Remodeling & additions near Lake Dunlap and McQueeney
Sandstone Construction & Remodeling plans remodels, room additions, decks and covered patios for homes on the Guadalupe at Lake Dunlap and around McQueeney. First we check two things that shape most lake projects: where the house sits on the flood map, and whether the address is inside New Braunfels city limits or in unincorporated Guadalupe County.
Office hours 8 AM–11 PM daily
Lake homes on the Guadalupe
Lake Dunlap and Lake McQueeney belong to a string of small lakes held back by dams on the Guadalupe River. Lake Dunlap lies near New Braunfels, and the community of McQueeney sits on the river beside Lake McQueeney. Our own office is in the Lake Dunlap area.
A waterfront lot usually falls away toward the lake. That slope decides where a new room can attach, where a patio fits and how materials reach the back of the property.
- Remodels of older lake houses, reworked to face the view
- Additions such as an extra bedroom or a guest suite
- Decks, covered patios and porches built for shade
- Rental-ready updates for houses that host guests
Both lakes are full again
The Guadalupe-Blanco River Authority (GBRA) has owned these hydroelectric lakes since 1963. On May 14, 2019, the 90-year-old middle spillgate at the Lake Dunlap dam collapsed, and the lake nearly drained by the end of the day. It stayed low for more than four years.
GBRA completed a new spillgate system at Lake Dunlap in October 2023 and restored the lake. Lake McQueeney received its own new spillgate system in March 2026 and returned to normal pool elevation that April. Shoreline decks and living rooms can face open water again.
Floodplain and permit checks
Read the flood map first
Riverside land can sit partly or fully inside a mapped special flood hazard area, which affects where an addition can go and how high a new floor must sit. In unincorporated Guadalupe County, building in the regulatory floodplain is overseen by the Guadalupe County Floodplain Administrator under the county’s Flood Damage Prevention Order, mainly through floodplain development permits. The county reads “development” broadly: new structures, but also filling, grading and paving. An elevation certificate, recording a building’s height against the expected flood level, may be part of that review.
City limits or county land
A New Braunfels mailing address doesn’t tell you who reviews the work. McQueeney is an unincorporated community in Guadalupe County, so it has no city permit office. The county’s Environmental Health Department permits septic systems (on-site sewage facilities) and development in special flood hazard areas. Adding bedrooms or bathrooms can change what a septic system must handle, so that question goes to the county early. If a lake property is inside New Braunfels city limits, the City of New Braunfels handles its building permits; our New Braunfels remodel permits guide explains that route. Required permits are applied for before construction.
Docks are a separate approval
Owners next to a GBRA-owned hydroelectric lake need GBRA approval before building or changing a dock or another structure at the water. Since September 1, 2026, GBRA has required a completed Dock Construction Permit application, with a permit fee, for docks on Lake Dunlap and Lake McQueeney.
Decks and covered patios facing the water
When the lake side of a house faces west or south, it bakes through a summer afternoon, and a covered patio or porch roof is often what makes that deck usable. Central Texas storms can drop heavy rain quickly, so the roof and the ground under it are planned together. Details: our decks and covered patios guide.
- How the new roof meets the existing roofline and where its runoff goes
- Drainage that moves water away from the house without eroding the slope
- Footings on ground that drops toward the shoreline
- Whether the outdoor room falls inside the mapped floodplain
Updating an older lake house
Some homes here began as modest weekend places, then were patched and expanded. Common findings: rooms turned away from the lake, small windows on the water side, a closed-off kitchen, and aging plumbing or wiring.
A whole-home remodel can open the living space toward the view and update older systems while the walls are open, with plumbing and electrical work included in the estimate. Smaller jobs work too: a kitchen remodel, a bathroom remodel, or a home addition where the lot and flood map allow it. For a house rented to guests, see our rental remodels guide.
Lake Dunlap and McQueeney FAQ
Is Lake Dunlap full again?
Yes. GBRA completed a new spillgate system at Lake Dunlap in October 2023 and restored the lake after the May 2019 spillgate collapse. Lake McQueeney’s new spillgate system was completed in March 2026, and that lake returned to normal pool elevation in April 2026.
Who handles permits for a remodel in McQueeney?
McQueeney is unincorporated, so there is no city permit office. Guadalupe County’s Environmental Health Department handles septic permits and development in special flood hazard areas. If your address is inside New Braunfels city limits, the city’s permit process applies instead.
Can the floodplain affect a deck or covered patio?
It can. Guadalupe County counts structures, fill, grading and paving as development, so outdoor projects inside a mapped flood hazard area may need a floodplain development permit. We look up the flood map for the lot before the design is settled.
Plan your lake house project
Share the address and what you want to change, plus any survey or elevation certificate you already have. Call (830) 400-4369. Office hours 8 AM–11 PM daily.
Sandstone Construction & Remodeling
306 River Bend Dr, New Braunfels, TX 78130
Contact and directions