Block by Block

Block by Block offers rebates to Fredville homeowners who improve the outside of their homes, along with an incentive for owners who demolish and rebuild a single-family house. Please review the guidelines below before you apply.

Before You Apply

  • Submit your application no more than two weeks before you expect the work to start.
  • Do not begin any work until Block by Block staff send you a Notice to Proceed letter.
  • Contractors may not be paid in cash.
  • You must turn in itemized receipts to be reimbursed.

Exterior Improvement Rebate

  • Homes 25 years old or older: the city rebates 40% of eligible exterior improvement costs, up to $8,000 per property.
  • Homes 15 to 24 years old: the rebate is 25% of eligible costs, up to $4,000 per property.
  • Homes less than 15 years old: the rebate is 10% of eligible costs, up to $4,000 per property.
  • After the agreement is signed, every approved improvement must be finished. If any part is left undone, the whole project is disqualified and no partial rebate is paid.
  • Homeowners can receive no more than two rebates on the same property within any three-year period.
  • Investors can receive up to three rebates a year, each on a different property, with a limit of $4,000 per property in any three-year period.

Who Can Apply

  • Owners of a single-family home in Fredville, or tenants who have the owner's written permission
  • Applicants must turn in a completed application and a W-9 form
  • Applicants may have only one approved project open at a time
  • Applicants must show a government-issued photo ID

Eligible Projects

  • Repairing or replacing exterior siding and soffits
  • Replacing windows
  • Replacing exterior doors
  • Replacing garage doors and their hardware
  • Adding or replacing roof turbines and vents
  • Painting the exterior
  • Installing or replacing gutters
  • Repairing or replacing driveways
  • Repairing or replacing fences*
  • Solar screens
  • Adding or replacing turf, shrubs and trees
  • Tree trimming (the owner must haul away all brush afterward)
  • Repairing or replacing sprinkler controllers

*Fence work must include fencing along the outside of the property, and only the cost of repairing or replacing that exterior section counts toward the rebate. For example, if a fence project costs $3,200 in all and $400 of it is for the exterior fence, the rebate is based on that $400 alone.

Ineligible Projects

  • New swimming pools, hot tubs, spas or water features
  • Landscaping plans that use plants that are not native or naturalized to the area
  • Landscaping plans with irrigation that would keep plants from becoming established under the watering restrictions in place when the plan is approved (drip irrigation or soaker hoses may be required)
  • Repairs or replacements for sprinkler systems without digital controllers that have working rain and temperature sensors
  • Detached accessory buildings
  • Converting a garage into living space
  • Carports
  • Roofs
  • Exterior items your HOA is responsible for
  • Work paid for, even partly, by insurance
  • Any project begun before you receive your Notice to Proceed, including deposits, down payments or materials already bought
  • Solar panels
  • Do-it-yourself work

How the Process Works

Along with the online application, you must sign two more forms: the Residential Agreement and the federal lead-based paint disclosure form.

You will also need copies of the following for the property you plan to improve:

  • A printout of the property's latest market value from the appraisal district
  • Proof that the property taxes are paid up to date
  • Proof of current homeowners insurance, such as a receipt or statement showing the policy is paid or that scheduled payments are current
  • One or more bids from the contractor who will do the work
  1. Housing staff visit the property for an initial inspection and photograph the areas to be improved.
  2. You receive a Notice to Proceed letter that spells out the project timeline and requirements.
  3. Housing staff inspect the finished work.
  4. You complete a W-9 form so the rebate can be paid.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can a project deadline be extended?

Yes, when there is a qualifying reason such as bad weather.

How are projects chosen?

Complete applications are approved in the order they arrive.

What if my project isn't on the eligible list?

You may still apply, but the Community Revitalization Unit will review it and approve only work that is similar to the eligible projects listed above.

Will I need a permit?

That depends on the project. Call Building Inspections at (555) 010-2235 with your project details handy, and staff can tell you whether a permit is needed.

Can I be reimbursed for paying in cash?

No. Every payment must be made in a way that can be verified, such as a credit or debit card, money order or check.

Demolition Incentive

Homeowners who tear down an existing single-family house and build a new home on the same lot within 24 months can get help with the cost of demolition.

Program Guidelines

  • For homeowners who team up with the city to tear down a single-family house within 12 months of grant approval and finish rebuilding within 24 months, the city arranges the demolition and covers half of its cost.
  • The homeowner pays the city the other half of the demolition cost before work begins. After the house comes down, the city places a lien on the lot for the half it covered, and that lien is forgiven if a new home is built within 24 months.
  • If no new home is built, the lien stays in place and is repaid to the city when the property is sold.
  • Fees for the demolition permit, the new construction permit and landfill disposal are waived.
  • The participant must complete and sign two documents, an application and a residential agreement, which can be mailed to the homeowner on request.
  • The Program Coordinator reviews the application and goes over the program policy with the participant.
  • The Program Coordinator gathers demolition estimates, and the homeowner pays 50% of the demolition cost in advance.
  • The Program Coordinator issues a Notice to Proceed letter confirming that the demolition is authorized, and work begins.
  • Once demolition is done, the participant must obtain every permit and pass every inspection required for the new home.
  • When construction is finished, the participant submits a copy of the building permit and books a final inspection, after which the lien is released.

Rebuild Deadline

Participants agree to start and complete the new home within 24 months of program approval and demolition, and that deadline is written into the Notice to Proceed letter. If supply chain problems cause delays, an extra 60 days may be granted on request.

Contact Info

Housing & Neighborhood Services
120 Civic Center Drive, Fredville, TX 75999

Call (555) 010-3652, or send a fax to (555) 010-5817.

Hours: Monday through Thursday, 7:30 a.m. to 6 p.m.; Friday, 7:30 a.m. to noon (building closed); closed Saturday and Sunday

The department also shares updates on social media, and the full city contact directory is available online.

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