Granite that looked current when the house was new, a soaking tub in the primary bath that mostly holds towels, a builder-grade shower pan showing its age: Harlan Ranch homes are young, but they’re reaching the point where original finishes start asking for a second look. That makes for a different kind of remodel than in older parts of Clovis.

A 2005 plan on former orange orchards

The Harlan Ranch Master Development Plan, dated April 2005 and posted by the City of Clovis, describes a triangular site of about 389 acres in the northeastern part of the Fresno and Clovis area, bounded by Shepherd Avenue on the north, State Route 168 on the southeast and DeWolf Avenue on the west. At the time the land held mostly older orange orchards and no buildings.

The plan called for a range of housing densities, a school site, parks and trails, and a community recreation center, with construction phases anticipated from 2005 through 2008 and a homeowners association maintaining common areas. The City approved amendments through 2010 that added lot types such as garden lots and green lots, and its planning page now lists the community with Loma Vista as the city’s newer master-planned neighborhoods.

Designed around the street

The plan’s guiding principles included a welcome gateway for Clovis at Highway 168, a healthy mix of housing products and a pedestrian network linking parks and neighborhoods. Its design standards ask homes to place entries, windows and living areas toward the street and encourage porches, and the plan provides for alleys and shared garage courts in some neighborhoods. Those details affect where a dumpster and deliveries can go, so we sort out access before work starts.

Northeast Clovis housing by the numbers

Roughly three-quarters of the homes in the 93619 ZIP code, which includes Harlan Ranch along with Loma Vista, the Buchanan High area and a large rural stretch to the east, were built in 2000 or later, according to Census estimates, and about 87% are owner-occupied.

Kitchens: keep what works

Kitchens here typically came with granite counters, stained maple or cherry-look cabinets and builder-grade sinks and faucets. If the cabinet boxes are sound, a countertop replacement with a new backsplash, sink and lighting can change the room without a full tear-out, and painted or refaced doors can carry it further.

Primary baths built around a tub

In the primary bath, a common change is trading a large tub for a roomier walk-in shower and a better vanity. Builder-grade shower pans and fiberglass inserts can hide slow leaks as they age, so a new shower should be built on a proper waterproofing system; see shower tile and waterproofing for how that works, or our overview of bathroom remodeling in Clovis for the bigger picture.

Association rules and city permits

Because Harlan Ranch was planned with a homeowners association, check your association’s rules before any change visible from outside, such as a window or an exterior vent. The community lies within Clovis city limits, which makes the City of Clovis Building Division your permit office; exact requirements for your scope get settled at the consultation, and our Clovis permit guide explains the process.

Distance and planning range

At about 20 minutes from our Fresno shop, the neighborhood is well within our service area. Expect a typical kitchen project to land near $40,000 and a typical bathroom near $25,000, with primary suites that change the layout or use premium selections reaching $30,000 to $40,000. The bathroom estimator shows your planning range before a consultation is booked.