Tarrant County · Dallas–Fort Worth · Unit turns, value-add & amenities
Apartment Renovation Contractor in Arlington, TX
Arlington sits between Dallas and Fort Worth with a rental base split between UT Arlington students, entertainment-district workers and long-term workforce households. That mix rewards a different renovation calculus than either neighbouring city: durability and turn speed usually matter more than finish ceiling, because units cycle faster here than in most of the metroplex.
What Apartment Renovation Costs in Arlington
Per-unit ranges at 2026 pricing. Most Arlington projects land in the light value-add band. Where a specific project falls depends on unit size, the condition of plumbing and electrical behind the walls, and how much of the scope requires a permit.
| Scope | Per unit | What it includes |
|---|---|---|
| Standard unit turn | $1,500–$4,000 | Paint, flooring, appliance swap-out, hardware, punch and make-ready cleaning. |
| Light value-addmost common here | $5,000–$12,000 | Resurfaced or replaced counters, cabinet fronts, lighting and plumbing fixtures, flooring throughout. |
| Full classic-to-premium | $12,000–$25,000 | New cabinets and counters, full appliance package, flooring, lighting, fixtures, and often a reconfigured kitchen or bath. |
Ranges reflect completed work across Texas, Oklahoma and Arkansas. A walked scope on your specific property replaces these ranges with a fixed number.
What Makes Arlington Different
Renovation scope is not portable between markets. Building stock, permitting and weather all change what the right scope is, and these are the factors that drive it in Arlington.
The building stock
Heavy concentration of 1970s and 80s two-story garden walk-ups, much of it originally built as student housing near the university and since absorbed into general workforce inventory. Unit mixes lean toward one-bedroom and efficiency plans, and communities are often larger than the metroplex average, which makes repetitive scope economical.
Why owners renovate here
High tenant turnover means make-ready volume is the dominant cost line for most Arlington owners, not capital renovation. Properties that do take a full value-add scope are typically repositioning away from student housing toward stabilised workforce tenancy, where a durable mid-tier package holds up better than a premium one.
Permitting in Arlington
The City of Arlington issues permits through its Community Development and Planning department, with electrical, plumbing and mechanical handled as separate trade permits. Because Arlington communities tend to be large and unit plans repeat, a single program filing covering a repeating scope is far more efficient than per-unit submissions.
Weather and code drivers
Tarrant County hail exposure applies here as it does in Fort Worth, and the older two-story stock frequently still carries original roofing past its impact-rated service life. Freeze-related supply line failures from 2021 remain a recurring find once walls are opened.
Arlington Submarkets We Work In
We work throughout Arlington and Tarrant County. These are the submarkets where most of the renovation-grade multifamily stock sits.
- UTA / Central Arlington
- Entertainment District
- East Arlington
- South Arlington
- North Arlington
- Pantego edge
Arlington sits mid-metroplex and is served from Richardson on the same crews that run Dallas and Fort Worth, with no mobilisation premium.
What We Are Called In To Do
The scopes Arlington owners and asset managers bring us most often.
- High-volume make-ready and unit turn programs
- Durable mid-tier finish packages built for fast cycling
- Student-to-workforce repositioning scopes
- Large-community phased renovation rotations
- Exterior stair, breezeway and handrail code work
200+
Communities renovated
Across TX, OK & AR
12,000+
Units completed
And counting since 2018
98.4%
On-time delivery
Across multifamily projects
Zero
Resident displacement
Phased rotation, every job
Arlington Multifamily Renovation Questions
A standard make-ready runs roughly $1,500–$4,000 per unit, and make-ready volume is the dominant renovation cost for most Arlington owners because units cycle faster here than in most of the metroplex. Light value-add packages run $5,000–$12,000 per unit, and a full classic-to-premium interior runs $12,000–$25,000. Most Arlington properties land in the turn or light band rather than the full one.
The rental base in Arlington cycles faster than most metroplex submarkets, particularly near UT Arlington. A premium finish package that needs repair or replacement every second turn costs more across a hold period than a durable mid-tier package that survives five years of heavy use. We specify to the turnover rate rather than to the showroom.
Yes. Arlington communities are often larger than the metroplex average with heavily repeating unit plans, which is ideal for phased rotation. We take down a block of vacant units at a time and move through the property as leases roll, with no resident displacement and a renovated unit always available for the leasing office to show.
Typically a durability upgrade rather than a luxury one — solid-surface counters, plank flooring, better door and cabinet hardware, improved lighting and sound attenuation between units. Unit mixes built for students skew to efficiencies and one-bedrooms, so some owners also combine plans to create larger units. That work moves plumbing and pulls permits through Arlington Community Development and Planning.
Multifamily Renovation in Other Cities
We also renovate throughout Dallas–Fort Worth.
Pricing a Arlington Renovation?
Send the unit count, the vintage and what you are trying to achieve on rent. A project manager walks the property and returns a scope and budget within one business day — not a form letter.