Free written scope consultation - allowances, timeline, and change-order rules on paper before a single trade is scheduled
Before
After
Before
After
Before
AfterFast, Reliable Home Additions & ADU Across Lauderdale Lakes
Home additions and ADU construction in Lauderdale Lakes typically runs between $45,000 and $130,000 for a room addition, and $90,000 to $220,000 for a detached ADU. In this city, the job is rarely about open land. Ninety percent of the work we do involves retrofitting 1960s and 1970s CBS structures that predate post-Hurricane Andrew wind-load codes. That means roof-to-wall tie-downs, impact-rated openings, and load-bearing verification before the first new wall goes up. If you want a straight answer on what your addition will actually cost in Lauderdale Lakes, call (877) 610-1318. We’ll give you real numbers, in writing, before you sign anything.
Why the Salt Air Decides Your Materials Before the Schedule
Anyone can frame a wall in Lauderdale Lakes. Fewer contractors account for what the air does to that wall over ten years. We’re less than five miles from the coast as the crow flies, and the salt-laden humidity works on metal fasteners, window frames, and railing bases every single day. This isn’t a theory. On a 1970s CBS home off the 33313 zip, our crew opened a wall for a garage conversion ADU and found the original jalousie window had rotted the pressure-treated buck behind decades of stucco patches. The fasteners holding the lintel had corroded to the point where we could snap them by hand. We stopped rough-in, wrote a change order for reframing and re-stucco, and upgraded every exposed fastener to hot-dip galvanized before the inspector signed off. That’s the difference between a job that lasts and one that leaks four years from now.
For this reason, Home Additions & ADU work in Lauderdale Lakes carries a coastal-spec premium. Standard zinc-plated hardware on roof tie-downs or railing bases will rust and loosen within five years here. We spec stainless or hot-dip galvanized fasteners, marine-grade anodized aluminum window frames, and sealed paver joints with a compaction base raised for groundwater clearance. The cheap spec will absolutely cost more within a decade. We’d rather price the right materials up front than write change orders after the first wet season exposes the mistake.
Why Lauderdale Lakes Homeowners Call Us
Barrett & Sons Construction has been owner-operated since 1998. Tom Barrett and his sons run the crews themselves. They’re on-site most days in Lauderdale Lakes, not calling in from some office three states away. When you call our number, a live person answers. Not a voicemail box. Not a call center. And when the inspectors come from Broward County, every permit for your addition or ADU is already pulled and signed. The permit inspector works for you, not for me. That’s exactly why we like him on the job.
Every price change arrives as a written change order before work proceeds. If we hit rotted framing behind a jalousie window during an ADU conversion, you get a piece of paper with the exact cost before we touch another stud. The allowance that isn’t on paper is a surprise waiting for a date. And the 90-Day Done Right Promise is written on every contract, not buried in fine print. If it’s not done right, Tom comes back and makes it right. One call.
We serve all of Lauderdale Lakes from our South Florida scheduling office, with crews working locally throughout the 33313 zip code. Tom Barrett publishes his name, his address, and his license number. Look it up before you sign anything. So can anyone else on your street who has already hired us.
Home Addition & ADU Services in Lauderdale Lakes
ADU Design & Permitting
Most Lauderdale Lakes lots were platted in the 1960s and 1970s, which means setbacks and lot coverage rules are tight. We draw the ADU plan around what Broward County will actually approve, not what looks good on paper. Every plan set includes the load-bearing verification and wind-mitigation details the current Florida Building Code demands.
Garage Conversion ADU
This is the most common ADU route in Lauderdale Lakes because the existing garage slab and roofline are already there. But the original garage was never built to living-space code. Expect reframing for proper wall depth, electrical panel upgrades, and new impact-rated openings. The original jalousie windows can’t stay.
New Detached ADU
When there’s room in the rear yard, a new detached ADU gives you a clean envelope and modern energy performance. In Lauderdale Lakes, the water table sits two to three feet below grade. That dictates footer depth and requires continuous pumping during excavation. We budget for that on day one, not as a surprise line item later.
Junior ADU & Interior Conversion
Converting an attached garage, enclosed patio, or under-used room inside your existing CBS home can be more affordable than a full detached build. The walls are already up, and the roof already ties into the main structure. But plumbing run distance, electrical capacity, and egress all need to be brought up to current code.
We also handle second-story additions, room additions, and sunrooms or enclosed patios with the same coastal-spec discipline. An inland-grade aluminum frame on a sunroom in Lauderdale Lakes will pit within ten years. Marine-grade anodized aluminum holds up.
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.
Materials We Specify in Lauderdale Lakes
We carry and install premium brands you can look up: Simonton, PGT, and CGI. For impact-rated window and door openings on additions and ADUs, these are the products that pass Broward County’s wind-mitigation standards and stand up to salt air. We don’t put mystery-brand frames off a van into your home. We’ll tell you exactly what we’re installing and why it’s the right spec for this city’s climate. That’s the way Tom has run things since 1998, and his sons follow the same rule on every job.
Common Problems We See in Lauderdale Lakes Homes
- Rotted window bucks behind original jalousie windows. These 1970s frames leak for decades before anyone opens the wall. When we do, the pressure-treated wood behind the stucco is often crumbling, and the rough opening needs complete reframing before a new impact-rated window goes in.
- Corroded standard fasteners on roof tie-downs and railing bases. Salt air plus humidity wrecks zinc-plated hardware within five years. We stop using standard hardware on any new addition or ADU in this zip code and spec hot-dip galvanized or stainless instead.
- Groundwater intrusion in any excavation below three feet. The water table is high across the Broward coastal plain. Footers, plumbing trenches, and slab work for a detached ADU all require dewatering. We plan for continuous pumping and a raised base.
- Layered roofing on pre-1982 CBS structures. Many Lauderdale Lakes homes have two or three layers of torch-down or modified bitumen roofing over the original deck. Before we tie a new addition into the roofline, we strip the affected sections down and inspect the deck for rot and inadequate nailing.
Pricing for Home Additions & ADU in Lauderdale Lakes, FL
Here’s what you can expect in this market. A garage conversion ADU typically runs $30,000 to $80,000. A new detached ADU runs $90,000 to $220,000. A room addition runs $45,000 to $130,000, depending on square footage and structural complexity. Impact window installation as part of any addition runs $8,000 to $25,000 depending on the number of openings. The coastal-spec materials we use add real cost, but they’re the reason you won’t be calling another contractor in eight years to fix what the first one did wrong. Call (877) 610-1318 for a written, line-item estimate. We don’t charge to come out and look inside the county.
| Project Type | Price Range in Lauderdale Lakes |
|---|---|
| Garage Conversion ADU | $30,000 - $80,000 |
| ADU Construction | $90,000 - $220,000 |
| Home Addition | $45,000 - $130,000 |
| Impact Window Installation | $8,000 - $25,000 |
We Also Serve Cities Near Lauderdale Lakes
If your home is in Lauderhill, Fort Lauderdale, Plantation, or Broadview Park, we handle additions and ADU work there too. Our crews work throughout this part of Broward County and know the local permit landscape across each municipality.
Serving Lauderdale Lakes, FL - Our Local Coverage Area
We’re based in the Lauderdale Lakes 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 Lauderdale Lakes
Because the existing 1960s or 1970s CBS walls and footers were never designed for a second floor. A structural engineer must verify the load-bearing capacity of the block walls, inspect the tie-down system, and confirm the foundation can handle the added weight before Broward County will issue a permit for a vertical addition. Skipping this step is how you get a permit rejection or, worse, a wall that moves after construction. Call (877) 610-1318 and we’ll walk you through the engineering process.
No. Original jalousie windows do not meet current impact and energy standards, and the Broward County permit review will flag them immediately. You’ll need impact-rated windows or shutters on any opening that becomes part of living space. We can order PGT or Simonton impact windows sized to the existing opening, but removing the old jalousie frames almost always exposes rotted wood that has to be reframed and re-stuccoed first. Call (877) 610-1318 for an exact quote on your garage conversion.
In Lauderdale Lakes, the water table sits about two to three feet below grade, so footer bottoms are generally specified at 30 to 36 inches below finished grade, with a minimum clearance of at least 12 inches above the seasonally high water level. The exact number comes from the geotechnical report we pull with your permit set. If we dig and hit water sooner than expected, we’re pumping continuously and adjusting the footer design. That’s a written change order, not a surprise invoice.
Hot-dip galvanized or stainless fasteners and connectors. Standard zinc-plated hardware corrodes fast in Lauderdale Lakes because of the combination of salt air and high humidity. Railing bases that loosen within five years are a safety issue, not just an annoyance. We spec stainless steel or hot-dip galvanized bases and screws, and we show you the product before we install it. Call (877) 610-1318 for a free second opinion on any written estimate you already have.
Because the foundation slab, roof structure, and three of the four walls already exist. A detached ADU requires new excavation, a new slab, four new walls, and a new roof. In Lauderdale Lakes, the groundwater issue adds pumping cost to any new excavation, which further widens the gap. A garage conversion runs roughly $30,000 to $80,000, while a new detached ADU runs $90,000 to $220,000. Call (877) 610-1318 to get a line-item comparison for your specific lot.
Call Barrett & Sons Construction for a Free Lauderdale Lakes Estimate
If you’re planning a home addition or ADU in Lauderdale Lakes, get a real number before you commit. We offer free estimates, written change orders on every scope change, senior and veteran discounts, and a 90-Day Done Right Promise on every job. Call (877) 610-1318 and talk to a live person who knows this city’s permit process and its housing stock. We’ll come out, measure, and give you a number you can build on.
Written by Tom Barrett, Owner at Barrett & Sons Construction, serving Lauderdale Lakes since 1998.