Free written scope consultation - allowances, timeline, and change-order rules on paper before a single trade is scheduled
Fast, Reliable Home Additions & ADU Across Irving
Most home additions in Irving run between $45,000 and $130,000, and the smartest first step is getting your soil tested, not picking out tile. We’re Barrett & Sons Construction, and we’ve been building room additions, garage conversions, and detached ADUs across Irving long enough to know that the clay under this city decides what you can build before the architect does. If you’re in 75062, 75063, 75014, or 75015 and thinking about adding square footage, call Tom’s team at (877) 610-1318 for a free estimate with a written scope you can actually compare line by line.
What makes adding on in Irving different from, say, Carrollton or Grand Prairie is the soil. Irving sits on the Blackland Prairie’s montmorillonite clay, which shrinks hard in summer and heaves when the fall rains come. Any home addition or ADU here has to start with a soil-moisture stabilization plan. Skip that step in July when the ground is bone dry, and you’ll see diagonal cracks along your new slab by October. We pull permits on every eligible job and put every allowance in writing before a single nail moves. That’s how we’ve kept our name good in Irving for over 29 years.
Why Barrett & Sons Construction Is Irving’s Preferred Home Additions & ADU Company
You can look up our license number, Tom Barrett’s name, and our address before you sign anything. That’s deliberate. The last contractor most Irving homeowners used told them permits were optional, and they’re not going to fall for that twice. We carry our Home Additions & ADU reputation the same way we carry our tools: in plain sight. Tom’s sons run the crews, and Tom himself is on-site most days. When you call, a live person answers 24/7, not an out-of-state call center.
Irving customers see our trucks in Las Colinas, down Belt Line, and through the Heritage District. We’re not a franchise dispatching strangers. Our crew members are background-checked and uniformed, and they carry the Barrett & Sons name on their shirts. If something isn’t done right, the 90-Day Done Right Promise is written on every contract: one call brings Tom back. No fine print, no arguing about who said what. That’s the guarantee we extend to every Home Additions & ADU in Irving job we start.
Review count and star rating matter less than this: we publish our scope in writing, our change orders in writing, and our allowances in writing. When the permit inspector shows up, we like him. He works for you, not for us. That’s why every eligible Irving addition we build gets permits pulled and inspections signed.
Our Home Additions & ADU Services in Irving
Irving’s housing stock runs from 1950s slab-on-grade ranchers in the western ZIPs to newer two-story builders around Valley Ranch. That means the right approach changes block by block. Here are the four services Irving homeowners ask us about most often, along with Bathroom Remodeling - Irving and related work.
ADU Design & Permitting
An ADU in Irving usually runs $90,000 to $220,000, and the design phase is where you win or lose money. We handle the full permit package: architectural drawings, structural calcs, soil reports, and the FAA 7460-1 obstruction study if your property falls in the DFW approach path notification zone near SH-114. If you’re adding vertical square footage in the northern edges of Irving, that study can add weeks to your timeline. We flag it on day one, not when the city kicks the plans back.

Garage Conversion ADU
Converting an attached garage to an ADU in Irving typically runs $30,000 to $80,000, depending on whether you’re adding plumbing, a bath, and a separate meter, or need Windows & Doors in Irving. In HOA-governed pockets of Las Colinas, you’ll need architectural control committee pre-approval before rough-in. We’ve seen stop-work orders hit homeowners who skipped that step. We request the review while we’re still doing drawings, so the clock doesn’t stall on your dime.

New Detached ADU
A new detached ADU on a west Irving lot means one thing first: the clay. Sections west of Loop 12 in 75060 and 75061 are slab-on-grade homes from the 1950s through 1970s. New foundations there can heave 2 to 3 inches between drought and rain if the subsoil isn’t conditioned. We run compaction tests and, where needed, helical-pier foundations before framing. Our crew just wrapped a detached ADU off a 1960s brick-veneer home in the Heritage District where the original pier-and-beam had settled 1.5 inches on the east side. We pulled the permit, ran compaction tests, and installed a helical-pier foundation before framing so the new ADU’s subfloor stays true through the next dry-summer/first-rain cycle. We left the owner with a lay-down drawing set and a punch list item for every trade’s inspection sign-off.

Junior ADU & Interior Conversion
A junior ADU is an interior conversion, usually a basement, bonus room, or oversized laundry space with its own entrance and a small kitchenette. In Irving’s newer master-planned communities, these often start as builder-grade flex space above the garage. We’re used to working within the HOA architectural rules those developments enforce, and we keep a digital paper trail of every pre-approval so your builder warranty stays intact where it matters.

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 Irving
We install materials you can look up, not mystery brands off a van. On hardscape and site-prep work tied to ADUs, we use Belgard, Techo-Bloc pavers, and Master Halco service in Irving, and we keep local supply relationships in Irving so parts and materials don’t stall a schedule. For foundation underlayment and drainage, we spec Quikrete products when the job calls for it. You’ll see the brand names on the quote, in writing, before work starts.
Common Home Additions & ADU Problems We See in Irving Homes
- Slab cracking from Blackland Prairie clay movement: Homes in 75060 through 75062 sit on expansive clay that shrinks in summer and heaves with fall rain. New additions need soil moisture stabilization or the slab will crack within the first year.
- HOA stop-work orders in Las Colinas: The architectural control committees in 75038 and 75039 require pre-approval before any garage conversion or vertical addition. Missing that step triggers a stop-work order after rough-in, and a stalled permit costs money every week.
- FAA obstruction study surprises near SH-114: Irving’s northern edge falls under DFW approach path notification zones. Any vertical construction above certain heights needs an FAA 7460-1 study. General contractors who don’t flag this early blow their project schedules.
- Treating 1970s brick veneer as load-bearing: On second-story additions in 75061, the existing brick veneer is a facade, not structure. Adding a second story without steel reinforcement leads to sagging headers and a change order from the city inspector.
Pricing for Home Additions & ADU in Irving, TX
Here are the real numbers for Irving’s market. These are the ranges we quote on paper, not phone estimates that change when the truck shows up.
| Project | Typical Irving Range |
|---|---|
| Home Addition | $45,000 - $130,000 |
| ADU Construction | $90,000 - $220,000 |
| Garage Conversion | $30,000 - $80,000 |
What moves the number: soil conditions west of Loop 12, HOA architectural fees in Las Colinas, FAA obstruction studies near the airport, and whether you’re adding a bath and kitchenette, just living space, or need Irving Roofing work. Every line item goes into a written change order before work starts. An allowance that isn’t on paper is a surprise waiting for a date. Call (877) 610-1318 for a free estimate with a written scope.
We Also Serve Cities Near Irving
Our crew works across the northern metro from our DFW office. If you’re in Farmers Branch, University Park, Highland Park, or Dallas, the same Irving standards apply: permits pulled, change orders in writing, and Tom’s name on every contract. No trip charge inside the county, and the free second opinion on any written estimate applies wherever you live.
Serving Irving, TX - Our Local Coverage Area
We’re based in the Irving 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 Irving
Yes, if your property falls within the DFW approach path notification zone, which covers parts of northern Irving near SH-114 and the Las Colinas Urban Center. Any new vertical construction above certain heights triggers an FAA 7460-1 study before Irving’s building department will issue certain permits. That study can add two to four weeks to your timeline, so we file it during the design phase, not after the plans bounce back. Call (877) 610-1318 and we’ll check your address against the notification zone during the free estimate.
Yes, in most Las Colinas neighborhoods, but only with architectural control committee pre-approval before rough-in starts. Some HOAs in the 75038 and 75039 ZIPs restrict changes to street-facing elevations or require the ADU entrance to match certain design standards. We request the pre-approval while we’re still drawing plans. Skipping it triggers a stop-work order, and that stops the clock on your money. Call (877) 610-1318 for a free estimate that includes the HOA review step.
It depends on the soil report, but on unamended Blackland Prairie clay in 75060 through 75062, we typically recommend either a post-tension slab with proper soil conditioning or helical piers. The key is running compaction tests and addressing moisture variation before framing. Our crew just installed helical piers on a Heritage District ADU where the original home had settled 1.5 inches. That ADU won’t move through the next dry-summer/first-rain cycle. Call (877) 610-1318 and we’ll walk your lot with you.
Usually not, but it does require understanding that the brick veneer on a 1960s or 1970s Irving home is a facade, not structure. When we add a second story, we install steel reinforcement at the header and foundation connection points. The inspector will flag it if you treat the veneer as load-bearing. On some well-matched additions in the Heritage District, we salvage and reset the original brick to keep the street elevation consistent with HOA rules. Call (877) 610-1318 to ask about your specific street.
Irving requires updated plan sets for structural change orders, and most additions trigger a re-inspection before work resumes. We handle the paperwork. Every scope change on a Barrett & Sons job gets a written change order signed before the work proceeds, so the price on the wall matches the price on the contract. No surprise invoices at the end, because the allowance that isn’t on paper is a surprise waiting for a date. Call (877) 610-1318 for an exact quote, estimates are free.
Written by Tom Barrett, Owner at Barrett & Sons Construction, serving Irving since day one with permits pulled, change orders in writing, and a 90-Day Done Right Promise on every job.







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