goes in the plan honestly, because discovering it halfway through is worse for everyone.
Full Home Renovation in Conroe: FAQ
Can I live in my home during a full renovation?
Sometimes, depending on scope and whether the kitchen and baths are offline at once. We’ll assess your specific project and tell you plainly whether staying is realistic or whether it’s smoother to be out for part of it.
My home is from the 1970s — what should I expect?
Commonly aluminum branch wiring, corroded galvanized supply lines, and aging cast-iron drains, plus possible asbestos in popcorn ceilings and lead in old paint. We test and handle these correctly rather than disturbing them blindly.
Does foundation movement affect a renovation?
Yes. Montgomery County’s clay-bearing soils can move a foundation, and new finishes over an unstable slab or pier-and-beam will crack. We evaluate the foundation before committing to finish work.
I’m near Lake Conroe in a floodplain — does that limit what I can do?
It can. Floodplain and elevation rules through Montgomery County may constrain the work, and controlled lake releases during major storms are a real regional factor. We check flood status early.
How do you keep a big project from stalling?
By sequencing structural, rough-in, inspection, and finish work in the right order and scoping the hidden mechanical work up front, so surprises don’t halt the job midway.
Other services in Conroe
- Kitchen Remodeling in Conroe
- Bathroom Remodeling in Conroe
- Room Additions in Conroe
- Drywall Repair in Conroe
- Tile Installation in Conroe
- Vinyl Plank Flooring in Conroe
- Interior Painting in Conroe
Zip codes served in Conroe: 77301, 77302, 77304, 77384, 77385.
Full Home Renovation in Conroe, TX
Tell us about the space, the scope you have in mind, and your timeline. Franco BuildWorks reviews the details, checks availability, and contacts you to confirm an appointment.