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 Highlands
A full bathroom remodel in Highlands, TX typically runs $9,000 to $28,000 depending on square footage, materials, and whether your home sits on a post-Harvey elevated foundation or an original 1950s slab. That range covers everything from a tub-to-shower swap to a gut-and-rebuild with new plumbing and tile. Call Barrett & Sons Construction at (877) 610-1318 for a free estimate on your specific bathroom, because in Highlands the number that matters most isn’t the square footage, it’s what Harris County’s floodplain rules require before we even set a nail.
Tom Barrett and his sons have worked in Highlands long enough to know the permitting path here is different from Houston’s. We don’t show up and guess. We check the flood maps first, pull the right permits through Harris County Engineering, and write every price on paper before work begins. If you want a contractor who knows Wallisville Road from Wade Road and won’t act surprised when the county asks for an elevation certificate, you’ve found one.
Why Barrett & Sons Construction Is Highlands’s Preferred Bathroom Remodeling Company
We’re owner-operated and have been since 1998, which means the name on the truck is the name standing in your bathroom. Tom Barrett’s sons run the crews. When you call our office, a live person answers, day or night. That matters in a place like Highlands, where the post-Harvey rebuild pulled in plenty of out-of-town crews who quoted low, tore out tubs, and disappeared when the inspector started asking questions. We’re not those people.
Highlands homeowners tell us the same story over and over: a national outfit quoted one number on the phone and handed them a change order for thousands more once the drywall came down. Our answer is the same every time. Every allowance, every scope change, every surprise we find in your walls gets written as a change order before we touch it. The permit inspector works for you, not for me, Tom likes to say, and he means it. That’s why we pull permits and sign inspections on every eligible job in Highlands, even when a competitor says you can skip it.
Our Bathroom Remodeling Services in Highlands
Full Bathroom Remodeling
A full remodel in Highlands means more than new tile. Many original 1950s and 1960s baths sit on slab foundations below the current Base Flood Elevation, so we plan around the 2-foot freeboard Harris County enforces on any work touching the slab. That may mean re-pitching a drain, rebuilding a subfloor, or coordinating a surveyor for an elevation certificate before rough-in passes. We handle all of it and put the line item in writing.
Tub-to-Shower Conversion
This is the single most popular project we do in Highlands, and for good reason. Older homes here have cast-iron tubs that rust at the flange, with slow leaks that rot subfloors for years before anyone notices. A tub-to-shower conversion in Highlands runs $3,500 to $10,000, and we build walk-in showers with flood-resistant backer and tile rated for the humidity of the San Jacinto watershed. We also verify your foundation height before quoting, because if the county flags your slab, the price changes.
Walk-In Shower Installation
A walk-in shower in a Highlands bathroom runs $4,500 to $12,000 depending on finish materials and whether we’re working on an elevated pier-and-beam or an original slab. Homeowners on post-Harvey elevated homes often assume the county won’t care about a shower swap. They’re usually wrong. If your finished floor sits below the revised freeboard, a new shower drain can trigger a flood elevation certificate before rough-in inspection. We scope that on the front end, not after the tile is ordered.
Vanities, Tile & Fixtures
Highlands homes span a wide range, from original working-class ranch houses to recently rebuilt elevated structures. We install vanities, tile, and fixtures that fit both the home’s age and the county’s flood rules. Marine-grade plywood under vanity cabinets, flood-resistant drywall behind tile, and named-brand fixtures you can look up yourself. Nothing off a van we can’t explain, and every fixture line item written before install.
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 Highlands
We don’t stock mystery brands. We run named lines like Kohler on tubs and shower pans, and when it comes to surrounding hardscape or patio tie-ins, we carry Belgard and Techo-Bloc because Highlands homeowners recognize those names. If you’re planning a bathroom that opens to an outdoor shower area or patio, we can pull those materials locally and quote them at the same time. One contractor, one line item sheet, no surprises when the county inspector asks what’s behind the wall.
Common Bathroom Remodeling Problems We See in Highlands Homes
- Slab foundations below current flood elevation. Since Hurricane Harvey, Harris County enforces a 2-foot freeboard above Base Flood Elevation on any work touching the slab. A simple tub swap can trigger an elevation certificate and stall the permit for weeks if your contractor didn’t plan for it.
- Rotted subfloors from decades of slow wicking. Original cast-iron tubs on 1960s slab ranchers off Wallisville Road rust through and leak along the foundation line. By the time you see the stain, the subfloor is often gone. We rebuild with marine-grade plywood and write the hidden-damage allowance into the original quote.
- Pier-and-beam homes where finish floor height matters. Post-Harvey elevated homes look straightforward, but if the new bathroom floor sits below the 2-foot freeboard, the inspector fails rough-in and the shower drain has to be re-pitched. We check the elevation before we quote, not after the tile is in.
- Wrong materials for a floodplain bathroom. Standard drywall and fiberglass insulation fail fast in a Highlands bath that sits inches above the floodplain. The county won’t sign off a punch list until flood-resistant materials are swapped in. We use flood-rated drywall, backer board, and closed-cell insulation from the start.
Pricing for Bathroom Remodeling in Highlands, TX
Highlands pricing reflects two things most of Harris County doesn’t deal with: unincorporated county permitting and post-Harvey floodplain enforcement. A small bathroom remodel here runs $5,000 to $12,000. A walk-in shower installation runs $4,500 to $12,000. A tub-to-shower conversion runs $3,500 to $10,000. And a full bathroom remodel on an original slab home typically runs $9,000 to $28,000, with the higher end covering elevation certificate coordination, subfloor rebuild, and structural fixes older Highlands homes often need.
| Project | Typical Range in Highlands |
|---|---|
| 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 |
What moves the number? Foundation type. Slab work costs more than pier-and-beam when flood rules force drain re-pitching. Material choices like Kohler tubs versus stock drop-ins also shift the range, and we quote those as named allowances in writing. Call (877) 610-1318 to schedule a free estimate. You’ll get line items, not phone guesses.
We Also Serve Cities Near Highlands
Barrett & Sons Construction handles bathroom remodels across the San Jacinto corridor, including Bathroom Remodeling work in nearby Channelview, Baytown, Mont Belvieu, and Cloverleaf. If you’re just over the county line or a few miles down Wade Road, the same crew and the same written pricing apply. One Highlands team, one standard, no matter which side of the river you’re on.
Serving Highlands, TX - Our Local Coverage Area
We’re based in the Highlands 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 Highlands
Highlands is unincorporated Harris County, so all bathroom remodel permits run through Harris County Engineering, not a city building department. Since Hurricane Harvey, the county has been auditing floodplain rules on every pulled permit, so expect a stricter review than a Houston-city contractor would face. Call (877) 610-1318 and we’ll tell you what your specific project triggers before you sign anything.
Usually yes, but the county may require an elevation certificate before rough-in inspection if your finished floor sits below the revised 2-foot freeboard. We coordinate with a surveyor, file the paperwork, and build the shower with flood-resistant materials so the inspection passes the first time. For an exact quote on your slab height, call (877) 610-1318. Estimates are free.
We write a hidden-damage allowance into every older-home bathroom quote before we start, so when we open a wall and find rotted subfloor from a rusted cast-iron tub, you already know the price. We rebuild with marine-grade plywood and flood-rated materials, and the change order, if any, gets handed to you before work proceeds. We scoped a 1960s slab rancher off Wallisville Road exactly this way, and the allowance covered the repair without a surprise invoice.
Harris County currently requires finished floors at least 2 feet above Base Flood Elevation, and for bathrooms near or below that mark, inspectors expect flood-resistant drywall, cement backer board, and closed-cell insulation rather than standard fiberglass. We install those materials as standard on Highlands floodplain homes, not as an upgrade. Call (877) 610-1318 for a free estimate and we’ll walk you through what your specific bathroom needs.
If the job involves plumbing, electrical, or structural changes to the floor or walls, yes, and Harris County will want to see a licensed contractor on the permit. A small bathroom remodel on a pier-and-beam Highlands home runs $5,000 to $12,000, and we handle permits, inspections, and elevation checks as part of that price. Call (877) 610-1318 to schedule your free estimate.
Ready to talk about your bathroom? Call Barrett & Sons Construction at (877) 610-1318 and ask for Tom or one of his sons. You’ll get a live person, a straight answer, and a written quote with every line item spelled out. If you live in Highlands, the estimate is free and the coffee’s usually on us.
Written by Tom Barrett, Owner at Barrett & Sons Construction, serving Highlands and the San Jacinto corridor since 1998.