Free written scope consultation - allowances, timeline, and change-order rules on paper before a single trade is scheduled
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AfterConstruction Services in Sanibel, FL
If you own property on Sanibel, you already know the island isn’t like the mainland. Rebuilding here means working within the Sanibel Plan’s height and setback rules, FEMA pile-foundation requirements, and the reality that every truckload of materials crosses one causeway. Barrett & Sons Construction handles that complexity daily, and a live person answers our phone at (877) 610-1318 whenever you call. Tom Barrett’s name, address, and license number are published and verifiable - look them up before you sign anything.
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 Sanibel Homeowners Choose Barrett & Sons Construction
Since 1998, we’ve built our reputation the slow way - by doing what we said we’d do, at the price we said we’d do it, with the materials named in the contract. Homeowners in Shell Harbor and The Dunes know what it’s like to work with a crew that understands Sanibel’s sandy substrate and high water table. Tom Barrett and his sons are on-site most days. This isn’t a franchise dispatching strangers from three counties away.
Every Sanibel job includes written change orders before any scope change touches the work. Permits get pulled and inspections get signed on every eligible project. And every completed job carries our written 90-Day Done Right Promise - if it’s not done right, one call brings Tom back. That’s the guarantee, printed on the contract, not buried in fine print.
Construction Services We Offer in Sanibel
Kitchen Remodeling
A Sanibel kitchen remodeling in Sanibel needs materials that hold up to salt air and humidity - and a layout that works for island living, not a Miami condo template. We install KraftMaid cabinetry and Cambria quartz with the same standards we’d want in our own homes.
Learn more about our Kitchen Remodeling in Sanibel.
Bathroom Remodeling
Bathroom Remodeling - Sanibel projects after Ian often mean reworking plumbing that sat in storm surge. We scope the job in writing, including allowances, so you know what the bill looks like before a single tile comes up.
Learn more about our Bathroom Remodeling in Sanibel.
Roofing
Our Roofing in Sanibel carries wind-load requirements most mainland crews never calculate. We install GAF and CertainTeed systems with corrosion-resistant fasteners rated for this exact environment, then stand behind the work with our Done Right Promise.
Learn more about our Roofing in Sanibel.
Windows & Doors
Windows & Doors in Sanibel with impact ratings are non-negotiable. We install Andersen and Marvin alongside PGT and CGI impact products, with permits pulled and inspections signed so the paperwork matches the install.
Learn more about our window and door work on our home page.
Fence Installation
A fence on Sanibel has to handle wind, salt, and sandy soil - a combination that fails when a crew uses interior-grade screws. We size fence posts for Sanibel conditions and use hardware rated for ground contact.
Call (877) 610-1318 to discuss your Sanibel fence project.
Driveway & Pavers
Belgard and Techo-Bloc pavers handle Sanibel’s wet seasons well when the base is prepared correctly. We pay close attention to drainage and compaction, because loose sandy soil doesn’t forgive shortcuts.
Call (877) 610-1318 to talk about driveway and paver options on Sanibel.
Home Additions & ADU
Adding living space on Sanibel means obeying the 45-foot island-wide height cap - and often the stricter 30-foot overlay limits - while elevating to meet FEMA Base Flood Elevation. We handle that math before the first inspection, not after the stop-work order.
Call (877) 610-1318 to discuss an addition or ADU on Sanibel.
Neighborhoods We Serve in Sanibel
Our crews work across the island daily. We know how different - and how similar - the job sites look from one neighborhood to the next. Typical response time for an estimate in Sanibel is one to two business days, and we will not charge you a trip fee anywhere inside Lee County.
- Shell Harbor
- The Dunes
- Gumbo Limbo
- Sanibel Estates
- Near Periwinkle Way
Why Sanibel’s Climate & Housing Affect Construction
Most of Sanibel sits three to four feet above sea level. Hurricane Ian put ten to fifteen feet of storm surge across the island, which is why virtually every rebuild now starts with FEMA V-zone or A-zone pile-foundation requirements. The pre-Ian stock mixed 1960s and 70s slab-on-grade cottages with post-1992 elevated stilt homes. Post-Ian reconstruction usually starts from the pile up, with treated-timber or concrete piles, breakaway lower-level enclosures, and impact-rated windows throughout.
The compliance trap that sinks many mainland contractors is the height math. Sanibel’s Land Development Code caps buildings at 45 feet island-wide, but many residential overlays restrict structures to 30 feet or less measured from grade. Raise a home on piles to meet FEMA’s Base Flood Elevation, add the finished floor height and roof pitch, and you can bump right into the hard limit without realizing it. A contractor who assumes Sanibel rules match the more permissive Lee County mainland standards won’t catch it until an inspector does - and the fix is expensive. We run that calculation on every Sanibel project before we submit for permit.
Pricing for Construction in Sanibel
No honest contractor gives a one-size-fits-all price for Sanibel construction. What we can tell you is where your money goes: permits and inspections, pile and foundation work, impact-rated materials, and written change orders that prevent surprise invoices. Expect kitchen remodels to range widely based on scope, with full gut-and-rebuild projects on the island often exceeding additions on the mainland because of elevation and wind-load requirements.
Our standing offers apply to every job on Sanibel: $40 off any repair over $200, a free second opinion on any written estimate, no trip charge inside Lee County, and a permanent 10% senior and veteran discount. Call (877) 610-1318 for a written, line-item estimate - free, with no obligation.
Service Area - Cities Near Sanibel
Barrett & Sons Construction serves Sanibel and the surrounding Lee County communities. If you’re in Fort Myers Beach, Iona, Cypress Lake, or McGregor, our crews are nearby and our pricing and guarantees follow the same rules - written in plain language before work starts.
Serving Sanibel, FL - Our Local Coverage Area
We’re based in the Sanibel 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 Sanibel
Expect Sanibel construction to cost measurably more than the same project in Fort Myers or Cape Coral. Logistics play a huge role - every crew and every truckload crosses a single rebuilt causeway, and that chokepoint adds time and cost no mainland job sees. Add pile foundations, impact-rated materials, and stricter permitting, and budgets typically run higher. The honest answer is that written change orders and allowance tracking matter more here than anywhere else we work. Call (877) 610-1318 for an exact quote - estimates are free.
Yes. Every eligible job on Sanibel includes permits pulled and inspections signed. The permit inspector works for you, not for me - that’s why I like him. We don’t treat permits as optional, because the last contractor most Sanibel customers used told them they were.
Only with a written change order - never by surprise. If scope changes, an allowance shifts, or an unexpected condition shows up, you receive the new number in writing before any work proceeds. We don’t show up at the end with a different bill. That’s the rule Tom Barrett has operated under since 1998.
Honest answer: longer than a comparable mainland job. Permitting on the island is thorough, the causeway chokepoint can delay materials, and weather windows are shorter than most owners expect. We’ll give you a realistic schedule at the estimate and keep you updated as inspections pass. Call (877) 610-1318 and we’ll walk through timing for your specific project.
We’re an owner-operated company founded in 1998 by Tom Barrett, with crews serving Sanibel locally. Dispatch and scheduling coordinate from our South Florida office, but the son-run crews working on your home are the people who carry the Barrett & Sons name. Tom’s name, address, and license number are published - ask anyone on your street, or look them up yourself.
Written by Tom Barrett, Owner at Barrett & Sons Construction, serving Sanibel with the same name-on-the-truck standard since day one.
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 Sanibel 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