Luxury Home Remodeling in the Texas Hill Country
Whole-home remodels, additions, kitchens, and primary suites across the Texas Hill Country. All of these photographs are from our San Marcos project.
A budget range and a straight read on scope, at no cost and with no obligation.
Remodel, Move, or Rebuild
You may already know what you want: a new kitchen, a primary suite, a whole-home refresh. You may be weighing a bigger question: fix this house, sell it and move, or tear down and start over. We can price both of the paths we build, remodeling this house or rebuilding on the same land, and give you the comparison side by side, because we do both.
On that first visit we look at what your house can structurally handle and roughly what each path costs. If remodeling is the wrong answer here, we tell you early.
When remodeling is the right answer, our San Marcos project shows what a whole-home remodel can look like.
The Work We Take On
Luxury here is about the standard, not the size of the job. Riverbend holds every house to the same finish standard, and Vanessa and Dan run every one.
- LargestWhole-Home RemodelsThe entire house rethought
- Large AdditionsNew square footage engineered into the existing structure
- KitchensChef-grade spaces built around professional appliances
- Primary SuitesBedroom, bath, and closet as one designed retreat
- Casitas & Guest HousesPriced as new construction. See custom home building →
What a $1.3 Million Remodel Looks Like
One project, with the numbers. This 3,100-square-foot San Marcos house was 1980s brick when we started. Sixteen months later it looked like this.
3,100 square feet at $1.3 million is roughly $419 per square foot.
How a Remodel Differs From a New Build
A new build starts from open ground. A remodel starts from the structure, wiring, and plumbing already inside your walls, and the work happens around your daily life.
Five things we raise on every remodel, before you sign.
What is behind the walls
We may find original wiring, framing that was changed over the years, or plumbing run where it was easiest at the time. Your budget carries a written contingency of at least 20 percent from day one for hidden conditions. If demolition uncovers one, we document it and bring you written options before the related work continues: adjust the scope, phase the work, or raise the budget. You decide which one to take.
We had a hail damage roof project that revealed a serious roof structure problem. Vanessa and Dan took it in stride and did an incredible job.
Riverbend was wonderful to work with. We were experiencing a very unique challenge involving water seepage underneath our pier and beam home. Riverbend patiently guided us through the process, answered our questions, and worked hard to make sure the renovation and repairs addressed the issue thoroughly and correctly.
The rooms we are not touching
The rest of the house is not a construction site, and we do not treat it as one. How the untouched rooms are protected is written into your agreement, and we go through it with you before you sign.
Whether you can stay in the house
Some projects let you stay put. On others, the utilities, the dust, and the length of the job make moving out the better plan. We give you a straight answer either way, early enough for your family to make housing plans.
All at once, or in phases
Phasing keeps part of the house livable, but every crew has to come back more than once, which costs time and money. One continuous push is faster and cheaper, and it takes over the whole house, so you move out for the whole job. We talk both through with you before the scope is set.
Where new work meets the old house
Old floors, walls, and rooflines almost never line up with new ones, and those joins are where a remodel starts to look obviously remodeled. Every major decision is checked while the plan is still on paper, so the new work and the original house meet cleanly.
How a Remodel Runs With Us
The first walk
We walk the house together and you tell us what you want to change. You get our early read on what the structure can support and a cost range for the scope you are describing.
Design and preconstruction
We coordinate the design team and cost-check every major decision against your budget while the plan is still on paper. Wherever old construction will meet new, we settle that detail there too, while changes are still cheap.
The priced proposal
You get a written scope with named allowances and exclusions, the contingency stated plainly, and the rules for hidden conditions and change requests. You and Riverbend sign all of it before demolition begins.
Build and handover
Dan runs the field, coordinating the trades and the inspections. Vanessa handles your selections and the decisions that come up during the build. The job ends with a final walkthrough of a house where the new work looks new and the rest looks the way you left it.
What a Remodel Costs
Whole house
Whole-Home Remodel
- Contract to completion in 12 to 24 months. We tell you on the first walk which end of the range your project is likely to land on, and why
- Written contingency of at least 20 percent, day one
- Allowances, exclusions, and schedule assumptions named in the proposal
Remodel pricing starts at the same rate per foot as new construction and tops out lower. What moves a remodel up its range is structural work, systems, and how much of the house you touch. Permits and floodplain rules also vary by town, and on an older house near the water they can add cost this range does not cover. There is a line worth knowing before you set the scope: once renovation costs reach half the building's value, the whole structure has to meet current elevation standards. What applies differs in Wimberley and San Marcos. If you are considering a new custom home instead, compare both sets of numbers.
What the Range Worked Out To on Our San Marcos Renovation
Our San Marcos whole-home renovation covered 3,100 square feet, took sixteen months, and closed out at $1.3 million in construction cost. That works out to roughly $419 per square foot, at the lower end of our $325 to $650+ per square foot remodel range.
We give you the number for your own house after we walk it with you. See the finished San Marcos renovation →
Luxury Remodeling Questions
What counts as luxury home remodeling?
For us it means work where the design, materials, and finish quality match custom-home standards: whole-home remodels, large additions, kitchens built around professional appliances, and primary suites finished to hotel-spa level.
Do we need to move out during the remodel?
It depends on the project. Some remodels let you stay in the house and some do not, and we give you a straight answer either way. It comes down to whether the house stays safe and livable: working utilities, how much of the house is opened up, how much dust we can keep out, and how long the job runs. On a kitchen or suite remodel you can often stay in the house. A whole-home remodel usually means moving out, for the whole run of the work if it goes as one continuous push, or for the heaviest stretch if it is phased.
Can a whole-home remodel be done in phases?
Sometimes. Phasing can keep part of the house livable, and it usually costs more in total and takes longer, because every crew has to come back more than once.
How do you handle hidden conditions and change orders?
Hidden conditions are what we find once the walls are open, which is why your budget carries a written contingency of at least 20 percent from day one. Change orders are choices you make along the way, and each one is priced in writing before the work proceeds.
When does remodeling beat moving?
Remodeling makes sense when you want to stay for the land, the trees, the neighborhood, the school zone, and the ten-minute drive to the people you care about. If land just as good is available somewhere else, and the house you have will not stretch to the plan you want, moving or rebuilding can be the better answer. We tell you what we see when we walk the house with you.
How do financing and warranty work for a major remodel?
Financing: we are not a lender. Most remodels of this scale are paid for with a renovation loan or by borrowing against the equity in your home, so talk to your lender early about appraisal and draw requirements. Warranty: your construction agreement sets out the coverage in writing, and we go through it with you before you sign.
Schedule a Call
Ready to talk about your remodel? Call us or send the form.
Vanessa answers this number, weekdays 9 to 5.