Remodeling, Paint, and Tree Work in Lakewood, Dallas
S&L Good Fellas is an insured, family-owned contractor based in Irving. We work in Lakewood, the East Dallas neighborhood by White Rock Lake where many homes date from the 1920s to the 1940s. Text or call for a free quote.
Lakewood Remodeling That Fits the House
Lakewood remodeling often starts with a house that has a strong style. Dines and Kraft, the first developers here, built mostly Tudor homes. Builder Clifford D. Hutsell added Spanish-style homes with tile roofs, buff brick, and stained glass. S&L Good Fellas is an insured, family-owned general contractor based in Irving, and we work in Lakewood.
Part of the neighborhood is the Lakewood Conservation District, where outside changes follow city rules. Inside, we quote kitchens, baths, tile, trim, closets, and whole-home rehabs. Outside, we quote paint, tree trimming, fences, sod, decks, and pergolas.
Text or call (469) 340-2030. We chat on the phone, take a look at the job, and send a free quote.
Quick Answers
What Lakewood homeowners ask before they ask for a quote.
Is every Lakewood house in the conservation district?
No. It covers only part of Lakewood, in four tracts. Check the city's conservation district map for your address before you plan outside work.
Are your quotes free?
Yes. Text or call (469) 340-2030. We chat on the phone, take a look at the job, and send a free quote.
Do the district rules cover inside remodels?
The style rules cover the outside, mainly what faces the street. A kitchen or bath remodel that changes a window or door seen from the street can still need review.
Serving Lakewood in East Dallas
Lakewood sits in East Dallas on the west side of White Rock Lake. Its edges depend on who you ask. Many use Abrams Road on the west, Mockingbird Lane on the north, and Gaston Avenue on the south. The Lakewood Shopping Center, home of the 1938 Lakewood Theater, centers on Abrams Road and Gaston Avenue.
ZIP Codes We Serve
- 75214
- Google Rating
- 5.0
- Google Reviews
- 76
Work We Quote in Lakewood
Tile · Trim · ClosetsHome Remodeling
Tile, trim, built-ins, and closets for 1920s to 1940s homes.
Interior · Exterior · TrimPainting
Interior and exterior paint. The district limits body and trim colors.
Counters · Cabinets · TileKitchen Remodeling
Countertops, backsplashes, and kitchen updates for older Tudor and Spanish-style houses.
Tile · Showers · VanitiesBathroom Remodeling
Shower remodels, bathroom tile, vanities, and fixtures for older baths.
Trimming · Removal · StumpsTree Service
Trimming, removal, and stump grinding. Tract IV protects front-yard trees of 15 caliper inches or more.
Install · Repair · GatesFencing
Side and back yard fences, gates, repairs, and staining. The district bars most front-yard fences.
Sod · Mulch · MakeoversLandscaping
Sod, mulch, beds, and yard cleanup. In Tract IV, the rules limit regrading a lot.
Pergolas · StructuresOutdoor Living
Pergolas and storage sheds. In the district, outbuildings have placement and style rules.
Additions · Rehabs · FramingGeneral Contracting
Whole-home rehabs, additions, and framing. District additions follow setback and street-side style rules.
Custom Decks · Built to LastDecks
Custom back yard decks, sized for your lot and how you use it.
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Old Houses, Rolling Ground, and District Rules
Lakewood's rolling ground looks out toward White Rock Lake. Early developers Dines and Kraft worked with the natural shape of the land. Dallas made part of Lakewood a conservation district in 1988 and added Tract IV in 2025. Before changing the outside, check the rules for your tract and house. Yard projects also need to account for trees, slopes and drainage.
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Lakewood Projects We Quote
Inside and outside work for older Lakewood homes, in the conservation district or outside it.
Updating Older Rooms
Many Lakewood homes date from the 1920s to the 1940s. Ask about kitchen, bath, tile, trim, and closet updates that suit an older house.
Front-Yard Trees in Tract IV
In Tract IV, a front-yard tree of 15 caliper inches or more (measured 4.5 feet up, uphill side) is protected. Removal needs the building official's approval.
Oak Trimming Season
Texas A&M Forest Service advises against pruning oaks from February through June, when beetles can carry oak wilt to fresh cuts, and says to paint oak wounds.
Slopes and Drainage
Tract IV bans lot-to-lot drainage and says each lot keeps its March 2025 slope, except minor grading to build, stop that drainage, or match the lots next door.
Is Your House in the District?
Part of Lakewood is Conservation District No. 2, the Lakewood Conservation District. Dallas created it in 1988 with three tracts in the Country Club Estates area. They include blocks along Lakewood Boulevard, Lakeshore Drive, and Avalon Avenue between Abrams Road and Brendenwood Drive. In 2025, the city added Tract IV, with parts of Westlake Avenue, Lakewood Boulevard, Lakeshore Drive, and Tokalon Drive farther east.
Each part has its own ordinance: the 1988 rules for Tracts I to III, and a newer, more detailed set for Tract IV. Both cover house style, fences, paint colors, and outbuildings.
Before outside work, talk with the city's conservation district staff. Dallas recommends that step before additions, exterior remodels, and new structures. In Tract IV, any work the rules cover needs a review application first. In Tracts I to III, the rules apply even when no building permit is needed.
- Tracts I to III: no front-yard fences or walls, except balustrades, porch rails, hand rails, and retaining walls under 6 inches high.
- Tract IV: no front-yard fences, except a courtyard wall 4 feet or less around the front entry that reaches no more than 5 feet into the yard.
- Tract IV: side fences up to 6 feet; rear or corner-side up to 8. Ask city staff about placement and the front-corner setback. Chain link is banned.
- Paint: Tracts I to III allow one body and two trim colors on walls facing a front or corner side yard. Tract IV: one body and up to three trim colors.
- No fluorescent paint or black main body color in any tract. Tract IV also bans metallic colors.
- Garages and sheds go behind the house in Tracts I to III. In Tract IV, ones seen from the street must be compatible with the house's style and materials.
Tudors, Hutsell Homes, and Their Details
The city-posted expansion study describes development from 1925 to 1946 in the area it studied. Dines and Kraft built mostly Tudors. From 1926 to 1947, Clifford D. Hutsell built 50 homes in the Lakewood area, known for multicolored tile roofs, buff brick, balconies, stained glass, and iron accents.
Tract IV protects details on the front and front half of the sides of a contributing house. Before changing a chimney, porch, stained glass or a window or door opening there, ask city staff which rules apply. Staff can explain when features must be kept or copied and the option to document the original or existing style and materials.
In Tracts I to III, rules protect stained or leaded glass on contributing houses where it is visible from an adjoining street. Ask city staff before removing it. They can explain temporary removal for repair or comparable replacement, and the separate provisions for demolition, vandalism or an act of God.
More Neighborhoods Near Lakewood
Other Dallas neighborhoods we serve, nearest to Lakewood first, then the closest ones in nearby cities.
What DFW Homeowners Are Saying
Lakewood 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) 340-2030Can I change the outside paint colors on my Lakewood house?
Check your tract first. Tracts I to III allow one body color and two trim colors on walls facing a front or corner side yard. Tract IV allows one body color and up to three trim colors. All tracts ban fluorescent paint and a black main body color; Tract IV also bans metallic colors. Ask conservation district staff about your choices before painting.
Do I need approval to remove a big tree in my Lakewood front yard?
In Tract IV, yes. A front-yard tree of 15 caliper inches or more, measured 4.5 feet above grade on the uphill side of the lot, is protected, and the building official must approve the removal first. Elsewhere, Dallas tree rules can still apply, depending on the lot, the tree's species and size, and the work planned. Ask the city before a large tree comes down.
Can I build a pergola or shed in my Lakewood back yard?
It depends on your tract. In Tracts I to III, garages and other accessory buildings go behind the house, and a new roof visible from an adjoining street must be hipped, side-gabled, gambrel, mansard, or cross-gabled. Tract IV counts pergolas, sheds, and garages as accessory structures, with setback rules based on their height and where they sit on the lot.
Can I add on to a house in the Lakewood Conservation District?
Yes, within the district's limits. In Tracts I to III, buildings can cover up to 45 percent of the lot, and height limits apply. In Tract IV, the cap is 45 percent for main buildings that existed on March 31, 2025, and 40 percent for new main buildings built after that date. An addition's front setback uses the average of the lots next door. Talk with city staff before design starts. We build home additions and do framing.
What should I know before remodeling a bath in an older Lakewood house?
Look at the whole room first. Some of Lakewood's older homes sit on pier and beam foundations, so the floor under new tile matters. In the district, ask the city before changing a window that faces the street. We do shower remodels, bathroom tile, vanities, and fixtures.
Let's Talk About Your Lakewood House.
Text or call (469) 340-2030. We chat on the phone, take a look at the job, and send a free quote for the inside, the outside, or the yard.
- Free quotes
- Insured
- Family owned
