Free written scope consultation - allowances, timeline, and change-order rules on paper before a single trade is scheduled
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AfterFast, Reliable Home Additions & ADU Across Fort Myers Beach
If you own property in Fort Myers Beach right now, you likely already know the hard truth: Hurricane Ian didn’t just damage homes on Estero Island, it rewired what “remodeling” even means here. Adding a bedroom, building an ADU, or restoring a sunroom isn’t a matter of matching old drywall and calling it done. It means meeting FEMA’s 50% rule, building to elevated VE and AE flood zone standards, and often satisfying Florida’s Coastal Construction Control Line on top of Lee County’s own permits. That’s the daily reality of the Home Additions & ADU work we take on. If you’ve been told your addition can’t be done, or that the permitting alone will take nine months, call us at (877) 610-1318. We walk Fort Myers Beach jobs from the first elevation certificate to the final inspection, and we do it with written change orders, not surprises.
Why Barrett & Sons Construction Is Fort Myers Beach’s Preferred Home Additions & ADU Company
Tom Barrett started Barrett & Sons Construction in 1998, and the way he runs it hasn’t changed since: his name is on the truck, his sons run the crews, and every permit gets pulled before the first nail moves. That matters on Fort Myers Beach more than almost anywhere else in Florida, because the last thing a homeowner here needs is a contractor who treats a CCCL setback line as optional. Tom’s phone number is published, his address is verifiable, and his license number is there for you to look up before you sign anything.
We can’t claim to have rebuilt every block of Fort Myers Beach, and we won’t. What we can tell you is that the work we’ve done on the island has taught us things you only learn by standing in a flooded ground-level cottage in zip code 33931 and figuring out how to lift it, re-level it, and add living space above the BFE. Our crew knows what the Lee County permit office asks for on addition projects in Fort Myers Beach, and we know why the Florida DEP review adds weeks even when the paperwork is perfect. That local knowledge is the difference between a permit that moves and a permit that sits.
Every Fort Myers Beach project we take on carries the 90-Day Done Right Promise in writing. If something isn’t right when the job’s done, one call brings Tom back. That’s the kind of guarantee that means something on a barrier island where salt air finds every weak fastener and storms test every tie-down.
Our Home Additions & ADU Services in Fort Myers Beach
For property owners in Fort Myers Beach, an addition or ADU is rarely a simple bump-out. You’re often working with a post-Ian lot, a partially elevated home, or a concrete block cottage from the 1960s that no longer fits the flood map. These are the four services we handle most often on the island:
ADU Design & Permitting
Building an accessory dwelling unit on Estero Island means stacking permits: Lee County building, FEMA elevation compliance, and in many cases a Coastal Construction Control Line review through Florida DEP. We design ADUs that work within those rules from the first sketch, so you don’t pay an architect for a plan the county won’t approve. A detached ADU in Fort Myers Beach typically starts with a site survey and an elevation certificate, and we handle both before drawings even go to plan review.
Garage Conversion ADU
Converting an existing garage into a living unit sounds straightforward until the flood zone rules apply. In Fort Myers Beach, many pre-Ian garages sit below the required base flood elevation, which means the conversion often triggers substantial-improvement math. We’ve done enough of these to tell you honestly on day one whether your garage conversion is worth the cost or whether it’ll cross the 50% threshold and require raising the structure. In zip code 33931 and 33932, that threshold is the single most important number on your project.
New Detached ADU
New detached ADUs in Fort Myers Beach are, by local necessity, elevated structures on pilings, with breakaway walls below the flood line and all mechanicals installed above BFE. That’s not an upsell or a “nice-to-have”; it’s the building code on a barrier island. We budget for helical or driven piles, hidden tie-downs, and flood vents from day one, which keeps your number honest. If a builder hands you a detached ADU quote that prices it like a mainland shed, ask them whether they’ve ever pulled a permit on Estero Island.
Junior ADU & Interior Conversion
A junior ADU, usually an interior conversion of a large bedroom or a former Florida room, works well for Fort Myers Beach owners who want rental income or a caregiver suite without the full cost of a separate structure. The trick here is compliance with Lee County’s floor-area limits and egress rules, plus making sure the conversion meets current wind-load requirements for windows and doors. We also handle Kitchen Remodeling in Fort Myers Beach and Bathroom Remodeling in Fort Myers Beach as part of these conversions, because a junior ADU with a half-bath and a kitchenette has to be permitted and inspected to the same standard as a full unit.
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 Fort Myers Beach
On an island where salt spray eats cheap metal and UV bakes paint off a wall in two years, material choice isn’t marketing. We install Techo-Bloc and Cambridge Pavers on ADU driveways and patio landings because their pavers hold up to stormwater and sand better than big-box alternatives. For concrete work under elevated additions, we rely on Quikrete and Oldcastle mixes rated for coastal exposure. We know which products the Lee County inspectors recognize, and we don’t put mystery materials on a Fort Myers Beach job just to shave a week off the schedule.
Common Home Additions & ADU Problems We See in Fort Myers Beach Homes
- The 50% rule rears its head mid-project. A homeowner starts a room addition, the county flags the property for substantial improvement, and suddenly the whole project scope changes. We run the math before you commit to a design, not after the first wall comes down.
- CCCL permits weren’t budgeted into the quote. Many Fort Myers Beach parcels fall seaward of the Coastal Construction Control Line, meaning a separate Florida DEP permit rides on top of Lee County’s. A mainland contractor may not even know that permit exists. We do, and we price it from day one.
- Salt-damaged subfloor and rim joists under older elevated homes. Pre-Ian cottages that got lifted but never properly re-flashed now show hidden corrosion where the floor system meets the new pilings. We inspect before we add square footage, because you don’t want a new room anchored to a rotten rim.
- Wind-load failures on existing walls and windows. Florida Building Code requires High-Velocity Hurricane Zone connections along the entire addition, including tie-downs to the existing structure. If the old part of the house wasn’t strapped correctly, it must be retrofitted before the addition is signed off.
Pricing for Home Additions & ADU in Fort Myers Beach, FL
A home addition in Fort Myers Beach typically runs $45,000 to $130,000 depending on square footage, piling requirements, and where your parcel sits relative to the CCCL. A detached ADU designed and built to current VE or AE zone standards on Estero Island tends to land between $90,000 and $220,000. Garage conversions are usually $30,000 to $80,000, though a conversion that triggers the 50% rule can push past that figure once elevation and piling work enters the picture. If you’re comparing bids, ask whether the number includes the elevation certificate, the DEP review if required, and the wind-load retrofits on the existing structure. Ours does. Call (877) 610-1318 for a free estimate with every allowance in writing, because an allowance that isn’t on paper is a surprise waiting for a date.
We Also Serve Cities Near Fort Myers Beach
While most of our Fort Myers Beach work stays on the island, we regularly take on addition and ADU projects in nearby Iona, Cypress Lake, McGregor, and Villas. The flood rules change once you cross the bridge toward the mainland, but the same standards apply: permits pulled, elevations verified, and every change order in writing. If you’re in the greater Fort Myers Beach area and you’re weighing an ADU, call us before you sign a mainland bid that doesn’t understand island rules.
Serving Fort Myers Beach, FL - Our Local Coverage Area
We’re based in the Fort Myers Beach 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 - Home Additions & ADU in Fort Myers Beach
Once your permit package is submitted, Lee County plan review on Estero Island additions and ADUs can take anywhere from a few weeks to a few months, and if the Florida DEP needs to review the project for CCCL compliance, add additional weeks. The fastest way to a start date is a complete application the first time, which is exactly what we compile for every Fort Myers Beach project. Call (877) 610-1318 and we’ll give you a realistic timeline for your specific parcel.
Yes. We work throughout Fort Myers Beach, including homes in 33931 and 33932, from the north end near Bowditch Point down to Big Carlos Pass and across the residential streets off Estero Boulevard. Whether you’re on a gulf-front lot with direct CCCL review or a canal-side parcel in the AE zone, the process starts with a site visit and an elevation certificate.
A home addition in Fort Myers Beach typically runs $45,000 to $130,000, which is measurably higher than the equivalent square footage in Iona or McGregor because of piling, flood elevation, and wind-load requirements unique to the barrier island. A detached ADU in Fort Myers Beach lands between $90,000 and $220,000. If you’re comparing bids across the bridge, make sure the mainland quote includes the elevation and CCCL costs, because ours always does. Call (877) 610-1318 for an exact line-item quote.
We pull every permit required for your project, including the Lee County building permit and, where your parcel falls seaward of the Coastal Construction Control Line, the Florida DEP permit. We also schedule and pass the required inspections, including the elevation certification after the structure is set. The permit inspector works for you, not for me, which is exactly why we like having him on the job.
Every addition and ADU we complete in Fort Myers Beach carries our written 90-Day Done Right Promise. If something isn’t right when the job’s done, one call brings Tom Barrett back to make it right. That promise is in writing on your contract, along with the scope, the allowances, and every change order. Call (877) 610-1318 to schedule your free estimate.
Written by Tom Barrett, Owner at Barrett & Sons Construction, founded in 1998 and serving Fort Myers Beach with permits pulled, inspections signed, and prices in writing.