FIELD NOTES / BUYING IN AUSTIN
Bouldin Creek, Austin: an older cottage or a newer infill home?
Bouldin Creek, Austin offers two kinds of home on the same block: a cottage built before the 2002 neighborhood plan, and a newer infill home or a pair of units that the City of Austin's HOME amendments now allow on a single-family lot, up to three units per lot since December 7, 2023 and one home on lots as small as 1,800 square feet since May 16, 2024. In the 30 days ending September 26, 2026, the City issued 18 new residential building permits and 9 demolition permits in ZIP 78704, by our count from its permit dataset. The useful comparison is not old versus new but which records each home carries: the 45-year historic review, the permit history, the condominium regime, the protected trees, the floodplain line and the property-tax reset on a long-held house.
By David Eimer · Austin Journal · 12 minute read · Published
The numbers
- Bouldin Creek Neighborhood Plan area
- Approximately 761.7 acresAs of Ordinance No. 020523-33, May 23, 2002
Bounded by Town Lake on the north, South Congress Avenue on the east, Oltorf Street on the south and the Union Pacific Railroad tracks on the west; the ordinance rezoned 101 tracts.
Source: City of Austin ↗
- Units allowed on a single-family lot under HOME Phase 1
- Up to three housing unitsAs of Adopted December 7, 2023
On SF-1, SF-2 and SF-3 zoned property, including tiny homes; applications accepted since February 5, 2024.
- Smallest lot for one home under HOME Phase 2
- 1,800 square feetAs of Adopted May 16, 2024
Lots of at least 1,800 but less than 5,750 square feet, the standard residential minimum; applications accepted since August 16, 2024.
- Historic review threshold for demolition
- 45+ year-old buildingsAs of City of Austin historic properties page, retrieved September 26, 2026
The Historic Landmark Commission reviews demolitions and relocations of 45+ year-old buildings eligible for landmark designation.
Source: City of Austin Planning ↗
- Heritage tree threshold
- 24 inches in diameter at 4.5 feetAs of City Arborist page, retrieved September 26, 2026
For listed species including all oaks, pecan, bald cypress and cedar elm; removal is prohibited except as provided in Section 25-8-641. Protected trees start at 19 inches.
- New residential building permits issued in ZIP 78704
- 18As of August 27 to September 26, 2026
Computed from the City's Issued Construction Permits dataset; the same window shows 9 demolition, 11 repair and 4 addition-and-remodel permits. The ZIP is larger than Bouldin Creek.
Source: City of Austin Open Data ↗
- Median sale price, City of Austin
- $560,000As of August 2026
Down 4.3% year over year. A city figure; no publisher reports a Bouldin Creek median.
Source: Unlock MLS ↗
What kinds of homes does Bouldin Creek, Austin hold, and why do both kinds exist?
Bouldin Creek, Austin splits between houses that predate the neighborhood's 2002 plan and infill built under the zoning that plan and the City's later HOME amendments allow. Ordinance No. 020523-33, passed May 23, 2002, added a neighborhood-plan combining district to "approximately 761.7 acres of land" bounded by "Town Lake on the north, South Congress Avenue on the east, Oltorf Street on the south and the Union Pacific Railroad tracks on the west," and changed the base zoning on 101 tracts. The categories it wrote onto the map include family residence (SF-3-NP), "single family residence small lot" (SF-4A-NP), "townhouse and condominium residence" (SF-6-NP), multifamily and several mixed-use districts, which is why one street can hold a 1920s cottage, a duplex and a row of new units.
The City's HOME amendments widened that further. Phase 1, adopted by City Council on December 7, 2023, allows "up to three housing units, including tiny homes, on a Single-Family (SF) zoned property (SF-1, SF-2, SF-3)." Phase 2, adopted May 16, 2024, allows "the development of one unit on lots of at least 1,800 square feet but less than 5,750 square feet," where 5,750 square feet is "the standard residential minimum lot size." Applications under the two phases have been accepted since February 5 and August 16, 2024.
The permit record shows the result. Filtering the City of Austin's Issued Construction Permits dataset to residential building permits in ZIP 78704 issued from August 27 through September 26, 2026 gives 18 new-construction permits, 9 demolitions, 11 repairs and 4 additions-and-remodels, by our count on September 26. The ZIP is larger than Bouldin Creek, so those are context, not a neighborhood tally, but the ratio of new builds and demolitions to additions is the shape of the market a buyer walks into. The Bouldin Creek guide records the neighborhood's boundary, floodplain and ZIP facts with their sources.
Residential building permits issued in ZIP 78704, August 27 to September 26, 2026, by work class
| Work class | Permits issued |
|---|---|
| New | 18 |
| Repair | 11 |
| Demolition | 9 |
| Addition and Remodel | 4 |
Sources: City of Austin ↗ · City of Austin Development Services ↗ · City of Austin Open Data ↗
What should you check on an older Bouldin Creek cottage?
An older Bouldin Creek cottage carries three records a buyer should read before pricing it: the historic review it may trigger, its permit history, and the tax value that will reset at closing. The City of Austin's Historic Landmark Commission "reviews proposed exterior changes to all these resources, as well as demolitions and relocations of 45+ year-old buildings eligible for landmark designation," across "nearly 700 historic landmarks," "8 local historic districts" and "18 National Register historic districts." A cottage built before 1981 is past that 45-year line, so any plan that removes or moves it can draw a review even if the house has no designation of its own; check the address in the City's Historic Property Viewer.
Ask for a chronology of significant work rather than the word renovated, and compare it with the permit record. The City's Residential Plan Review Division "reviews new construction, additions, interior remodeling and demolition of single-family, duplex or two-family houses and/or additional buildings on one lot," application status is public on the Austin Build + Connect portal, and the City's Property Profile map shows the parcel's grading and drainage layers. A new kitchen tells you little about drainage, roof condition or an earlier unpermitted addition, and a permit does not by itself establish present condition. Our posts on finding permit history and buying an older Austin home walk through both.
The third record is the appraisal. Texas limits the annual increase in a homestead's appraised value to 10% of the prior year's value plus new improvements, but the Comptroller says that limitation "expires on Jan. 1 of the tax year following the year the property owner no longer qualifies for the residence homestead exemption" and a new owner's "takes effect on Jan. 1 of the tax year following the year the property owner qualifies." A cottage held for decades can carry an appraised value far below market; its buyer is appraised at market from the first year. Budget from the market value, not the seller's last bill.
Sources: City of Austin Planning ↗ · City of Austin Development Services ↗ · Texas Comptroller ↗
What should you check on a newer Bouldin Creek infill home?
A newer Bouldin Creek infill home needs a different file: what it shares, what it kept, and what it may not be allowed to become. Two or three separate-looking buildings on one lot are often a condominium regime, in which each owner holds a unit and a share of common elements rather than a lot line. Ask first whether the property is a condominium; if it is, TREC's Condominium Resale Certificate, form 32-5, is the seller's disclosure of the association's budget, reserves, assessments and rules, and our condo-documents post explains what to read in it and when to bring in a lawyer.
Then ask what the builder kept. The HOME amendments include a preservation bonus under which "the preserved portion of existing structures may be exempt from GFA & FAR calculations if they're preserved consistent with requirements established in Sec. 25-2-773(F)," and the City notes that "Small Lot Single-Family Residential Use is not eligible for the Preservation Bonus." A new home wrapped around an old front room, or a rear unit behind a retained cottage, may owe its size to that bonus, which matters if you later want to alter the preserved part. A home on a lot between 1,800 and 5,750 square feet is a Phase 2 small-lot house and cannot use it.
Finally, ask what can still be built beside it. The same three-unit rule that produced the home you are viewing applies to the neighboring lots, subject to each parcel's base zoning, its NP conditions from the 2002 ordinance and any recorded deed restriction. The City's plan-review timelines since July 1, 2026 run 10 business days for new construction and additions and 5 for demolitions and interior remodels, so the streetscape can change quickly. Our guides to Austin zoning and deed restrictions and to buying new construction in Austin cover what to ask a builder and a seller.
Sources: TREC ↗ · City of Austin Development Services ↗ · City of Austin ↗
Is the lot in a floodplain, and what do the creeks mean for either home?
Bouldin Creek carries more mapped floodplain than any of the six neighborhoods in this site's guides, so the flood question comes before the cottage-or-infill question. That is this site's computation from the City of Austin's Greater Austin FEMA floodplain layer, retrieved September 22, 2026: part of the Bouldin Creek planning area lies in the mapped 100-year floodplain (FEMA Zone AE). By the same method applied to the City's watershed layer, 57% of the area drains to East Bouldin Creek, 32% to West Bouldin Creek and 11% to Lady Bird Lake, which describes where water goes rather than whether a parcel is mapped at risk.
The creeks are also the neighborhood's parks. The City's park directory lists the West Bouldin Creek Greenbelt at 1200 S. 6th Street with 17.93 acres and the East Bouldin Creek Greenbelt at 901 Bouldin Avenue with 2.73 acres, so a lot that backs onto a greenbelt backs onto a creek. The City's Watershed Protection Department defines the 100-year floodplain as "the land that is predicted to flood during a 100-year storm, which has a 1% chance of occurring in any given year," says "about 10% of land in Austin is in the floodplain," and now bases development regulations on "the current FEMA 500-year floodplain, instead of the 100-year floodplain" after the 2018 Atlas 14 rainfall study.
For a cottage, the question is whether the existing house sits in a mapped zone and what a lender and insurer will require. For an infill home, it is whether the new construction needed a floodplain development permit and how the site was graded, which the Property Profile map and the permit record show. Look the exact address up on ATXFloodPro.com and FEMA's Map Service Center, and read our guide to the Austin flood map before buying.
Sources: City of Austin Open Data ↗ · City of Austin Parks and Recreation ↗ · City of Austin Watershed Protection ↗
Which trees on the lot are protected, and how does that change an addition?
Bouldin Creek's old lots often hold the trees that decide whether an addition, a second unit or a new driveway is possible. The City Arborist's rules are precise: "A Protected tree has a diameter of 19 inches or more, at a point measured 4.5 feet above the ground," and "within the City of Austin, a permit is required to remove a Protected tree, except as otherwise provided in Section 25-8-621 of the City Code." "A heritage tree has a diameter of 24 inches or more" at the same height and is one of the listed species, which include all oaks, pecan, bald cypress, cedar elm, American elm, Texas ash, bigtooth maple, Texas madrone and two walnuts; "Removal of a heritage tree is prohibited, except as provided under Section 25-8-641 of the City Code."
On residential property the City says "trees less than 19 inches in diameter are not regulated," but for a regulated tree a Tree Ordinance Review Application is needed if a project will "remove the tree, prune 25% or more of the canopy, and/or start an activity that may impact a tree or cause a disturbance to the critical root zone." The City's diagram allows no impacts in the inner quarter of that zone, no cuts or fill over 4 inches in the inner half, and requires half of the full zone preserved without impact, because "any disturbance within the critical root zone has the potential to harm or kill a tree."
Measure before you plan. A 30-inch live oak in the back third of a cottage lot can rule out the rear unit that HOME would otherwise allow, and a new build's driveway may already have taken the maximum root-zone impact the City permits. Our post on Austin's trees before buying shows how to read a survey against the Arborist's rules.
Sources: City of Austin Development Services ↗
What do Bouldin Creek homes cost, and how do taxes differ between the cottage and the new build?
No primary publisher reports a Bouldin Creek median sale price. Unlock MLS's August 2026 Central Texas Housing Report gives the City of Austin a median of $560,000, down 4.3% year over year on 844 closed sales, with 4.6 months of inventory and an average close-to-list price of 93.3%; the Austin-metro median was $412,000. Those describe the whole city, and the mix of cottages, condominium units and new single-family homes in Bouldin Creek is exactly the kind of mix a citywide median hides. The market page carries the city and metro numbers each month, and for a real shortlist David can pull the last closed sales of comparable homes on comparable lots from the MLS; you can browse Bouldin Creek homes for sale on the listings page as a starting point.
The tax bills differ in a predictable way. The taxing units are the same for both homes: the City of Austin, whose adopted rate for fiscal year 2026-27 is $0.579948 per $100 of assessed valuation per its August 12, 2026 budget release, plus Travis County, Austin ISD, Austin Community College and Central Health. The Travis Central Appraisal District's 2026 exemption listing shows a 20% homestead exemption with a $5,000 minimum from the City, the County and Central Health, $140,000 from Austin ISD and 1% from ACC. The difference is the starting value: a long-held cottage's capped appraisal resets to market for its buyer, while a new build is appraised at market from its first year, so the two homes' first-year bills are closer than the sellers' current bills suggest.
Run both at market value with the payment estimator and the parcel's own rates, and read our post on budgeting from the actual parcel for the full set of records to pull.
Sources: Unlock MLS ↗ · City of Austin ↗ · Travis Central Appraisal District ↗ · Texas Comptroller ↗
How do you choose between the cottage and the infill home?
Compare a Bouldin Creek cottage and an infill home on the same essentials: space that works today, documented condition, outdoor space you can actually use, the full monthly cost at market appraisal, and any work you would need. Sketch each lot on the showing day, marking the front door, parking, bins, the patio, neighboring windows and any shared drive, and note which spaces belong exclusively to the property.
Then resolve the assumption each home rests on. If the cottage's appeal depends on an addition or a second unit, check the 45-year review, the protected trees, the floodplain line and the parcel's zoning before treating that plan as real, and get qualified estimates for the material unknowns. If the infill home's appeal depends on exclusive use of a yard or a driveway, read the condominium documents and the survey before assuming either is yours. South Congress Avenue, the plan area's east boundary, carries CapMetro's Rapid 801, and South Lamar Boulevard carries the Rapid 803, each with a bus every 10-15 minutes; our Zilker vs. Bouldin Creek comparison shows how to test the daily routes from a real address.
The rules that decide what a Bouldin Creek cottage or infill home can become, with the number that matters in each
| Rule | What the source says | Bears most on |
|---|---|---|
| HOME Phase 1 (adopted Dec. 7, 2023) | Up to three housing units, including tiny homes, on SF-1, SF-2 or SF-3 zoned property | Both, and the lots next door |
| HOME Phase 2 (adopted May 16, 2024) | One unit on lots of at least 1,800 but less than 5,750 square feet; 5,750 is the standard minimum | Small-lot infill |
| HOME preservation bonus | Preserved portion of existing structures may be exempt from GFA and FAR calculations per Sec. 25-2-773(F); small-lot use not eligible | A cottage kept on the lot |
| Historic review | Demolitions and relocations of 45+ year-old buildings eligible for landmark designation are reviewed | The cottage |
| Protected and heritage trees | Permit required to remove a tree 19 inches or more; removal of a 24-inch-plus heritage tree prohibited except under Sec. 25-8-641 | Any addition or new unit |
| Floodplain regulation | Development regulated to the current FEMA 500-year floodplain; check the parcel on ATXFloodPro.com | Lots near either creek |
| Condominium resale certificate | TREC form 32-5 discloses the association's finances and rules for a unit in a regime | Infill units sharing a lot |
| Residential plan review timelines (from July 1, 2026) | 10 business days for new construction and additions; 5 for demolition, garage conversions and interior remodels | Any project you plan |
Bring both addresses and your sketches to David. He can pull the permit history, the appraisal record, the closed comparable sales and a payment scenario at this week's rate for each, and set up the next showing around the questions that remain. Start the conversation here.
Sources: City of Austin Planning ↗ · City of Austin Development Services ↗ · TREC ↗ · City of Austin ↗ · CapMetro ↗
Common questions
Can you build a second or third unit on a Bouldin Creek lot?
Often. The City of Austin's HOME Phase 1, adopted December 7, 2023, allows up to three housing units on SF-1, SF-2 and SF-3 zoned property, and Phase 2, adopted May 16, 2024, allows one home on lots of at least 1,800 square feet but less than the 5,750-square-foot standard minimum. Bouldin Creek parcels also carry the neighborhood-plan combining district from the 2002 ordinance, and protected trees, the floodplain line and recorded deed restrictions can each rule a plan out, so confirm the specific parcel before pricing a unit that does not exist yet.
Does an old house in Bouldin Creek need historic approval to demolish?
It can. The City of Austin's Historic Landmark Commission reviews demolitions and relocations of 45+ year-old buildings eligible for landmark designation, whether or not the house is already a landmark, and reviews exterior changes to designated properties. Check the address in the City's Historic Property Viewer, and budget time for review before assuming a pre-1981 cottage can be replaced.
Are the new homes in Bouldin Creek condos?
Many are. When two or three separate-looking homes share one lot, each is often a unit in a condominium regime with common elements rather than a separately owned lot. Ask whether the property is a condominium, request the TREC Condominium Resale Certificate, form 32-5, which discloses the association's budget, reserves, assessments and rules, and read the declaration for which outdoor spaces and driveways are exclusive-use and which are shared.
Is Bouldin Creek in a floodplain?
Part of it is. This site's computation from the City of Austin's FEMA floodplain layer, retrieved September 22, 2026, shows part of the Bouldin Creek planning area in the mapped 100-year floodplain (Zone AE), more than any of the six neighborhoods in our guides, with 57% of the area draining to East Bouldin Creek and 32% to West Bouldin Creek. Flood zone is decided parcel by parcel, so look up the exact address on ATXFloodPro.com and FEMA's Map Service Center.
How much are Bouldin Creek homes for sale?
No primary publisher reports a Bouldin Creek median. Unlock MLS's August 2026 report gives a City of Austin median sale price of $560,000, down 4.3% year over year on 844 closed sales, and an Austin-metro median of $412,000; neither describes the neighborhood, where cottages, condominium units and new single-family homes sell at very different prices on the same street. Compare a shortlist against closed sales of similar homes on similar lots, pulled from the MLS.
Which trees can you remove on a Bouldin Creek lot?
On residential property the City of Austin does not regulate trees under 19 inches in diameter measured 4.5 feet above the ground. A protected tree of 19 inches or more needs a permit to remove, and a heritage tree of 24 inches or more of a listed species, including all oaks, pecan, bald cypress and cedar elm, cannot be removed except as Section 25-8-641 provides. Pruning 25% or more of a regulated tree's canopy or disturbing its critical root zone also requires a Tree Ordinance Review Application.
Take this to your next conversation
- For the cottage: check the address in the Historic Property Viewer, pull the permit history on Austin Build + Connect, and model the tax bill at market value because the seller's homestead cap expires at closing.
- For the infill home: confirm whether it is a condominium and read the TREC resale certificate, the declaration and the survey for exclusive-use yards and driveways, and ask whether a preservation bonus was used.
- For both: measure every tree over 19 inches on the survey, look the address up on ATXFloodPro.com, and confirm the parcel's zoning and NP conditions before pricing any addition or second unit.
Sources and review date
Sources checked . Planning suggestions are editorial guidance; current property facts and requirements need an address-specific check.
- City of Austin: Ordinance No. 020523-33, Bouldin Creek Neighborhood Plan combining district (May 23, 2002) ↗
- City of Austin Development Services: HOME amendments ↗
- City of Austin Open Data: issued construction permits ↗
- City of Austin Planning: historic properties ↗
- City of Austin Development Services: residential plan review ↗
- Texas Comptroller: valuing property (limitation on residence homestead appraised value) ↗
- TREC: Condominium Resale Certificate, form 32-5 ↗
- City of Austin Watershed Protection: floodplain management ↗
- City of Austin Open Data: Greater Austin FEMA floodplain ↗
- City of Austin Open Data: watershed boundaries ↗
- City of Austin Parks and Recreation: park directory ↗
- City of Austin Development Services: City Arborist, tree reviews and permitting ↗
- City of Austin Development Services: trees on residential property ↗
- CapMetro: Rapid 801 North Lamar/South Congress ↗
- CapMetro: Rapid 803 Burnet/South Lamar ↗
- Unlock MLS: August 2026 Central Texas Housing Report, released September 15, 2026 ↗
- City of Austin: City Council approves $6.6 billion budget for fiscal year 2026-2027 (August 12, 2026) ↗
- Travis Central Appraisal District: 2026 exemption listing report (generated July 19, 2026) ↗