In Central Texas, a home’s exterior has to withstand intense heat, relentless UV exposure, sudden hailstorms and heavy rainfall. At Austin Pro, exterior repairs and improvements are approached with those conditions in mind, delivering lasting protection while elevating curb appeal.

The company helps homeowners address individual projects or tackle several areas of the exterior through one contractor. Its services include:

Split image showing house exterior half tan and half blue, with garden, flowers, and stone walkway.

Who leads Austin Pro?

Austin Pro has served more than 5,000 homeowners since opening in 2009. The leadership team brings 45-plus combined years of construction and exterior remodeling experience to the business.

The business was originally built by Paul Schantz, who spent nearly a decade running Austin Pro by himself. By 2017, Schantz was looking to spend more time with his family.

That’s when he connected with Tracy and Kimberly Sanders, who had owned a successful roofing and exterior remodeling company for eight years, with Tracy spending the majority of his adult life in the construction industry.

The Sanders’ company had an outstanding reputation, and Austin Pro had a visible online presence, so joining forces made perfect sense.

In January 2018, the Sanders purchased Austin Pro and brought on Kevin Harris, widely known as the “Hardie Siding Guru,” as a co-owner. Harris, who started his career as a framer before spending over two decades installing and managing siding projects, continues to run the siding division today.

And Schantz remains a vital part of the company, shifting his focus to overseeing daily window operations.

“Since I ran the company by myself for almost 10 years, I was already familiar with [my current position] and what was needed,” Schantz said. “I’ve already made mistakes in the past, and learned from them. My knowledge and expertise in windows makes me a perfect fit in my current role.”

For the leadership team, staying in the trade comes down to pride in the craft.

“Once you find something you’ve taken the time to learn, and really enjoy, you stick with it,” the team said. “We actually enjoy helping people transform their home. It makes all the hot or cold or rainy days worth it.”

Two-story white house with black door in a fenced backyard with green lawn and landscaped flower beds.

How is Austin Pro addressing the cost of home improvements?

Affordability has become a major consideration among homeowners looking to complete improvements or repairs. To address this, Austin Pro works to maintain fair pricing while retaining the employees, insurance and the infrastructure needed to produce high-quality work.

“We definitely aren’t the cheapest company, but not the most expensive either. If you want a quality job, with the knowledge and experience of top professionals, we are the company,” the team said. “We will be here if there are any issues. We have lost jobs to fly-by-night companies because they were less expensive, but we have been called to repair, and sometimes the homeowner has had to entirely replace the work done by those companies. We offer a fair price for the work we provide.”

To help homeowners navigate rising costs without sacrificing quality, Austin Pro has taken several proactive steps:

  • Direct-from-manufacturer savings: Austin Pro buys windows directly from NT Window, a high-quality Texas manufacturer, cutting out middleman markups and negotiating rates to pass savings to the customer.

  • Lower project minimums: Recognizing that large upfront costs can be inaccessible, the company lowered its project minimums. This allows homeowners to upgrade their properties in smaller phases rather than taking on a whole-house renovation all at once.

  • Flexible financing: Austin Pro offers flexible payment plans, including 0% interest for 24 months, longer-term low-monthly-payment plans and zero prepayment penalties.

Brick two-story home exterior with large arched windows, warm interior lighting, landscaped flower beds, and a stone patio.

Whatever the project is, Austin Pro’s goal is to make exterior improvements a practical investment, one that helps Central Texas homes withstand the climate while giving homeowners flexibility in how and when they improve their properties.

Those interested in learning more can find resources here:

Frequently asked questions

What is Austin Pro?

Austin Pro is a Central Texas exterior remodeling company founded in 2009. It has served more than 5,000 homeowners and is led by a team with more than 45 combined years of construction and exterior remodeling experience. The company is co-owned by Tracy and Kimberly Sanders, Kevin Harris, known as the "Hardie Siding Guru,” and Paul Schantz, the previous owner, who continues to oversee window operations.

What exterior services does Austin Pro offer?

Austin Pro handles siding installation and replacement, window replacement, shingle and metal roofing, gutters, exterior and garage doors, patio covers, decking, exterior painting and storm damage restoration. Homeowners can address a single project or bundle multiple exterior improvements through one contractor.

How does Austin Pro help homeowners manage the cost of exterior improvements?

Austin Pro buys windows directly from NT Window, a high-quality Texas manufacturer, eliminating middleman markups and passing the savings to customers. The company also has low project minimums so homeowners can complete improvements in phases rather than tackling a whole-house renovation at once. Financing options include 0% interest for 24 months, longer-term low-monthly-payment plans and no prepayment penalties.

Corner of a house with beige horizontal siding and windows under a blue sky with clouds.

The above story was produced by Senior Multi-Platform Journalist Sydney Heller with Community Impact's Storytelling team with information solely provided by the local business as part of their "sponsored content" purchase through our advertising team.