Home Remodeling & Outdoor Work in Dallas, TX
S&L Good Fellas is an insured, family-owned general contractor based in Irving, the city next door. We serve Dallas homeowners with remodels, paint, fences, tree work and yards. Text or call for a free quote.
A General Contractor for Dallas Homes
S&L Good Fellas handles home remodeling in Dallas from Irving, which borders Dallas on the west. We are an insured, family-owned general contractor. We serve homeowners across Dallas, and we have worked in Deep Ellum, east of downtown.
Home remodeling in Dallas starts with the house and the address. A 1920s Tudor in the M Streets, a 1950s ranch in Northwest Dallas and a new townhome in West Dallas each need a different plan. City rules change by address too.
Quick Answers
What Dallas homeowners ask before they ask for a quote.
Are you a Dallas company?
No. We are based in Irving, the city just west of Dallas, and we serve Dallas from there. Our portfolio includes a project in Deep Ellum.
Will my project need a Dallas permit?
It depends on the work and the address. Dallas exempts some small jobs, like most backyard fences up to 6 feet tall. Historic and conservation districts add their own review.
Are quotes free?
Yes. Text or call. We chat on the phone, take a look at the job, and send you a free quote.
Across Dallas, One Address at a Time
We serve homeowners across Dallas: Preston Hollow and Lake Highlands on the north side, Lakewood in East Dallas, Deep Ellum east of downtown, West Dallas across the Trinity River, and Oak Cliff south of it. The ZIP codes below are only a sample. Text or call to check your address.
ZIP Codes We Serve
- 75201
- 75226
- 75204
- 75206
- 75214
- 75218
- 75238
- 75230
- 75220
- 75212
- 75208
- 75224
- Google Rating
- 5.0
- Google Reviews
- 76
Find Your Dallas Neighborhood
Each page below covers one Dallas neighborhood: its houses, its district or HOA rules, and the ground and trees that shape the work there.
Our Services in Dallas, TX
Tile · Trim · ClosetsHome Remodeling
Interior renovations, tile, trim and built-ins for Dallas homes of every age.
Additions · Rehabs · FramingGeneral Contracting
Whole-home rehabs, additions and framing. A Dallas addition needs a city building permit.
Tile · Showers · VanitiesBathroom Remodeling
Shower remodels, bathroom tile, vanities and fixtures for Dallas baths, old and new.
Counters · Cabinets · TileKitchen Remodeling
Countertops, backsplashes and kitchen remodels that fit the age and layout of your home.
Trimming · Removal · StumpsTree Service
Trimming, removal and stump grinding. Dallas tree rules depend on the lot, so check before a removal.
Install · Repair · GatesFencing
Fence installation, repair, gates and staining, within Dallas height limits and permit lines.
Interior · Exterior · TrimPainting
Interior and exterior painting. In a Dallas historic district, exterior paint needs a city certificate.
Sod · Mulch · MakeoversLandscaping
Sod, mulch and yard cleanup. Plan new sod around Dallas's twice-a-week watering days.
Custom Decks · Built to LastDecks
Custom deck building for Dallas homes. See our composite rooftop deck project in Deep Ellum.
Pergolas · StructuresOutdoor Living
Pergolas and storage sheds. Dallas exempts some small detached sheds from a building permit.
What Shapes the Work in Dallas
Dallas sits on the Blackland Prairie. Much of its soil is deep, dark clay that swells when wet and opens wide cracks in dry weather. That movement can damage foundations, and it can shift patios and fence posts. Parts of Oak Cliff and southwest Dallas have thin soil over chalk instead. The Trinity River and its creeks, like White Rock Creek and Fivemile Creek, drain the city, so some lots sit in a mapped floodplain. Summer days run in the 90s and often reach 100 degrees. The National Weather Service says large hail and damaging winds hit the Dallas-Fort Worth area nearly every year.
Request a Quote
What We Quote in Dallas
Work we quote for Dallas homes, and the local reason behind each job.
Fence repair on clay soil
Blackland clay swells and shrinks with the weather, and that can push fence posts out of line. Ask about fence repair or a new fence.
Storm damage tree removal
Severe storms peak here in spring. We quote storm damage tree removal and damaged branch removal.
New sod and watering days
Dallas sets watering days for automatic lawn systems by address. A new lawn may get extra days through a short city variance. Get approval first.
When Removing a Tree Needs City Approval
Dallas protects trees under Article X of its development code. Most single-family or duplex lots under 2 acres in residential districts are excepted from those rules, as long as the lot has a home on it. Separate district rules can still protect trees. Lakewood's Tract IV, for one, protects large front-yard trees. Ask Planning and Development which rules cover your address.
That exception has edges. A tree in the parkway by the street is on city property, and removing it needs city approval. Once a demolition permit for the house is submitted, the lot counts as vacant and the exception ends. Floodplain and escarpment land has its own rules on removing trees and plants. In any of these cases, ask the city's tree staff at Planning and Development before a tree comes down.
- Outside the home-lot exception, ask city tree staff about approval before removing protected trees. Emergency removals have an exception.
- Which trees count as protected depends on species, size and location. Ask the city instead of guessing.
- Dallas wants limbs kept at least 8 feet above sidewalks and 15 feet above streets and alleys.
Dallas Fence Heights and Permit Lines
Dallas has two sets of fence numbers. The first is height. In single-family and duplex districts, a fence in the required front yard tops out at 4 feet. In a side or rear yard, the limit is 9 feet. The second is the permit line. Any fence over 6 feet needs a fence permit. So does a front-yard fence over 4 feet, where zoning allows one. A pool barrier fence always needs a permit.
Permits come from the Planning and Development Department, and you apply online through DallasNow. The same office decides when a deck, shed or patio cover needs a permit. City code exempts some small ones, but each exemption has conditions, and zoning setbacks still apply. Historic, conservation and planned development districts can add their own requirements. Check with the city before you build.
- Dallas bans some fence materials, including sheet metal, corrugated metal, fiberglass panels and plywood.
- A fence in a utility easement needs the utility's written OK. No fence may block the view at a street, alley or driveway corner.
- Sheds: a one-story detached storage shed of 200 square feet or less on a single-family or duplex lot is exempt from a building permit.
- Deck exemptions have size, height, use and location limits. Ask Planning and Development to check your plans before you build.
- Patio covers: the exemption is for a one-story detached cover under 200 square feet on single-family or duplex premises. Check setbacks with the city.
Two Kinds of Districts, Two Kinds of Review
Dallas protects older neighborhoods in two ways, and the steps differ. The first is the historic district, which the city calls a landmark district. Dallas lists 21, among them Swiss Avenue, Munger Place, Junius Heights, Winnetka Heights and Tenth Street. Exterior work there needs a Certificate of Appropriateness before it starts. City staff can approve routine items, such as repainting in the same color. Bigger changes go to the Landmark Commission at a public hearing.
The second is the conservation district. Each one has its own ordinance, written for that neighborhood, and city staff review the work against it. The M Streets, Kessler Park, Greenway Parks, Stevens Park Village and part of Lakewood each have one. Rules differ by district, and our neighborhood pages walk through several of them.
- Not sure which one you are in? Look up your address on the city zoning map. Historic districts show an H and conservation districts a CD.
- In a historic district, fences, paint colors, doors and additions are all on the city's list of work that needs the certificate.
- The Landmark Commission typically meets once a month, so plan that review into your schedule.
From Prairie Foursquares to Postwar Ranches
Dallas grew outward in waves, and each wave left its own kind of house. City records date Munger Place to about 1905, with Prairie-style foursquares, and Junius Heights to 1906, with more than 800 Craftsman, Prairie and Tudor homes. Across the river in Oak Cliff, Winnetka Heights was platted in 1908 with frame bungalows. The M Streets began in 1923, and most of its houses are Tudors.
Then came the ranch house. D Magazine dated Midway Hollow in Northwest Dallas to the early 1950s and Russwood Acres to 1962. So a Dallas remodeling contractor has to read the house first. An older home may call for trim that suits the original details. A postwar ranch may need a shower remodel, new countertops or built-ins.
Who We Are
S&L Good Fellas is an insured, family-owned contractor based in Irving, TX, working across Dallas-Fort Worth.
We work for homeowners first, plus property investors and small businesses.
See Our Deep Ellum Project
A Deep Ellum home: worn stair carpet replaced with stained wood treads, a composite deck built on the roof, and interior updates in between.
View the Deep Ellum ProjectWhat Customers Mention in Reviews
- Cleanup when the job is done
- Showing up on time
- Quick replies to calls and texts
- Fair pricing
How to Get a Quote
Send a text or call. We chat on the phone, take a look at the job, and send you a free quote.
What DFW Homeowners Are Saying
Dallas FAQ
Answers to common questions. Don’t see yours? Text or call and we will walk you through it.
Still Have Questions?
Send a text or give us a call. We are happy to talk through your project.
Call (469) 340-2030Does a kitchen or bathroom remodel need a Dallas permit?
It depends on the scope. Dallas exempts painting, cabinets, countertops and floor coverings from building permits. Interior remodeling on single-family or duplex premises is exempt if it leaves load-bearing parts alone and adds no floor area. Replacing a plumbing fixture can be exempt when the pipes behind it stay unchanged, with other conditions. Water heaters and boilers are excluded. Moving plumbing or adding wiring may need trade permits. Ask Planning and Development first.
When should oak trees be trimmed in Dallas?
Plan routine oak trimming outside February through June. Texas A&M Forest Service says to avoid pruning or wounding oaks in those months, because sap beetles can carry oak wilt to fresh cuts. It also says to paint every wound on an oak, any time of year. Red oaks are the most at risk. A broken or hanging limb is different: ask about damaged branch removal right away.
Can I water new sod every day in Dallas?
Hand watering, drip irrigation and soaker hoses are allowed any day. Automatic systems and hose-end watering devices have two days: Sundays and Thursdays for even addresses, Saturdays and Wednesdays for odd ones. Follow the 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. watering ban and avoid watering during rain or causing runoff. For new lawns, ask the Water Conservation Division for extra days for up to five weeks. Approval must come first. Cool-season grasses do not qualify.
My lot backs up to a creek. Can I still add a fence or a deck?
Check the flood map first. Dallas reviews work inside the 100-year floodplain. The city says improvements such as a fence, a deck or major landscaping there can be made through a floodplain alteration permit. Floodplain Management at Dallas Water Utilities can tell you what your address needs. Then text or call us about the fence or deck.
Can I paint my Dallas house any color?
Outside a protected district, Dallas code lists painting as work that needs no building permit. In a historic district, exterior paint needs a Certificate of Appropriateness, and city staff can approve a repaint in the same color. Conservation districts differ: some set paint rules and some do not. Private deed restrictions can limit colors too, so read yours first.
A storm dropped a limb on my fence. What should I do first?
Stay clear of any downed lines. For a tree or limb in the street, the city says to call 311. For trees in utility lines, it points you to Oncor. For the rest, text or call us. We quote storm damage tree removal, damaged branch removal and fence repair.
Let's Talk About Your Dallas Project.
Text or call S&L Good Fellas, the insured, family-owned contractor based in Irving. We take a look at the job and send you a free quote.
- Free quotes
- Insured
- Family owned
