Historic Old Town Georgetown streetscape with custom residential infill construction by Chance Leigh
Old Town & Downtown District — Georgetown, Texas
4.9 Stars  ·  850+ Verified Reviews  ·  51+ Historic District Projects

There Is No Neighborhood in Central Texas Like Old Town Georgetown. Build Here the Right Way.

Walkable to the Square. Shaded by 100-year-old live oaks. Surrounded by homes with real architectural character. Old Town Georgetown is the most desirable address in Williamson County — and one of the most complex places to build. Chance Leigh has done it more than 51 times.

Talk to Chance How HARC Works
51+ Projects in Old Town & Downtown Overlays
HARC Certificate of Appropriateness Experience
Builder-Led · Every Project · No Middleman
Verified Client Reviews

Old Town Georgetown Residents

From the Georgetown square to Old Town’s historic streetscape — these clients live in homes Chance built here.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★ Verified Google Review

“Chance built a beautiful home right in the heart of the Georgetown square. His design choices and attention to detail — from the fixtures, slate kitchen back splash and Italian tile in the bathrooms — were exquisite. He stayed within my budget and delivered in record time. Chance and his team were always available and helpful in the coming years for minor repairs and upgrades.”

Melanie Maile Custom Home Owner — Georgetown Square
Location Georgetown Square
Scope Build + Post-Sale Custom Work
Read All Verified Client Reviews
Historic District Projects

Building or Buying in Old Town Georgetown?

Whether you own a lot in the historic overlay, are purchasing a structure for renovation, or want to understand what the HARC process involves before you commit — start with a direct conversation. Chance responds personally to every inquiry.

Direct Line 512-848-1185
Email Inbox [email protected]
Our Office 1952 S. Austin Avenue
Georgetown, TX 78626

[CONFIRM WITH CHANCE: Old Town infill band — the page claims $400K–$800K for historic-district infill, below the sitewide $800K floor; verify that is intended]

Your information goes to Chance — not a sales team, not a mailing list.

Walkability

Steps from Georgetown Square, Restaurants, and the Community

Old Town sits within walking distance of Georgetown's historic downtown Square — one of the most vibrant small-city squares in Texas. Farmers markets, local restaurants, boutiques, and community events are part of daily life here, not a weekend drive. Families who build in Old Town don't move out. They put down roots. The practical side holds up too: Old Town addresses zone to Georgetown ISD and sit minutes from the Square on foot — the rare historic district where charm and logistics agree.

Architectural Character

A Neighborhood That Looks Like It Was Built to Last — Because It Was

Old Town's streetscapes are defined by 1920s Craftsman bungalows, early 1900s Victorian cottages, and mature live oak canopies that took a century to grow. Building here means your home joins that fabric — a new home designed with the scale, proportion, and material character that belongs on a block this beautiful. That is a standard most neighborhoods can't offer and most builders can't meet.

Investment Value

Limited Supply. Genuine Demand. Long-Term Value.

The historic overlay restricts what can be built and how, which is precisely what protects the neighborhood's character — and its property values. There are no infill tract homes going up next door. No generic builder grade finishes across the street. Scarcity and standards together produce the kind of long-term appreciation that makes Old Town Georgetown one of the strongest residential investments in Central Texas.

What Makes This Different

The Complexity We Handle So You Don't Have To

Building in Old Town Georgetown requires one additional layer of approval that most buyers — and most builders — don't know about. Every project in the historic overlay must be reviewed and approved by the city's Historic and Architectural Review Commission (HARC) before a building permit is issued. HARC evaluates whether your design is compatible with the historic character of the surrounding block and issues a Certificate of Appropriateness (COA) when it is.

This is where most contractors hit a wall. The HARC process has its own application, its own design standards, its own hearing schedule, and its own timeline — all of which run before standard permitting begins. Chance Leigh has navigated this process more than 51 times. [CONFIRM the 51-project count with Chance — it appears on this page 4+ times and on the homepage] He knows what the Commission approves, what it rejects, what triggers a second hearing, and how to design a home that passes the first time. You don't manage this process. He does.

The Work

What We Build in Old Town Georgetown

Whether you own a vacant lot, a structure in need of full renovation, or an existing home you want to thoughtfully expand — Chance Leigh has done it in the historic district.

01

New Residential Infill

A brand-new home designed to belong on a historic block — with the proportion, scale, materials, and detail that fits the streetscape without imitating it. These are typically $400K — $800K builds on smaller urban lots with alley access, walkable to the Square. Chance has completed multiple new infill homes on W 18th Street and S Elm Street in the Old Town overlay.

02

Whole-Home Renovations

Complete interior renovations of historic homes while preserving — or restoring — the exterior character that makes them valuable. New kitchens, bathrooms, mechanical systems, and structural improvements inside a home that still looks exactly right from the street. Chance brings experience working in homes built in the 1910s — 1940s, where construction methods and materials require a different approach than modern new construction.

03

Additions & Expansions

Adding square footage to a historic home requires a builder who can match original construction methods and navigate the HARC review that exterior additions trigger. Chance has managed alterations to historic structures in the Downtown District overlay, including projects on S Myrtle Street, where the addition had to complement — not compete with — the original structure.

Process Knowledge

He Knows the HARC Calendar, the Staff, and What Gets Approved

HARC meets on a set monthly schedule. Miss a submission deadline and you're waiting another month. Know which design elements commissioners consistently flag and revise them before the hearing. Know which materials are pre-approved and which will trigger a second review. This is the kind of institutional knowledge that only comes from showing up, repeatedly, for 15 years. Chance has it. Most builders in Georgetown don't.

Design Discipline

Historic-Compatible Design Is a Skill, Not a Style

Building in the historic overlay doesn't mean building a replica of an old house. It means understanding the scale, proportion, rhythm, and material palette of a block and designing something new that belongs there. Chance works with designers who understand these standards and builds to them precisely — because HARC rejection adds months and costs to a project that was already budgeted and scheduled.

Personal Accountability

Personally On-Site — Including in the Historic District

Historic district projects require tighter daily oversight than new construction on open acreage. Older lot boundaries, shared alley access, proximity to neighboring structures, and the presence of utilities from multiple eras all demand a builder who is present and paying attention. Chance is on your job site throughout the build. You have his direct number, and he answers it.

The Broader Georgetown Market

Most of Georgetown falls outside the historic overlay. If your project is in a standard residential neighborhood, a new subdivision, or an ETJ lot — rather than the HARC review area — see the main Georgetown builder guide for the full picture of what Chance builds across the city.

Georgetown Custom Home Builder