Kitchen Remodeling in Balch Springs, TX

For many Balch Springs owners, kitchen remodeling is the second or third project, not the first. The city's housing is largely modest single-family homes from the 1960s through the 1980s, and in those houses a failing tub surround or worn-out floor usually needs attention before the kitchen does. We plan for that order instead of fighting it.

The drive could hardly be simpler: I-635 south from Lake Highlands, roughly 30 minutes (15 mi), with US-175 crossing the city's south side. That short commute makes phased work practical, since returning for the next stage is easy.

1970s Slabs and Original Baths Between I-635 and US-175

Most Balch Springs houses from this period stand on slab-on-grade foundations poured over Blackland Prairie clay. Four conditions come up again and again in houses of this type:

• Slab movement. Clay shrinks in dry summers and swells after rain, cracking tile and grout and sometimes stressing plumbing under the slab.
• Original wet areas. Tile tub surrounds from the 1970s often have failed grout and soft drywall behind them, so we plan to open and rebuild, not cover over.
• Lead paint. Anything built before 1978 falls under the EPA's RRP rule when painted surfaces are disturbed, which affects how demolition is set up.
• Aging drain lines. Houses of this age usually drain through cast-iron pipe under the slab, which scales and cracks with time, so a licensed plumber's camera inspection before a bath remodel is money well spent.

Winter Storm Uri in February 2021 added a fifth lesson. Supply lines that run through attics and exterior walls froze across southeast Dallas County, and an open wall during a remodel is the cheapest time to move them into heated space.

Our tub-to-shower conversion guide explains what changes in the plumbing and the timeline. If water is the problem, slab leaks and the floor damage they cause are covered in a separate article, and water-damaged floor replacement explains the rebuild.

How We Run a Balch Springs Job off I-635

We book consultations Monday through Friday, 9 am to 5 pm. Arian or Ax, who lead our projects, walk the house with you, check the floor for slope, look under the sinks and talk through which phase comes first.

From there you receive a plan for the full scope, selections, and a written estimate broken out by phase. Permits go through the City of Balch Springs when the work needs them, and plumbing and electrical are handled by trades licensed through the TSBPE and TDLR. Each phase ends with a walkthrough so you know exactly where things stand before the next begins.

Balch Springs Coverage and the Mesquite Side of Our Route

Balch Springs is a compact, built-out city between Mesquite on the north and east and the Pleasant Grove neighborhoods of Dallas on the west. Lake June Road and Elam Road are the main streets across town, I-635 runs along the east side toward its interchange with I-20, and US-175 crosses the south. Nearly every street is a neighborhood of single-story homes, so a visit, a delivery and a phased return trip all run along the same short stretch of LBJ Freeway from Lake Highlands. Neighboring Mesquite and Seagoville share much of the same 1960s to 1980s housing, so the bath-first, phase-by-phase pattern holds across this corner of the county.

We have not published Balch Springs projects or reviews tagged to this city, so we will not cite any. We can tell you the route and our neighboring coverage: Mesquite, Seagoville, Sunnyvale, Hutchins and Wilmer. Hunter D.'s Google review notes that the project stayed on budget, and phased plans are built with that in mind.