TL;DR: The Smart Fix Handyman vs DFW Improved in Dallas isn’t really a head-to-head. The Smart Fix is a full-service handyman company that also handles smaller remodels. DFW Improved is a luxury design-build remodeler that focuses on full kitchen, bath, and room-addition projects. The right call depends on the size of your project, your timeline, and where you live in Dallas. I wrote this so you can pick the right team for the job in front of you.
I’m Chance, the owner of The Smart Fix. I’m going to lay this out as straight as I can, including where DFW Improved might be the better choice. No fluff, no spin.
How We Compared These Two Dallas Companies
I pulled this together using each company’s website, public Texas licensing records, Google review counts, and what we hear back from Dallas homeowners who shopped both. I scored both on years in business, Dallas service coverage, workforce model (employees vs. subcontractors), insurance, services offered, typical project size and price, and Google ratings. Where their site spelled out a fact, I used it. Where it didn’t, I said so.
Quick Comparison Table: Smart Fix vs DFW Improved
| Category | The Smart Fix Handyman | DFW Improved |
|---|---|---|
| Headquarters | Fort Worth, TX (Dallas office in Lake Highlands) | Plano, TX |
| Years in business | Family-owned, growing across three TX markets | 20+ years |
| Google rating | 300+ five-star reviews across markets | 4.7 (around 200 reviews) |
| Workforce | W-2 employees only, no subcontractors | Design-build team with in-house designers and PMs |
| Insurance | $1M liability + workers comp | Licensed and insured (TX builder license M-36161) |
| Workmanship guarantee | 12 months | 1 year |
| Core services | Handyman repairs, installations, light plumbing/electric, remodels, commercial | Kitchen, bath, room additions, aging-in-place, outdoor living, insurance restoration |
| Service area in Dallas | All of Dallas County, daily | North Dallas, Collin County, parts of Denton and NE Tarrant |
| Typical project size | $195 minimum repair, $985 average job, $5,000+ remodels | Mid- to high-end full remodels, typically $20k+ |
| Project review | Yes, same day (often within 30 min) | In-person estimate, by appointment |
| Showroom | No | Kitchen & Bath Design Center in Plano |
Where DFW Improved Might Be the Better Fit
I want to start here because it matters. If you’re planning a $75,000 kitchen with custom cabinets, a tile shower with a steam bench, or a 600-square-foot room addition, you probably want a design-build firm. DFW Improved has a showroom in Plano with materials and finishes you can touch. They have in-house designers, project managers, and a process built around full renovations.
A few real scenarios where I’d point a Dallas homeowner to them:
- You want a design-build experience with a showroom visit. DFW Improved has a Kitchen & Bath Design Center in Plano where you can see cabinets, countertops, and tile in person. We don’t have a showroom like that.
- Your project is a major room addition or full home remodel. They specialize in that. Our sweet spot is kitchens, baths, and aging-in-place updates, not 1,000-square-foot additions with new framing.
- You live in Collin County or north of LBJ. Most of their work happens in Frisco, McKinney, Plano, Allen, and Prosper. That’s their home turf.
- You need NAHB CAPS-certified aging-in-place work. They hold that credential. We do aging-in-place work too, but if the certification matters, that’s worth knowing.
Where The Smart Fix Is the Stronger Choice
For most of what comes up around a Dallas home, we’re a better match.
Smaller repairs and to-do lists. A leaky faucet, drywall holes, a sticking door, a fence section that needs rebuilding, mounting a 75-inch TV. That’s our bread and butter. DFW Improved focuses on bigger remodels and isn’t built to take small repair tickets the way we are.
Speed. You can book a project review with us and talk to an experienced tech the same day, often within 30 minutes. We pull our Dallas crew from the office at 10935 Estate Lane in Lake Highlands, so we can usually be at your home within a few days.
Coverage across all of Dallas. We work daily across Dallas County, from Lakewood and the M Streets to Preston Hollow, Oak Cliff, Casa Linda, and Far North Dallas. From 1920s Tudors to 2018 builds in Cypress Waters, we’ve worked on it.
W-2 employees, not subcontractors. Every tech on our team is a full-time employee on payroll. Trained by us, background-checked by us, and accountable to our office. If something needs to be made right, you call one number.
Honest pricing for handyman work. Dallas jobs run around $985 on average with us, with smaller repairs starting at $195. For remodels, we usually start around $5,000. We review the job first, then explain the next step before you book.
Real example: We were on a 1932 home in the M Streets last spring. The owner wanted a new shower head, a drywall patch from an old leak, and three doors that wouldn’t latch because the house had settled. DFW Improved isn’t the team for that visit. We knocked it out in a day and a half for under $1,500.
Who Each Company Is
The Smart Fix Handyman
We’re family-owned with three offices: Fort Worth (the original), Dallas on Estate Lane, and Houston/Spring. Every tech is a W-2 employee. We carry $1 million in liability coverage and workers comp on every job. Every job comes with a 12-month workmanship guarantee. We have 300+ five-star Google reviews across our markets.
Our services cover interior repairs (drywall, flooring, trim, doors), exterior repairs (decks, fences, siding, gutters), light plumbing and electrical, installations (TVs, smart doorbells, shelving), remodels (kitchen, bath, aging-in-place), and commercial repairs. For Dallas-specific coverage and recent jobs, see our Dallas handyman page.
I started this company because I saw too many homeowners getting burned by people who didn’t show up, didn’t follow through, or didn’t carry real insurance. The mission we put on every shirt is to change the way the world sees handymen. That’s not marketing. That’s the thing I tell every new tech on their first day.
DFW Improved
DFW Improved is a design-build remodeling contractor based in Plano at 6652 Pinecrest Dr. They’ve been in business 20+ years and were ranked #94 on Qualified Remodeler’s Top 500 Home Remodelers in 2020. They hold Texas residential builder license M-36161 and carry NAHB CAPS certification, a BBB A+ rating, and Houzz Best of Service awards.
Their core services are kitchen remodels, bathroom remodels, room additions, aging-in-place (CAPS) remodels, insurance restoration, outdoor living spaces, and detached garages. Home repair is a supporting service. Their Plano Kitchen & Bath Design Center is where clients pick materials.
Their main service area is North Dallas, Collin County, and parts of Denton and NE Tarrant Counties: Frisco, Plano, McKinney, Allen, Richardson, Prosper, Flower Mound, Carrollton, Coppell, Southlake, Colleyville, Keller, and Grapevine. Google rating is around 4.7 with roughly 200 reviews.
When I’d Send a Dallas Homeowner to DFW Improved (and Vice Versa)
I tell our guys in training: if a call comes in we can’t serve well, we don’t take it. Here’s how I think about the split.
Send to DFW Improved if:
- You want a full kitchen tear-out with custom cabinets and a stone island
- You’re planning a 400+ square-foot room addition with new framing and a roofline change
- You want a showroom visit to pick out materials in person
- You live in Plano, Frisco, McKinney, Allen, or Prosper and want a local Collin County team
Stay with The Smart Fix if:
- You have a to-do list of repairs more than one big project
- You want same-day pricing and a tech at your house this week
- You live in Lakewood, Oak Cliff, Preston Hollow, the M Streets, or anywhere central Dallas
- You need light plumbing, light electrical, or installations
- You want a project review before you commit to anything
- You need an aging-in-place handyman update without a full bathroom rebuild
- You’re a property manager or commercial client with ongoing repair needs
There is overlap. Both of us do bathroom remodels. Both of us do aging-in-place work. Both of us carry insurance and stand behind our work. The right pick comes down to project size and where you are in Dallas.
Legal Disclaimer
This article was written by The Smart Fix Handyman. Facts about DFW Improved come from their website, Texas builder license records (M-36161), and review platforms as of May 2026. Pricing, services, and coverage areas can change. We aren’t affiliated with DFW Improved. If anything here is out of date, email us and we’ll update it.
FAQ: Smart Fix vs DFW Improved in Dallas
Should I hire The Smart Fix Handyman or DFW Improved for my Dallas project?
Pick by project size. The Smart Fix is the right call for repairs, installations, small to mid-size remodels, and ongoing handyman work anywhere in Dallas County. DFW Improved is a better match for full kitchen tear-outs, bathroom rebuilds, room additions, and design-build projects in North Dallas and Collin County.
Does DFW Improved serve all of Dallas?
Their primary service area is North Dallas, Collin County, and parts of Denton and NE Tarrant Counties. That includes Frisco, Plano, McKinney, Allen, Prosper, Flower Mound, Carrollton, Coppell, Southlake, Colleyville, Keller, and Grapevine. If you live in Oak Cliff, central Dallas, or south of LBJ, ask them about coverage before you book. The Smart Fix works across all of Dallas County daily.
Does The Smart Fix Handyman do full kitchen and bath remodels?
Yes. We do bathroom remodels, kitchen upgrades, and aging-in-place renovations. We usually start around $5,000 for a remodel project. We don’t run a design center, so if you want a showroom experience for cabinets and stone, that’s where a design-build firm like DFW Improved fits better.
Which company is cheaper?
For repairs and smaller jobs, The Smart Fix is the more affordable choice. Our minimum starts at $195 and Dallas jobs average around $985. DFW Improved focuses on larger remodels that start higher, usually $20,000 and up depending on scope. Neither one publishes set prices for full remodels because the number depends on materials, scope, and structural work.
Are both companies licensed and insured in Texas?
Yes. DFW Improved holds Texas residential builder license M-36161. The Smart Fix Handyman carries $1 million in liability insurance and workers comp on every job. Both companies back their work with a one-year workmanship guarantee.
Bottom Line
Both companies do good work for the right kind of project. DFW Improved is a strong pick for large-scale remodels and additions in North Dallas. The Smart Fix is the right call for repairs, smaller remodels, installations, and anywhere in Dallas County where you want a same-day quote and a W-2 tech at your door fast.
If you want this checked or handled, reach out through thesmartfixhandyman.com.
Chance | The Smart Fix
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