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 Lighthouse Point
A home addition or ADU in Lighthouse Point typically runs between $45,000 and $220,000 depending on whether you’re converting a garage, building a detached unit, or framing a second story over an existing CBS ranch. Most canal-front projects in Lighthouse Point take longer than inland builds because of the seawall setback variance that nearly every rear-yard addition triggers. We’ve been working these finger-canal lots long enough to know that, and we price that reality into our estimates up front. Call (877) 610-1318 and we’ll walk your property before we quote anything.
Why Barrett & Sons Construction Is Lighthouse Point’s Preferred Home Additions & ADU Company
Tom Barrett started this company in 1998, and his sons run the crews. That’s not marketing language; that’s who shows up at your door in Lighthouse Point. We answer our own phone, we publish our license number, and we live close enough that a callback means a twenty-minute drive, not a three-week service window.
Lighthouse Point homeowners keep calling us back because we know what this specific city demands. When we frame an addition on a canal lot, we’re already thinking about the 25-foot seawall setback and whether your rear yard setback overlaps it. An inland contractor from Pompano Beach or Deerfield Beach won’t spot that until the city kicks the permit back. We flag it on day one, not in month three. Our Home Additions & ADU work here has included garage conversions, second-story additions, and full detached ADUs on lots where the variance process was the real project. Ask anyone on your street, or look up the license number yourself.
Our Home Additions & ADU Services in Lighthouse Point
ADU Design & Permitting
Detached ADUs in Lighthouse Point sit on narrow, deep canal lots, which means the design has to account for two competing requirements: the 25-foot seawall setback from the water’s edge and the rear yard setback from the lot line. On many finger-canal properties those two overlap, and that overlap needs a city variance before a single footer gets poured. We handle the variance application, the Broward County permit package, and the engineering as one scope of work. A typical ADU Construction project in Lighthouse Point lands between $90,000 and $220,000, and the permitting portion usually adds six to ten weeks to the schedule.
Garage Conversion ADU
Converting an attached garage into a living unit is the fastest way to add rentable or in-law space in Lighthouse Point, and it usually runs $30,000 to $80,000. But the older homes here, mostly CBS construction from 1955 to 1985, frequently still carry the original electrical panel from the year the house was built. Broward County’s permit pull-and-replace rules mean we can’t touch the conversion without upgrading that panel, and homeowners should budget $4,000 to $8,000 for the panel work before we even get to drywall. We put that number in writing at the estimate, not after the old panel fails inspection.
New Detached ADU
A new detached ADU on a Lighthouse Point canal lot is a full backyard construction project, and it’s the option most affected by the local water table. During the June-to-October wet season, groundwater often sits within 18 to 24 inches of grade, which changes how we pour the slab and what kind of footer engineering the permit requires. We also spec every exterior fastener, lintel, and hurricane strap in hot-dipped galvanized or stainless because the salt air off the Intracoastal eats uncoated steel years before an inland home would show a speck of rust.
Junior ADU & Interior Conversion
Junior ADUs and interior conversions, like turning an oversized laundry room or a garage bay inside the existing footprint into a small apartment, often fall below the variance threshold entirely. That means faster permits and a smaller budget, sometimes under the $45,000 starting point for a bigger addition. But we still check the seawall setback math, because Lighthouse Point code enforcement applies it inconsistently on older plats, and we’d rather flag it before the inspector does.
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 Lighthouse Point
We install and stand behind materials from GAF and Schluter on these projects because they hold up to the salt-air conditions along Lighthouse Point’s canal front. Our local supply relationships mean we can typically have specialty waterproofing and roofing components on site within a week, not a month. When a Lighthouse Point customer needs a GAF underlayment matched to an existing low-slope roof, or Schluter waterproofing behind a new ADU shower, we know exactly which supplier carries it in Broward.
Common Home Additions & ADU Problems We See in Lighthouse Point Homes
– Uncoated steel hardware from previous inland contractors. We regularly open walls on Lighthouse Point additions and find standard steel lintels and hurricane straps rusted through after five or six years of canal air. That’s a wind-load failure waiting to happen, and it’s why we write galvanized or stainless specs into every structural line item.
– Seawall setback conflicts on rear additions. The finger-canal plats in Lighthouse Point are narrow and deep, so a rear dormer or sunroom addition frequently requires a variance because the 25-foot seawall setback overlaps the rear yard setback. Inland GCs don’t know to look for this until the permit bounces.
– Undersized electrical panels on 1960s and 1970s CBS homes. The original panel from the year the house was built won’t carry the load of a new ADU or second story, and Broward County won’t sign the permit without an upgrade. We quote the panel replacement as a line item before the job starts, not as a change order later.
– Builder warranty voids from unwritten scope changes. On newer Lighthouse Point homes, especially the larger custom builds replacing older ranches, an unwritten change to a foundation or structural scope can void the builder’s warranty. We keep every scope change as a written change order and coordinate with the builder’s warranty administrator before anything moves.
Pricing for Home Additions & ADU in Lighthouse Point, FL
| Project Type | Lighthouse Point Price Range |
|---|---|
| Second Story Addition | $45,000 - $130,000 |
| Garage Conversion ADU | $30,000 - $80,000 |
| ADU Construction (Detached) | $90,000 - $220,000 |
The free estimate is exactly that, free, and it comes as a written line-item quote, not a number scrawled on the back of a card. Call (877) 610-1318 and we’ll set a time to walk the lot together.
We Also Serve Cities Near Lighthouse Point
We work throughout the surrounding area for homeowners in Pompano Beach Highlands, Deerfield Beach, Pompano Beach, and Coconut Creek. If you’re comparing contractors across city lines, the canal-front realities we handle in Lighthouse Point don’t always apply inland, and pricing shifts with that. Call us and we’ll tell you straight what your specific lot needs.
Serving Lighthouse Point, FL - Our Local Coverage Area
We’re based in the Lighthouse Point 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 Lighthouse Point
Does adding an ADU to my Lighthouse Point canal-front home trigger the 25-ft seawall setback variance?
Yes, in most cases where the new structure’s footprint extends into the rear yard behind the existing house, the 25-foot seawall setback from the water’s edge and the rear yard setback will overlap on Lighthouse Point’s narrow finger-canal lots, which requires a city variance before permits can be issued. That variance typically adds six to ten weeks to the project timeline. Call (877) 610-1318 and we’ll pull your lot’s plat and tell you in the first visit whether the variance applies.
Can I convert my existing garage into an ADU without losing my builder warranty on a newer Lighthouse Point home?
Yes, but only if every structural and foundation change is documented as a written change order and approved by the builder’s warranty administrator before work begins, because altering the original structural scope without that approval can void the warranty. We route every change order through that approval process as standard procedure. If you’re unsure what your builder’s warranty covers, call us and we’ll review the document with you.
What is the realistic timeline for a detached ADU on a Lighthouse Point canal lot, including permits?
A detached ADU on a Lighthouse Point canal lot typically takes nine to fourteen months from first design meeting to final inspection, with the seawall setback variance consuming six to ten of those weeks before a footer is poured, and the wet-season water table slowing slab work if the pour lands between June and October. We schedule around the high-water months when the engineering allows it. Call (877) 610-1318 for a timeline mapped to your specific lot and scope.
How do I avoid rust on the new addition’s structural hardware near the Intracoastal?
You avoid rust by specifying hot-dipped galvanized or stainless steel for every exterior fastener, lintel, hurricane strap, and connector on the addition, because the salt air off the Intracoastal Waterway in Lighthouse Point corrodes uncoated steel at a rate that fails wind-load inspections within five to seven years. We write that spec into every structural permit package by default. If a previous contractor already used standard steel, call us and we’ll assess whether it needs replacement before you reframe anything above it.
Why does my Lighthouse Point second-story addition require an electrical panel upgrade even if my current panel works?
Your second-story addition requires an electrical panel upgrade because most Lighthouse Point homes built between 1955 and 1985 still carry the original panel sized for a single-story CBS ranch, and Broward County’s permit pull-and-replace rules won’t sign off on added square footage without a panel that meets current load calculations. That upgrade typically adds $4,000 to $8,000 to the project. We quote it as a line item on the first estimate, so it never shows up as a surprise change order later.
Call Barrett & Sons for Your Lighthouse Point Home Addition or ADU
If you’re planning a home addition or ADU in Lighthouse Point, start with a walk of the property. We’ll tell you which setbacks apply, what the salt air means for your hardware spec, whether your panel will pass, and what the whole thing costs in writing before anything gets signed. That’s the way Tom has run it since 1998, and that’s the way his sons run it now. Call (877) 610-1318 to schedule your free estimate.
Written by Tom Barrett, Owner at Barrett & Sons Construction, serving Lighthouse Point and surrounding Broward County communities since 1998.