HomeTerrell Hills
A 1950s city with a 1930s layer underneath
Most of these houses predate 1978, and that changes how the prep has to be done.
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Pre 1978 housing
The median Terrell Hills home was built in 1957, and 68.4 percent of the city's housing went up before 1970. That puts most of these houses inside the EPA Renovation, Repair and Painting rule, which covers homes built before 1978.
Texas is not an authorized state, so the EPA runs the rule here directly. We work to lead safe practices on older homes.
What we look at
A 1950s city with a 1930s layer underneath, no permit to pull, no historic review, and a lot of shade.
Census figures count 1,962 housing units here, median build year 1957. The 1950s alone account for 778 of them, nearly 40 percent of the city, with another 439 from the 1930s and 40s. In all, 62.1 percent predates 1960.
Terrell Hills is its own incorporated city, and its current technical amendments to the International Building Code state that repainting and redecorating do not require a building permit.
It exempts only 6 square feet inside a room and 20 square feet outside, so a full exterior repaint is far past it. Outside it requires the Renovate Right pamphlet up to 60 days ahead, doors and windows within 20 feet closed, ground sheeting 10 feet past the perimeter, no torching, heat guns under 1,100 degrees, and HEPA attachments on sanders. We work to lead safe practices on older homes.
San Antonio's Historic and Design Review Commission has no jurisdiction here because Terrell Hills is a separate municipality, and no local historic district or landmark commission appears in the city code.
Tell us what you are thinking about painting and Michael will come out, walk it with you and put a detailed bid in writing. No charge, no pressure. Every project carries a 2 year written warranty and $1,000,000 in liability coverage.
Under the oaks
The city keeps an oak wilt ordinance requiring any wound that exposes sapwood be painted within one hour, and Public Works requires street canopy raised to 13 feet 6 inches.
Old oaks are everywhere here, and shaded walls dry slower and hold mildew. We wash, spot prime and recoat the sides that are failing rather than repaint the whole house early.
Why Terrell Hills homeowners call us
Michael Hernandez owns this company and walks your project with you. That means agreeing up front on what gets repaired and how the older painted surfaces get prepped.
Michael has painted San Antonio homes and businesses since 2003. Every project carries a 2 year written transferable warranty of quality and $1,000,000 in liability insurance, and we are based in 78216.
In their words
They did excellent work for a fair price and got it done quickly. This is by far the best contracting experience I have had in years.
We just used Michael Hernandez with Value House Painting. His crew is great and pays attention to details!
I would like to take a few minutes to thank you for a job well done. The interior painting looks amazing. Your crews that did the work were very professional, courteous and most of all diligent.
What we do here
In Terrell Hills we take on exterior painting, interior painting, commercial painting, cabinet painting and refinishing and popcorn ceiling removal. Everything we do is listed on the Value House Painting home page, and you can reach Michael through the contact page.
Neighboring Alamo Heights is the other separate incorporated city on this side of town, and a repaint needs no permit there either. Monte Vista has housing of the same age but sits inside a designated historic district, so the rules there are different.
Siding, trim, fascia, eaves and doors, with lead safe prep on anything built before 1978 and extra care on the shaded elevations under your oaks.
See the prep that makes it last
Walls, ceilings, trim and crown molding, plus kitchen and bath cabinets degreased, sanded, primed and finished with a coating made for daily handling.
See what happens before the color
Drywall repair with texture matching, popcorn ceiling removal, wallpaper removal, stucco repair and wood rot work on a house that has been settling since the 1950s.
See how the ceiling comes downStraight answers
No. Terrell Hills adopts the International Building Code with its own amendments, and those amendments list repainting and redecorating as work that does not require a building permit.
It may. Lead paint was not banned for residential use until 1978, and 68.4 percent of Terrell Hills housing was built before 1970. The rule treats any pre 1978 home as in scope unless testing shows otherwise.
Containment and dust control: ground sheeting past the perimeter, closed doors and windows nearby, no open flame on painted surfaces, temperature limited heat guns, HEPA attachments on sanders, and a cleanup leaving no visible dust.
No local historic district review applies. San Antonio's Historic and Design Review Commission has no jurisdiction here because Terrell Hills is a separate city, and no landmark commission appears in the Terrell Hills code.
Shaded elevations under mature oaks dry slower and hold mildew longer than sunny ones. We wash, spot prime and recoat the sides that are failing rather than repaint the whole house early.
Value you can count on
Tell us what you are thinking about painting and Michael will come out, walk it with you and put a detailed bid in writing. No charge, no obligation.
Free written bid
