Captain Kate Renovates

Captain Kate Renovates operates out of Denton, Texas as a handyman service run by Kate after she left a long career writing software. She got started in real estate back in 2000 with a flip in Trophy Club and launched Captain Kate Holdings in 2013 with just two rental houses in Denton. That operation grew into more than a dozen properties spread across Denton, Argyle and Little Elm. Now focused full time on renovation and repair work, Kate brings the same practical approach she used managing her own rentals to fixing homes for other owners in the area.

Denton homeowners deal with intense summer heat that stresses plumbing and air systems along with occasional storms that can knock out fences or cause roof leaks. A handyman like Captain Kate handles those day to day fixes such as replacing worn fixtures, patching drywall after water damage, tightening up doors and windows against the wind, and keeping rental units ready between tenants. She works directly on the properties she knows best from years of ownership so jobs stay straightforward without extra layers of scheduling or markup. Local houses often need quick attention to keep them livable through the swings in Texas weather and she tackles those tasks with tools already on the truck.

Customers notice the steady results that come from someone who has owned and maintained the same kinds of homes she now services. That experience shows up in work that holds up without repeated callbacks, fair pricing on parts and labor, and clear updates while the job is underway. The combination keeps small repairs from turning into bigger headaches for busy owners. DIRT Score 4.15 from 20 reviews on Finds.

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“We received a prompt response when inquiring about a touch up we needed in one of the bathrooms we had remodeled. Repairs were done quickly.”

“I have only super good things to say about Captain Kate and her crew. I found her online and literally was happy from the moment she arrived until the final result. They do GREAT work. They come on time and when they say they will which is huge in the renovation industry! She helped me to make some really good decisions in what turned out to be a much bigger project. Initially, I was planning to have only my kitchen counter replaced, but… Through her guidance, but absolutely no pressure, we decided to do some major renovations in the kitchen and in the master bathroom. The results were extraordinary. I can’t explain how impressed I was with the final result. And they have been super good to follow up on any questions or minor issues I needed adjusted since that time. They were personable and super friendly with our dogs. (that would’ve been a dealbreaker) and completely respectful of our time and and space. In short, they were great to work with and produced some fabulous results!”

“I am so impressed with the work that Kate and her crew did to renovate my mom's house. When I originally inherited it, it had been sitting vacant for almost two years so was in a huge state of disrepair. It was really disheartening to see how bad a state it was in. I knew I needed to find someone who could vastly improve it and make it livable again. So I googled contractors in Denton County and Kate's company was the first one I clicked on. When I called her up, I felt an instant connection with her from the first minute that we talked. She seemed to understand what I was wanting right away. And since hiring her to do the renovations, that has continued to be true. During our weekly phone calls and daily texts, she continued to show her care and concern about the property and seemed to really understand the vision I had for it. Owning a home when you don't live anywhere near the house can be a challenge. I wasn't able to be present to supervise the renovations or see them for myself as they were in process. But through my weekly phone calls with Kate, I got to feel like I was there as she guided me and sought my approval on every phase of the renovations. I happened to be in Denton this past weekend so stopped by to see the renovations first hand. And I almost cried when I saw what she had done to the place. It looked amazing and I was so impressed with how she managed to turn that space into a home and make it livable again. It was a minor miracle. I am so incredibly impressed with what she did and will gladly be referring people to her company if they ever need property renovations done. The care and compassion she showed toward the property was reflected in the renovations. I could tell that this wasn't just a job to her. This was a labor of love. And I would like to think that my mom would be impressed with the work as well. If you are looking for a contractor in Denton County, this is absolutely the one you should work with. She actually cares about her properties and her crew and that shows in the work that they do. And her interactions with me were always rooted in compassion and caring both about the house and about me. She's confident, competent, compassionate and caring. Exactly what you want in a contractor. I am beyond thrilled to write this recommendation for her. She absolutely earned it.”

“Kate has a reputation for doing great work and now I know why. She is everything I expect, but rarely get when I need work done. She and her team showed up when they said. The work started, and ended when they said. It cost what they said. Another thing that stood out was that they spent alot of time not just to listen to what we needed done, but to help figure out the most practical way to do it, instead of trying to upsale or pad the estimate. This is how is should be done. Great job guys, and thanks again.”

“This pains me to write this because I really like Kate and Colton (the latter who came multiple times to crawl under my house) but I don't feel like my situation was handled very well. One day I noticed the sound of running water in one of my walls and outside by a hose spigot so I contacted Kate, and Colton came out rather quickly. He identified the source of the leak and capped it. I was satisfied with that workaround, as they were coming back soon to replace the entire run of copper pipe with PEX that only fed that one spigot. There was still a faint sound of water running but we all assumed it was due to one or more small leaks in the same pipe or a nearby area that was buried. Over the next few days the sound got progressively louder, so I reached out to Kate again but I didn't feel that any urgency was given to the matter as no one came to fix it until 2 weeks later. The previous cap had partially failed and there was an additional leak in the same pipe so Colton capped the leak at the new location. At this point there was still a running water sound, but less-so than before. Another week went by and the sound of water was getting louder again so I contacted Colton about it, after which he sent a plumber not too long after. Colton and the plumber found another leak in the same pipe, so the plumber capped the pipe closer to the crawlspace entrance where the spigot line was fed, and this finally stopped the leaks completely. While in the end this was successful, I believe time and money would have been better spent capping the line at the beginning of its run first instead of last. This would have saved 3 weeks, 2 visits, hundreds of dollars and lot of frustration. Additionally, the sub-contracted plumber charged an emergency service amount due to coming out within a couple of hours of being contacted by Kate's company. While I understand the logistics of this, from the customer's point of view I waited 3 weeks to get a hose spigot water leak capped and got charged for an emergency rate, when I feel like it was treated with very little urgency. I truly do understand the struggles of running a small business but customers shouldn't be expected to settle for a bad experience just because of that.”