Free written scope consultation - allowances, timeline, and change-order rules on paper before a single trade is scheduled
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After
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AfterConstruction Services in Key Largo, FL
If you’re planning a remodel, addition, or storm-hardening project on Key Largo, you already know this island doesn’t play by mainland rules. The limestone bedrock sits just inches under your feet, the salt air eats ordinary hardware, and Monroe County’s permit system moves to a rhythm all its own. Barrett & Sons Construction has navigated every one of those hurdles on jobs from Ocean Reef to Tavernier Creek. When you call (877) 610-1318, you’ll reach a live person who knows Key Largo’s codes, its inspectors, and its quirks – not a call center in another state. We’ll give you a straight answer and an honest price, in writing, before any work begins.
What happens when you call
- 1
A real person answersNo phone trees - you reach a local pro.
- 2
You get an upfront price rangeHonest numbers before anyone is dispatched.
- 3
A background-checked tech heads outLicensed & insured, dispatched right away.
- 4
You approve before work beginsNothing starts until you say go.
Why Key Largo Homeowners Choose Barrett & Sons Construction
Homeowners in Key Largo don’t hire contractors the way people do on the mainland. Here, the wrong contractor can leave you with a permit that never closed, a piling that wasn’t driven deep enough, or a window that won’t survive the next big blow. That’s why folks in Rock Harbor and the Angler’s Club neighborhood call us. Our crews have run jobs on every stretch of the island, and we’ve built a reputation for one thing that matters above all: we show up, we do what the contract says, and we answer the phone when you call.
Tom Barrett founded this company in 1998, and his sons run the crews to this day. That means the name on the truck is the name that stands behind the work. We carry premium brands like GAF on roofing and Schluter in bathrooms, not mystery materials off a van. Every job includes permits pulled, inspections signed, and a written change order before any scope change touches the project. And every completed job carries our 90-Day Done Right Promise in writing: if it’s not right, Tom comes back and makes it right, one call.
Construction Services We Offer in Key Largo
Kitchen Remodeling
Key Largo kitchens work harder than most – salt air attacks cabinets, humidity swells doors, and outdated layouts fight the way people actually live here. We plan Kitchen Remodeling in Key Largo that holds up to the climate and fits the way your family cooks.
Learn more about our Kitchen Remodeling in Key Largo.
Bathroom Remodeling
Moisture is the enemy in every Key Largo bathroom, and shortcuts show up fast. We install Schluter waterproofing systems as standard, not as an upgrade, and we build Bathroom Remodeling in Key Largo showers that stay dry for decades.
Learn more about our Bathroom Remodeling in Key Largo.
Roofing
A roof on Key Largo has to survive 150+ mph winds, driven rain, and the relentless salt spray off Florida Bay. We install GAF Key Largo Roofing systems with HVHZ-rated assemblies and continuous load paths that meet Monroe County’s wind code, not just the state minimum.
Learn more about our Roofing in Key Largo.
Windows & Doors
Impact-rated openings aren’t a luxury on this island; they’re the code. We install Windows & Doors - Key Largo engineered for the High-Velocity Hurricane Zone, with stainless hardware that won’t corrode in the salt air.
Fence Installation
Fences on Key Largo take a beating from wind, salt, and sun. We build with materials and fasteners rated for marine exposure, and we set posts deep enough to handle the storms that roll through every summer.
Driveway & Pavers
Driveways here sit on coral rock, not soft Florida soil, which changes how the base gets prepared. We install paver driveways and patios with proper compaction and drainage so they don’t settle or heave in the first two years.
Home Additions & ADU
Adding square footage on Key Largo means navigating ROGO allocations, flood elevation requirements, and pilings driven to bedrock. We manage the whole process from engineering through the final inspection, with every permit and every approval in writing.
Whatever the scope, start with the home page to see how we work.
Neighborhoods We Serve in Key Largo
We run projects along the entire island, from the residential streets around the 33037 ZIP code up through the bayside communities. Typical response time for a free estimate in Key Largo is one to two business days, depending on how many jobs are already running that week.
- Ocean Reef
- Rock Harbor
- Angler’s Club
- Stillwright Point
- Tavernier
Why Key Largo’s Climate & Housing Affect Construction
Key Largo sits directly atop the Key Largo Limestone formation, a fossilized coral reef that surfaces just a few feet below grade. That changes everything about how we build here. You can’t trench for utilities the way you can in Homestead or Florida City; you drill into rock. Footings aren’t poured, they’re driven – pilings anchored into bedrock, because the ground itself won’t hold a conventional foundation. Any contractor who hasn’t worked this geology learns it the hard way, usually by burning through a few bits on a rock saw and then asking for a change order. We know what’s under the ground because we’ve been drilling it for years, and we price for it from day one.
Then there’s the housing stock. Much of Key Largo was built in the 1960s through the 1980s, before Monroe County adopted its post-Hurricane Andrew High-Velocity Hurricane Zone codes. Pre-1992 homes routinely lack code-compliant roof-to-wall connections, continuous load paths, and impact-rated openings. Storm-hardening retrofits are among the most common scopes we quote on this island – and among the most important. The salt air and humidity don’t help, either. We spec stainless steel or hot-dipped galvanized hardware as a baseline on every job we run in the 33037, because the alternative is rust stains and failed anchors within a few years.
Pricing for Construction in Key Largo
Honest numbers matter, so here’s what you’re looking at. Kitchen remodels on Key Largo typically run $45,000 to $110,000 depending on cabinet grade and structural work. Bathrooms land between $22,000 and $55,000. Roof replacements on an island home run $18,000 to $45,000, influenced by tile versus standing seam. Impact windows and doors usually fall between $25,000 and $70,000 for a full house. Driveways and pavers start around $12,000. Home additions and ADUs are the most variable, from $180,000 up past $400,000 once pilings, ROGO allocation, and flood elevation factor in. Every quote we give is a written, line-item price. If the scope changes, so does the change order – in writing, before any work moves forward. Call (877) 610-1318 for a free estimate.
How Much Does a Roof Retrofit Cost in Key Largo?
Most storm-hardening retrofits on Key Largo – adding hurricane straps, impact-rated decking, and code-compliant roof-to-wall connections – run between $8,000 and $25,000, depending on your existing roof assembly and whether the sheathing has to come off to reach the trusses. If you’re also replacing the roof covering at the same time, you’ll save on labor and tear-off compared to doing the two jobs separately. The cheapest time to harden a roof is when it’s already coming off. Call (877) 610-1318 and we’ll walk your roof before you sign anything – estimates are free.
Will the Price Change Once Work Starts?
Only if the scope changes, and only with your signature on a written change order first. That’s how we’ve operated since Tom founded the company in 1998. If we hit something unexpected – and on Key Largo, with rock under every job, sometimes we do – you’ll know what it costs before the work continues, not after the invoice arrives. The allowance that isn’t on paper is a surprise waiting for a date, and we don’t do surprises.
Service Area - Cities Near Key Largo
We serve all of Key Largo and regularly run projects for homeowners in Florida City, Homestead, Leisure City, and Naranja. If you’re just north of the bridge and need a contractor who knows Monroe County codes, our crews stay ready to help.
Serving Key Largo, FL - Our Local Coverage Area
We’re based in the Key Largo area and know this community well. Use the map below to see our service coverage - if you’re nearby, we can almost certainly help.
FAQs About Construction in Key Largo
Yes, on every eligible job. Monroe County’s ROGO system and floodplain review process are unforgiving, and we don’t cut corners with unpermitted work. The permit inspector works for you, not for us, and that’s exactly why we welcome them on every one of our Key Largo projects. If a contractor tells you permits are optional on this island, get a second opinion before you sign anything. Call (877) 610-1318 and we’ll walk you through what your project actually requires.
A kitchen or bathroom remodel on Key Largo typically runs four to eight weeks once permits clear. Permitting itself can add two to six weeks depending on ROGO allocation and floodplain review, which is longer than the mainland. We sequence every job to minimize disruption, and we give you a written timeline before work starts. If a delay comes up, you’ll hear it from us, not from your neighbor.
Yes. Most of Key Largo sits in AE or VE flood zones, so every permitted project must satisfy Monroe County’s flood elevation ordinance alongside the HVHZ wind code. That dual compliance requires engineered drawings and a separate county floodplain review. We manage that entire process, and your permits and elevation certificates come with the job at no extra markup.
We offer a permanent 10% senior and veteran discount on every project, no expiration and no fine print. We also offer $40 off any repair over $200, a free second opinion on any written estimate, and no trip charge inside the county. Ask Tom about any of these when you call, and he’ll put the details in writing.
We’ll give you references from Key Largo homeowners on request, and we’re happy to drive you past completed projects around the island so you can see the work in person. Tom Barrett’s name, address, and license number are published and verifiable. Ask anyone on your street, or look up the license number yourself before you decide. Then call (877) 610-1318 for a free estimate, and we’ll come measure twice.
Written by Tom Barrett, Owner at Barrett & Sons Construction, serving Key Largo and the Upper Keys.
What happens when you call
- 1A real person answersNo phone trees - talk to a local construction pro.
- 2You get an upfront price rangeHonest numbers before anyone is dispatched. No surprises.
- 3We come out and measureLicensed & insured, at a time that suits you - the visit and the quote are both free.
- 4You get the price in writingLine-itemed, yours to keep, and nothing starts until you say go.
What Key Largo Customers Say
"Full kitchen down to the studs. He found the previous owner had done the wiring himself and it was genuinely dangerous, showed me, and put it right properly rather than boxing it back in."
- Augustus Nwachukwu"He pulled every permit and had every inspection signed off. The last contractor we used told us permits were optional and I have been paying for that ever since."
- Redmond Cavanaugh"Genuinely good builders and I would use them again. Site tidiness slipped a bit in the middle stretch and I had to mention it, after which it was spotless every evening."
- Marcus Threadgill