Kitchen remodeling in Dallas–Fort Worth

17%⁵ of Dallas County homes were built before 1960, such as Tudor cottages whose kitchen is a small room behind an arched doorway. Widening that opening is structural work and needs a permit.

Expansive clay soils swell when they take on water and shrink as they dry, and those cycles can crack foundations and walls, jam doors and tilt floors.¹⁵ On a slab, a heavy stone island or long tile run will show any movement, so check the floor first. Fort Worth requires a building permit and engineered plans for every residential foundation repair.¹¹

45%⁵ of the county's homes predate 1980. For homes built before 1978, the EPA advises hiring contractors who use only lead-safe certified renovators.¹⁶ The EPA notes that painted window sashes and frames in homes built before 1978 may contain lead-based paint, which opening and closing the window can release as dust, and that a kitchen remodel may be a good time to replace old windows.¹⁶

67%⁴ of occupied Tarrant County homes heat with electricity. The EPA says a stove hood with a fan vented to the outdoors greatly reduces exposure to pollutants during cooking, and advises installing and using exhaust fans over gas stoves and ranges.¹⁷ The EPA suggests turning the range hood on whenever you cook, leaving it on for 10 to 20 minutes afterward, and cooking on the back burners when you can.¹⁸

In Fort Worth, changing, installing, moving or repairing plumbing, including water heaters and shower pans, needs a plumbing permit, and electrical and heating and air conditioning work need their own permits.¹¹ Adding a gas line or a range circuit is permitted work in both cities.

Texas limits how much a homestead's appraised value can rise in a year to 10 percent over the prior year's value, but the market value of new improvements is added on top of that limit; repairs and ordinary maintenance don't count as new improvements.¹⁹ That means a kitchen that adds value may lift a homestead's appraisal past the usual yearly limit, while repairs won't. The Dallas and Tarrant appraisal districts can say how a given project is counted.

More than one in four adults 65 and older fall each year.²⁰ The National Institute on Aging suggests keeping frequently used pots, pans and utensils where they are easy to reach, and preparing food while seated to prevent fatigue or loss of balance.²¹

Ask about lower counter sections, pull-out shelves and lighting over the work areas, and say on the call that you're planning to stay. NAHB's Certified Aging-in-Place Specialist (CAPS) credential trains remodelers in home modifications for aging in place.²²

Call the number on this page and you'll reach, on a recorded line, one independent company that handles kitchen remodels in the Dallas–Fort Worth area. Design, appliances, timing and the price are up to you and them.

That company pays us for the call. It costs you nothing, and we won't contact you by phone or text. How we make money

Do your own check before a deposit. Before construction starts on a Texas home, the original contractor must give the owner a written list of the subcontractors and suppliers it plans to use, and an updated list within 15 days of any change, unless the owner waives the list in writing.²³ TDLR's License Data Search lists active licenses only and can be searched by license type, license number, name or business name, city, county or ZIP code.²⁴ The Texas State Board of Plumbing Examiners' public license search looks up plumbers by name, by name and license type, by license number, or by city or county.²⁵ Check a Texas license