McKinney TX Remodeling | Kitchens, Baths and Older Homes

Remodeling in McKinney

McKinney has been the Collin County seat since 1848. It had 21,283 people in 1990 and 195,308 at the 2020 census, which makes it one of the fastest growing large cities in the country. The housing shows it. About 73 percent of the homes were built in 2000 or later, 15 percent in the 1990s, and under 4 percent before 1960. That older share sits on the blocks around the downtown square. The 1876 courthouse there now holds the McKinney Performing Arts Center, and Chestnut Square Historic Village keeps a row of houses from the 1850s through the 1920s.

Neighborhoods on this page: Stonebridge Ranch, Craig Ranch, Eldorado Ridge, Tucker Hill, Auburn Hills, Adriatica Village, Trinity Falls and the historic downtown McKinney square grid along Tennessee, Kentucky and Louisiana streets.

Two Kinds of McKinney Houses

Stonebridge Ranch and Craig Ranch are production houses from the late 1990s through the 2010s: two-story brick on a slab, open plan, big island, game room upstairs, three-car garage. Owners there replace the builder finish package. Cabinets to the ceiling, quartz, a tile backsplash, a vented hood, a primary shower rebuilt in large-format tile, and plank flooring across the first floor.

The houses near the square are a different trade. Frame construction on pier-and-beam, small rear kitchens, one bath for the whole house, and wiring that has been patched for a century. A remodel there covers the whole house. The floor is leveled, the panel and circuits are replaced, a second bath is carved from a bedroom or added off the back, and the kitchen is rebuilt with the original trim profiles matched.

Cabinet and counter rebuilds in the subdivisions
Primary shower rebuilds in large-format tile
Whole-house renovations near the square

Historic Districts Downtown

McKinney runs a Historic Preservation Office with a Historic Neighborhood Improvement Zone around downtown. Inside the historic districts, exterior changes such as siding, windows, porches and additions get a design approval from that office before the building permit is issued. Interior work does not. The same page lists the city's home recognition program for houses in those districts.

McKinney Permits

The City of McKinney Building Inspections division is part of Development Services. It adopted the 2024 International codes effective October 1, 2025. Applications and inspection requests go through the Citizen Self-Service portal. The city's home repairs and permits page lists separate permit types for window replacement, water heaters, foundation repair, stand-alone electrical, plumbing and mechanical work, and residential alterations and additions. Contractors register with the city before a permit is issued.

Flooring, Garages and Commercial Work

Flooring in the subdivisions is tile and carpet out, slab flattened, one plank or hardwood through the first floor, stairs to match. Near the square it is original pine or oak under carpet, sanded and finished where it is sound and patched with matching boards where walls came out. Stained concrete, carpet, luxury vinyl plank, laminate, tile, hardwood and engineered wood are all installed here.

Third garage bays in Stonebridge Ranch and Craig Ranch become gyms, offices and bedrooms with insulation, drywall, a floor over the slab, electrical and conditioned air. Downtown, the two-story brick storefronts on the square get finish-outs for restaurants, shops and upstairs apartments. The McKinney Chamber of Commerce is the business group for both sides of town.

Other Collin County Cities

Plano, Frisco, Allen. See the Collin County page for the full list.

Recent Work

Kitchens, bathrooms and interiors across Dallas-Fort Worth.

New batt insulation in the wall cavities before drywall

White shaker kitchen with subway backsplash and plank floor

Insulation staged under new recessed lighting

Walk in tile shower with niche and new vanity

Common Questions

Does McKinney require a permit to replace windows?

Yes. The city's home repairs and permits page lists Residential Window Replacement as its own permit type, alongside water heaters, foundation repair and stand-alone electrical, plumbing and mechanical work. A window swapped in the same opening still needs a permit and an inspection in McKinney.

Which building code does McKinney inspect a remodel to?

The 2024 International codes, which the city adopted on October 1, 2025. A kitchen or bath permit filed after that date is checked against the 2024 residential, plumbing, mechanical and energy editions and the current electrical code. That is newer than what most neighboring cities had adopted at that point.

Does the historic district limit a kitchen remodel near the square?

Not the inside. The preservation office signs off on exterior changes visible from the street: siding, windows, porches, roof lines and additions. A kitchen or bath rebuilt inside the existing walls goes through the regular building permit only. If the kitchen grows into a rear addition, that part goes to the preservation office.

What do late-1990s Stonebridge Ranch houses usually need?

Finish upgrades. The layout is already open. The oak or maple cabinets get replaced or painted, tile counters give way to quartz, the primary shower gets rebuilt in tile with a bench, carpet in the formals becomes plank, and the stair spindles become iron balusters. Some owners add a covered patio off the back.

McKinney Remodeling Contractor