Kendleton, the freedmen’s town on the San Bernard River
Kendleton was built by people freed after the Civil War, on farms carved out of William E. Kendall’s plantation. It is a small city now, 343 people at the last census, with the San Bernard River for a western edge and Wharton County on the far bank.
Working in Kendleton
In the 1860s Kendall divided his plantation into small farms and sold them to former slaves, and the community that grew there became Kendleton. A railroad between Rosenberg and Victoria came through in 1882. Voters approved incorporation as a city in 1973, and the 2020 census counted 343 residents. US 59 now runs through town, closely bypassing the original center, which is served by State Highway Loop 541; FM 2919 is the other road worth knowing. Loop 541 is how you reach the old center now, while US 59 traffic slides past just outside it. Beasley, Needville, Orchard and East Bernard are the neighbors, with Hungerford just down the highway.
Kendleton sits at the far western edge of Fort Bend County. The San Bernard River is both its western boundary and the line between Fort Bend and Wharton counties, and by US 59 the town is 15 miles southwest of Rosenberg and six miles northeast of Hungerford. Just outside town, Fort Bend County runs Bates M. Allen Park, 235 acres with a lake, a fishing pier, a canoe ramp and wetlands. Land this close to a river and wetlands is a good reason to ask about flood maps before building anything new, and we would rather you get that answer from the county than from us.
Kendleton is an incorporated city, so permit questions for a house inside the limits start with the City of Kendleton, and property outside the limits carries no city permit, only whatever county floodplain, septic and driveway rules and state rules fit the job. Right at the county line, it is also worth confirming which county a nearby parcel is in at all, because across the river is Wharton County with its own offices. For roofs, a town this far out on open ground takes Gulf storm wind and spring hail without much to soften either, and the edges, ridges and flashing are where a roof starts to fail. Those get checked first. Kendleton children attend Lamar Consolidated ISD schools.
The jobs that come up here
For houses in Kendleton, roof replacement and asphalt shingle replacement are the straightforward jobs, and metal roof replacement is worth pricing on a house where the next roof should outlast the owner’s plans for it. A metal roof costs more up front; on open ground with real wind, a properly fastened one also stays put. We lay both options side by side and let you decide. Older houses sometimes carry more than one layer of shingles, and on a re-roof here we take everything down to the decking so we can see what the house is standing on. Wind damage roof replacement is the narrower job when one storm has creased a slope or peeled a ridge, and the photos decide between that and a full replacement.
On rural land around town, R-Panel metal roofing covers shops, barns and carports quickly and repairs panel by panel. A family that wants to build a home on the property can start with barndominium site preparation and concrete slab foundations, where the drainage and the slab height get decided, then choose between steel and post-frame. Inside existing homes, bathroom renovation and veteran ADA remodeling are the two we expect most, for households where someone needs a safer shower, a grab bar with real backing, or a doorway wide enough for a walker. Rural lots also mean a long carry from the road, so we plan where the trailer can sit before the first day.
- Asphalt shingle replacement Replacing an asphalt roof is a day of controlled demolition followed by careful building.
- Barndominium site preparation A barndo slab is only as good as the ground under it, and the ground around Houston is flat, wet half the year and full of clay that swells and shrinks.
- Metal roof replacement A metal replacement usually starts one of two ways: a worn shingle roof and an owner who wants something longer-lived, or an old metal roof leaking at its screws.
Plenty of roofs we look at need a repair or nothing at all. If that is yours, you will hear it from us first.
Does the City of Kendleton issue building permits?
Kendleton is an incorporated city, so for property inside its limits, start with the city. Outside the limits there is no city permit, and county rules, Fort Bend on this bank and Wharton across the San Bernard, cover things like floodplain and septic. With a county line that close, we pin down the parcel before anything goes on the schedule.
Should I check flood maps before building near the San Bernard River in Kendleton?
Yes. Low ground near a river and wetlands can carry flood-zone requirements that set your slab height. Check with the county first, and we design the pad and foundation to whatever the answer is. Bates M. Allen Park, just outside town, is a good reminder of how much wetland sits close by.
Is a metal roof worth it on a Kendleton house?
It can be, especially if you plan to stay. It costs more up front and handles wind well when fastened to spec. If the house is going on the market soon, a good architectural shingle roof may be the smarter spend, and we will say so.
Will you make the drive to Kendleton for a small repair?
Yes. If it sounds like a small repair on the phone, we say so, so you are not waiting on a full roof visit you do not need. When we come out, the inspection, measurements and photos happen in one trip.
Can you add grab bars and a walk-in shower to an older Kendleton home?
Yes. Grab bars need solid blocking in the wall, so we open the wall where needed instead of trusting drywall anchors. A walk-in shower means rethinking the drain and the curb, and we plan it around the person who will use it.
Close by
We also work in Hungerford, Beasley, East Bernard, Needville, Orchard. The whole list is on the Fort Bend County page.
We are based in Cypress and work across twelve counties around Houston. Leland Cannon retired from the Army as a First Sergeant; Geoff Schardien served in the Air Force. The scope you get is in writing, and the person who wrote it answers the phone.