Free written scope consultation - allowances, timeline, and change-order rules on paper before a single trade is scheduled
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AfterFast, Reliable Bathroom Remodeling Across Garland
A full bathroom remodel in Garland, TX typically runs $9,000 to $28,000 depending on scope, and most jobs through Barrett & Sons Construction take two to five weeks once we pull the permit. If you’re in the 75043, 75044, 75045, or 75046 ZIP and you’ve got a mid-century ranch with its original bath, you’re probably wondering what’s actually behind that 4×4 tile and whether the slab has shifted. It usually has, and we plan for it before we ever swing a hammer. Call (877) 610-1318 to get a written, line-item quote from a contractor whose name, address, and license number you can look up before you sign anything.
We’ve worked Garland bathrooms long enough to know the difference between a cosmetic refresh and a gut job that triggers code upgrades. The minute the tile comes up on a 1960s ranch in the 75041 ZIP, you’re likely looking at a cracked shower pan, a shifted drain rough-in, and framing that’s been wet for twenty years. That’s not a reason to panic. It’s the reason we write allowances into the contract before demolition starts, so when the inspector requires something, you already know what it’ll cost. Bathroom Remodeling done right in Garland means planning for what the house actually is, not what the listing photos said it was.
What a 60-Year-Old Garland Bathroom Is Actually Hiding
Garland’s construction market is defined by its enormous inventory of 1950s-1970s brick-veneer ranch homes concentrated in the western and central ZIP codes, now hitting the 60-75-year mark simultaneously. Beneath virtually every slab in the city lies the Dallas Blackland Prairie’s highly expansive Vertisol clay, which shrinks during summer droughts and re-expands with fall rainfall. That cycle heaves slabs, cracks original shower pans, and shifts drain rough-ins over decades. When we open a bathroom in Garland, we expect to find evidence of that movement. The question isn’t whether the slab moved. It’s how much, and what the waterproofing and subfloor look like now.
We’ve also learned what happens when a previous owner added or “updated” a bath without pulling permits. Contractors working the 75040-75042 corridor routinely discover that mid-century ranch homes accumulated unpermitted room additions and garage conversions across multiple decades of ownership. A bathroom tacked on in 1984 might have wiring that was never inspected, a shower pan poured directly on the slab with no waterproofing at all, and a vent stack that doesn’t actually vent. When a permit gets pulled on a new remodel, Garland’s inspectors require all of that unpermitted work to be brought up to currently adopted building codes before any new permitted work can close. That’s not the inspector being difficult. The inspector works for you, not for me. If the last contractor told you permits were optional, that’s exactly the kind of surprise we write into the contract up front.
Why Barrett & Sons Construction Is Garland’s Preferred Bathroom Remodeling Company
We’re not a franchise dispatching strangers from another state. Barrett & Sons Construction was founded in 1998 by Tom Barrett, and Tom’s sons run the crews. When you call the office, a live person answers, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Not a voicemail box. Not an out-of-state call center. You’ll talk to someone who knows what a Garland slab ranch looks like from the inside.
Garland homeowners tend to do their homework, and we respect that. Tom publishes his name, his address, and his license number. Look it up before you sign anything. Ask anyone on your street, or check with the city. We’ve built our reputation in Garland one bathroom at a time, and the same families who called us five years ago for a tub-to-shower conversion call us again when they’re ready for the hall bath. Background-checked crew members carry the Barrett & Sons name on their shirts. If something’s not right, you’ll see us again, because the 90-Day Done Right Promise is written on every contract. One call brings Tom back.
Our Bathroom Remodeling Services in Garland
Full Bathroom Remodeling
A full gut remodel in a Garland ranch almost always reveals more than the homeowner expected. We handle it by scoping the job in writing before demolition, including realistic allowances for subfloor repair, waterproofing, and code-required electrical upgrades. You’ll get a line-by-line quote that reflects what a 60-year-old slab house actually needs, not a lowball number designed to win the bid and grow later. Scope in writing, allowances in writing, change orders in writing.
Walk-In Shower Installation
Walk-in showers are the most common request we get from Garland homeowners in the 75042 and 75043 ZIPs who want to age in place without sacrificing style. On a slab foundation, proper waterproofing and crack-isolation membrane over the old concrete are not optional add-ons. They’re the difference between a shower that lasts twenty years and one that fails in five. We install Schluter waterproofing systems on every walk-in shower, and we write it into the quote so you can see exactly what you’re paying for.
Tub-to-Shower Conversion
Converting a tub to a shower in a Garland ranch often triggers the same slab and waterproofing issues as a full remodel, but with a smaller footprint and a friendlier price point. In Garland, a tub-to-shower conversion typically runs $3,500 to $10,000. The single biggest cost variable is what we find when the tub comes out. If the original cast-iron tub rough-in has settled with the slab, as we’ve seen repeatedly in the 75040-75042 corridor, the drain has to be re-set and the subfloor repaired before waterproofing can go in. We plan for that from the first quote, so you’re not blindsided on demo day.
Vanities, Tile & Fixtures
Whether you’re doing a full remodel or a targeted refresh, we install vanities, tile, and fixtures from brands you can look up: Sterling and Grohe among them. We don’t stock mystery brands off a van. We’ve seen too many Garland homeowners pay for “premium” tile that turned out to be something else entirely. Every material allowance in our contract names the brand, the model, and the line-item cost. If you want a specific vanity from a supplier in Richardson or Sachse, we’ll quote it and install it. If the allowance isn’t on paper, it’s a surprise waiting for a date.
What happens when you call
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A real person answersNo phone trees - you reach a local pro.
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You get an upfront price rangeHonest numbers before anyone is dispatched.
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A background-checked tech heads outLicensed & insured, dispatched right away.
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You approve before work beginsNothing starts until you say go.
Trusted Brands We Service in Garland
We carry and install premium brands across the bathroom, and we name them in the contract. For waterproofing, we use Schluter systems on every shower and tub surround we build in Garland. For fixtures and finishes, we work with Sterling and Grohe, among others. These are materials you can research before you commit, not house-brand unknowns that show up in a plain box. Because our crews serve Garland locally, and our Dallas-Fort Worth office coordinates scheduling, we can typically have materials staged and ready before demo starts, which keeps a remodel moving instead of stalling out while someone waits on a backordered vanity from halfway across the country.
Common Bathroom Remodeling Problems We See in Garland Homes
- Cracked tile from slab movement. The Vertisol clay under Garland expands and contracts with every wet-dry cycle. If a contractor skips the crack-isolation membrane over an old slab, the new tile will crack within a few seasons. We write the membrane into every quote, not as an upsell, but as standard practice.
- Failed waterproofing behind original 4×4 tile. The mid-century mud-set tile in Garland ranches often has no waterproofing behind it at all, just tile set directly on the wall. Covering that with new tile without replacing water-damaged studs means mold within two years. We inspect the framing before we close anything up.
- Unpermitted previous bath additions. If a previous owner converted a closet or half-bath into a full bath without permits, the new rough-in work can’t close until an inspector signs off on framing and electrical brought to current code. We identify this risk before we start and price it into the contract as a line-item allowance.
- Grounded-out or cloth-jacketed wiring. Garland’s 1950s-1970s housing stock frequently still has ungrounded cloth-jacketed wiring feeding the vanity and the exhaust fan. When we open the wall, that wiring has to come out and a GFCI circuit has to go in. It’s a code requirement, and it’s a safety requirement. We don’t skip it, and we don’t bury it behind the new tile.
Pricing for Bathroom Remodeling in Garland, TX
A bathroom remodel in Garland runs $9,000 to $28,000 depending on the size of the bath, the condition of the slab and subfloor, and the scope of the finish work. A small bath in a 75043 ranch might land around $5,000 to $12,000, while a walk-in shower installation typically runs $4,500 to $12,000. Here’s the line-item reality for Garland, based on what we actually see in this market:
| Service | Price Range in Garland |
|---|---|
| Bathroom Remodel | $9,000 – $28,000 |
| Small Bathroom Remodel | $5,000 – $12,000 |
| Walk-In Shower Installation | $4,500 – $12,000 |
| Tub-to-Shower Conversion | $3,500 – $10,000 |
| Bathroom Vanity Installation | $800 – $3,000 |
The biggest cost driver in Garland is what we find when the tile comes up. A shower pan cracked by slab movement, a rotted subfloor, ungrounded wiring, or a drain rough-in that’s settled three-quarters of an inch all change the scope. We handle that by writing allowances into the contract before demo, and every price change arrives as a written change order before we touch anything. Call (877) 610-1318 to schedule a free estimate. You’ll get a written, line-by-line quote, and we’ll walk you through exactly what your specific house needs.
We Also Serve Cities Near Garland
Barrett & Sons Construction serves Garland and the surrounding communities, including Sachse, Rowlett, Richardson, and Murphy. If you live off Highway 78 near Sachse or in the Lakeside area toward Rowlett, the same crew that works your Garland neighbor’s ranch will handle your bathroom. Dispatch and scheduling are coordinated from our Dallas-Fort Worth office, and our crews serve Garland locally, so we’re not routing work through a regional call center.
Serving Garland, TX - Our Local Coverage Area
We’re based in the Garland 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 - Bathroom Remodeling in Garland
Because Garland’s inspectors require any unpermitted work from previous decades to be brought up to current code before the new permitted work can close. In a mid-century ranch, that often means replacing ungrounded wiring, repairing undersized framing, or re-venting a bath fan that was never vented at all. At Barrett & Sons, we anticipate those code triggers before the inspector even arrives. We write allowances into the contract so the quote doesn’t jump after the inspection. It’s already priced. Every change still comes to you as a written change order before we proceed. Call (877) 610-1318 for an exact quote on your specific bath.
We assume the slab has moved, because in Garland it almost always has. Before we set any new tile, we assess the existing slab for cracks, settlement at the drain rough-in, and moisture issues. We install a crack-isolation membrane over the old concrete before tiling, which prevents future slab movement from telegraphing through to the new tile. For a full shower rebuild, we use a Schluter waterproofing system from the pan up. The membrane goes in as a written line item, not as a surprise add-on. Call (877) 610-1318 and we’ll walk you through exactly what your slab needs.
Yes, we can, but the process is different from a straight remodel. The unpermitted framing, electrical, and plumbing from that 1980s addition have to be brought up to Garland’s currently adopted codes before the new permitted work can close. That means the inspector has to see and sign off on what’s in the wall. We identify what’s unpermitted before we start, we write the code-compliance work into the contract as a line-item allowance, and we coordinate the inspection so the job doesn’t stall. The permit inspector works for you, not for me. That’s why we like him in the room. Call (877) 610-1318 to schedule a free estimate and we’ll tell you exactly what your addition needs.
Yes, and they affect more than waterproofing. Winter Storm Uri exposed how thin the wall insulation and how unprotected the pipe runs are in Garland’s mid-century housing stock. When a bathroom sits on an exterior wall, we now look closely at the insulation and the pipe protection before we close anything up. We also make sure exterior-wall plumbing is insulated against future freeze events. That’s a Garland-specific lesson, and we learned it the hard way in February of 2021. We include exterior-wall insulation and freeze protection in the quote when the bath shares an outside wall. Call (877) 610-1318 for a free estimate that accounts for it.
Three things, and all three are in writing. First, named material allowances with brand and model, so you know exactly what tile, fixtures, and waterproofing system you’re paying for. Second, line-item allowances for code-triggered work, like subfloor repair, slab crack-isolation, and GFCI electrical upgrades. Third, a written change-order clause that requires any scope change to be priced and signed before work proceeds. If a contractor won’t put those three things in writing, don’t sign. At Barrett & Sons, every scope, every allowance, every price change arrives as a written change order before a single nail moves. That’s how Tom Barrett has run the company since 1998. Call (877) 610-1318 to schedule your free estimate.
Field Note: What We Found in a 75041 Hall Bath
On a 1963 ranch in the 75041 ZIP, we opened a hall bath to find the original cast-iron tub rough-in had settled 3/4 inch with the slab. The subfloor under the vinyl was spongy from years of shower splash. The wiring feeding the vanity was ungrounded cloth-jacketed. We wrote allowances for subfloor replacement, a Schluter waterproofing system, and a GFCI circuit upgrade into the contract before demo. When the inspector required a load-bearing header over the widened doorway, we priced it as a change order and got sign-off before cutting the studs. That’s how a Garland remodel should go: no surprises, because the surprises were priced before the wall came down. An allowance that isn’t on paper is a surprise waiting for a date.
If you’re in Garland and you’re ready to talk about your bathroom, call (877) 610-1318 for a free, written estimate. Tom Barrett and his sons will walk you through exactly what your house needs, what it’ll cost, and what it’ll look like when it’s done. And if it’s not done right, the 90-Day Done Right Promise means one call brings Tom back. That’s how we’ve worked since 1998, and that’s how we’ll work for you.
Written by Tom Barrett, Owner at Barrett & Sons Construction, serving Garland since 1998.