Remodeling and repairs in San Marcos

San Marcos isn't a typical Austin suburb. It's a university city with its own history, built around the springs that feed the San Marcos River and the campus of Texas State University. Its housing runs from 1900s cottages and bungalows in historic districts to student rentals and newer subdivisions on the edges of town. It also has a well-earned respect for floods. The Blanco and San Marcos rivers flooded badly in 2015, and floodplain rules affect a lot of projects here.

Floodplain first

If your property is in a mapped floodplain or the city's two-foot floodplain buffer, the City of San Marcos requires a floodplain permit in addition to your building permit. The city's guidance for new homes generally calls for a finished floor elevation at least two feet above the regulated floodplain.

What that means for existing homes:

• Additions in the floodplain may need to be elevated. Big additions or "substantial improvements" can trigger requirements for the whole house.
• Garages, sheds and accessory buildings in the floodplain need floodplain review.
• Fences and fill can affect drainage and may be regulated in floodways.

How to check: Look up your address on the FEMA Flood Map Service Center, then ask the city about local regulatory maps and the buffer. Do this before you hire a designer.

Historic districts and the COA

San Marcos has several local historic districts, including Belvin Street, Burleson Street, Lindsey-Rogers, Dunbar, San Antonio Street and Downtown. Most are residential; Downtown is commercial. Exterior changes in a district generally need a Certificate of Appropriateness (COA) from the Historic Preservation Commission before other permits are issued. That includes:

• additions;
• window replacement;
• fences;
• accessory structures;
• changes to porches, siding and other visible features.

The Historic Preservation Commission meets on a regular monthly schedule, so plan your COA timeline around its agenda deadlines.

Old-house realities in these districts:

• pier-and-beam foundations that need leveling;
• original wood windows (repair plus storms is often the easier path through COA review);
• lead paint in pre-1978 homes, which requires an EPA RRP-certified contractor;
• outdated wiring, cast-iron or galvanized plumbing.

The order of approvals

If your house is in both a historic district and a floodplain, which happens near the rivers, the sequence matters:

1. Floodplain check. Find out whether you're in the floodplain or the two-foot buffer, and what elevation requirements your design must meet.
2. COA from the Historic Preservation Commission for exterior changes. Bring drawings that already reflect the floodplain requirements.
3. Floodplain permit, if required.
4. Building and trade permits through MGO Connect.

Getting the floodplain answer before designing avoids the expensive case: a COA approved for a design that can't meet elevation rules.

Permits and codes

San Marcos uses the 2021 International Residential Code with local amendments. Building permit applications go through MGO Connect, where you create an account, choose Residential and upload plans. Additions, structural remodels, MEP work, roofs, pools and accessory structures generally require permits. If you're in a historic district or floodplain, those approvals come first.

Soils

Like its neighbors, San Marcos sits on the Balcones Escarpment. To the east is Blackland clay with shrink-swell movement. To the west are Hill Country limestone and thinner soils. Older pier-and-beam homes near downtown often need periodic leveling. Slab homes on clay need good drainage.

Rental and investor properties

Because of the university, many San Marcos homes are rentals. Common projects:

• durable bathroom and kitchen updates (tile, solid-surface counters, robust fixtures);
• HVAC replacements with an eye toward reliability;
• flooring suited to heavy use;
• making sure egress windows and smoke alarms meet code in bedrooms.

Check city rules for rental properties and occupancy before adding bedrooms.

Projects that fit San Marcos

• Foundation leveling or repair: pier-and-beam in older areas, slab repair on clay.
• Roof replacement: hail is common. In historic districts, check whether material changes need a COA.
• Window work: restoration in historic homes, low-E replacements elsewhere.
• Kitchen and bath remodels in 1960s–90s houses.
• Elevating or floodproofing utilities (HVAC units, water heaters) in flood-prone homes.

Hiring

• Ask for experience with San Marcos COA and floodplain reviews if either applies to you.
• Verify electrical and A/C licenses on TDLR's license search, and plumbing licenses with the Texas State Board of Plumbing Examiners.
• For pre-1978 homes, confirm EPA RRP certification.