Luxury West Lake Hills TX Real Estate & Living

West Lake Hills, Texas

West Lake Hills is its own city in Travis County, a suburb west of central Austin linked to it by the Emmett Shelton Bridge. Incorporated in 1953, it is defined by Hill Country terrain with ravines, hands-on city permitting and its place as the only city completely within Eanes ISD. Homes are large: in 2019 the mayor put the average at about 6,500 square feet and rising.

West Lake Hills at a glance

Homes in West Lake Hills

Emmett Shelton founded the city and played a significant role as its land planner. He went door to door collecting votes, and residents who said yes were drawn inside the boundary. The city incorporated Sept. 9, 1953, ahead of Rollingwood and Sunset Valley; after a 1970 appeals ruling voided the incorporation, the Texas Supreme Court reinstated the city in 1971, though the disputed land went to Austin.

Development grew rapidly in the 1970s and 1980s. The city master plan calls for homes to blend with the topography, and ravines limit how much of a lot can be built on. In 2019 the city considered floor-area-ratio or overlay limits but had not adopted them, and owners of small lots often sought variances.

Lot size shapes what you can add. City code does not permit guesthouses or domestic employee quarters on lots of less than one acre.

HOA, rules and districts

There is no citywide HOA; associations vary by subdivision. The city has a mayor and five council members, and its tax rate released in October 2025 was $0.176783 per $100. Verify it, along with the Eanes ISD rate, with TCAD.

Under 2019 fee rules, an initial permit for a 5,000-square-foot new home cost $4,100 and was valid two years, with one-year extensions at 1.5x, 2.5x and then 3x the initial fee, up to $12,300. A refundable deposit of twice the initial fee was required, and the city makes weekly site visits and enforces Oak Wilt requirements.

City code counts impervious cover by surface: 100% for buildings, driveways and parking, 75% for engineer-certified permeable pavement with city administrator approval, and 50% for gapped decks and certain loose-rock landscaping. Planned Development districts must preserve significant stands of native trees.

In 2014 the city used a 30-foot fire safety buffer around homes, required permission to remove trees in it other than small Ashe juniper, and required a permit to prune more than one tree. Austin's WUI Code applies only within Austin's jurisdiction, so check West Lake Hills' own requirements.

Parks, trails and nature

• Wild Basin Wilderness Preserve: 227 acres, entered a mile north of Bee Caves Road on the east side of Loop 360. Travis County and St. Edward's University own and operate it jointly.
• Wild Basin trails: 2.5 miles, open sunrise to sunset; bikes, pets and picnics are not allowed.
• Balcones Canyonlands Preserve: the regional system of more than 32,000 acres, with Wild Basin serving as a gateway to it.

Dining and shopping

The Westlake H-E-B (#29) at 701 S. Capital of Texas Hwy., Bldg. C, is open 6 a.m. to 11 p.m. daily with a pharmacy. Barton Creek Square, at 2901 S. Capital of Texas Hwy., is on the same Loop 360 corridor, where a Uniqlo was expected to be complete in September 2026.

Schools

West Lake Hills is the only city completely within Eanes ISD, which voters created on April 12, 1958. Depending on the address, residents are zoned to Eanes, Bridge Point, Barton Creek, Cedar Creek or Forest Trail elementary, then Hill Country or West Ridge middle school and Westlake High School. Confirm zoning for the exact address with the district before you buy.

Getting around

Loop 360 (S. Capital of Texas Hwy.), Bee Caves Road, Westlake Drive and Redbud Trail are the main roads, and the Emmett Shelton Bridge connects the city with Austin. TxDOT is removing signals from the Loop 360 mainlanes at Westlake Drive and Cedar Street and building bridges over them, a $72 million project.

What's changing

• Sept. 9, 2025: ribbon cutting for the new municipal complex at 4010 Bee Caves Road, backed by a $13.2 million bond approved in November 2021. Resident rentals of its rooms were under consideration in August 2025.
• April 2025: bond road updates: Eanes School Road was complete, Camp Craft Road was expected to reopen by July 31, 2025, Redbud Trail had speed cushions, and Yaupon Valley, Laurel Valley and Westlake Drive were in punchlist work.
• Aug. 1, 2025: the Loop 360 Westlake Drive bridge opened. The Cedar Street bridge was expected by the end of 2025, with completion targeted for mid-to-fall 2026.
• September 2025: a Bee Caves Road pavement overlay between Hwy 71 and Redbud Trail was completed.

What to check in West Lake Hills, whether you're buying or selling

• Confirm all past work had West Lake Hills permits and final inspections, and check for open or extended permits.
• Check current city tree and oak wilt rules before any tree work for listing prep.
• Confirm the lot's impervious cover against city code, especially for buyers planning additions.
• Note lot size: guesthouses and employee quarters are not allowed on lots under one acre.
• Verify sewer or septic service per lot; the city has extended wastewater lines on streets such as Westlake Drive, Hull Circle and Hidden Cove.
• Verify the city and Eanes ISD tax rates with TCAD.
• Check floodplain status, and order an HOA resale certificate where an association exists.

If you already own here, request your permit history from the city and close out anything left open. Check current tree rules before scheduling tree work. And have your survey and impervious-cover figures ready for buyers who plan to add on.

Current West Lake Hills homes for sale appear below.

Working with Albert Allen

Albert Allen is an Austin native and Luxury Real Estate Advisor with Compass, with more than a decade of experience helping clients buy and sell across Austin.

Albert represents buyers and sellers in West Lake Hills and throughout West Austin. Schedule a Walk & Talk, request a home valuation or ask about private listings.

Common questions about West Lake Hills

Is West Lake Hills part of Austin?

No. It is its own city in Travis County, incorporated in 1953, with a mayor and five council members.

What school district serves West Lake Hills?

Eanes ISD; it is the only city completely within the district. Confirm zoning for the exact address with the district.

Is there an HOA in West Lake Hills?

There is no citywide HOA. Associations vary by subdivision, so check the specific property.

Can I build a guesthouse?

Only on a lot of one acre or more. City code does not permit guesthouses or domestic employee quarters on smaller lots.

What should I check before selling?

Permit history and final inspections first, since the city tracks permits closely and extension fees escalate.

Sources: City of West Lake Hills, Texas Municipal League, Community Impact, KUT, FOX 7, H-E-B, City of Austin, Independence Title, Wikipedia. Albert Allen, REALTOR®, Compass RE Texas, LLC. Information is believed reliable but not guaranteed.