Burnet and Llano Counties · Veteran-Owned · TREC 26975-PI
Lake LBJ is a constant-level lake, which is exactly why waterfront development here is so dense and why the inspection issues are so specific. Water stays at the bulkhead year-round, docks and boathouses are permanent structures rather than seasonal ones, and a large share of the housing is second homes and short-term rentals rather than full-time residences.
Constant water level means bulkheads are always loaded and boat docks are permanent construction. Bulkhead failure lets the lot itself wash out behind it, which is among the most expensive problems a waterfront buyer can inherit. Visible condition, tie-back evidence, and soil loss behind the wall all get documented.
Boathouses commonly have lighting, lifts, and receptacles installed over or adjacent to water, frequently added by owners over the years. Missing GFCI protection and deteriorated wiring in that environment is a genuine shock hazard, and it is one of the more serious findings on a Lake LBJ property.
Many properties here run as vacation rentals. High turnover means hard use, fast cosmetic repairs over unresolved problems, and sleeping spaces added into rooms that were never designed for them. Egress and life-safety items matter more when strangers sleep there.
The Llano uplift geology gives good foundation stability but poor cohesion at the shoreline. Erosion around slabs, walkways, stairs, and retaining structures near the water is a recurring finding.
Waterfront homes and cabins, lake-view second homes, 1960s-1980s lake houses since expanded, and newer custom waterfront construction around Horseshoe Bay and Sunrise Beach.
A mix of community water systems and private wells depending on the location, with septic (OSSF) common on waterfront lots and propane in regular use.
A buyer's inspection is the one chance you get to understand a house before it becomes your responsibility.
A pre-listing inspection puts you in control of your own sale.
Your builder's one-year warranty is the most valuable thing you own after closing, and most people let it expire without using it.
ZIP codes served: 78639, 78657, 78643
The waterfront structures. Bulkheads, docks, boathouses, and the electrical installed on them are substantial assets with substantial failure costs, and they need to be part of the inspection rather than an afterthought behind the house itself.
Yes. On a rental property I pay particular attention to life safety: egress from sleeping areas, smoke and CO alarms, stair and guard construction, and GFCI protection near water. Those are the items that matter most when guests who do not know the house are staying in it.
Serious and expensive. Once a bulkhead starts losing material behind it, the lot erodes and whatever sits near the water goes with it. If I see evidence of that, it goes at the top of the report so you can price it or walk before your option period closes.
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