Free written scope consultation - allowances, timeline, and change-order rules on paper before a single trade is scheduled
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AfterFast, Reliable Kitchen Remodeling Across Fort Myers Shores
A full kitchen remodel in Fort Myers Shores typically runs $14,000 to $45,000 when the job is priced for Lee County’s flood-zone and wind-load code requirements, and most projects move from first estimate to rough-in inspections within two to four weeks. Barrett & Sons Construction has been building and remodeling since 1998, and our crews work Fort Myers Shores weekly. We know the Orange River corridor, the post-Ian elevation mandates, and the concrete block ranch homes that dominate ZIP 33905. Call (877) 610-1318 for a free estimate, and we’ll send someone who has actually pulled permits through Lee County, not a salesman reading from a script.
Key Takeaways:
- Fort Myers Shores kitchen remodels must meet FEMA flood-zone elevation and wind-load standards that don’t apply across the river in incorporated Fort Myers.
- Permits pull through Lee County, not City of Fort Myers, which changes timelines, inspections, and paperwork.
- Every Barrett & Sons quote includes written change orders before any scope change touches the job, plus permits pulled and inspections signed on every eligible job.
- Tom Barrett’s name, address, and license number are published and verifiable. Look us up before you sign anything.
Why Barrett & Sons Construction Is Fort Myers Shores’s Preferred Kitchen Remodeling Company
Fort Myers Shores is not a generic suburb. It’s unincorporated Lee County, it sits in a flood plain along the Orange River, and a large share of the housing stock was built between the late 1950s and the 1980s, long before today’s elevation and wind-load codes. We’ve worked on enough of those homes to know what’s behind the drywall before we open it. When you call us for Kitchen Remodeling in Fort Myers Shores, you’re talking to a crew that has already navigated the county’s substantial-damage rules, the updated FEMA flood maps, and the specific inspection sequence Lee County requires before walls get closed.
Tom Barrett founded this company in 1998, and his sons run the crews. We answer our own phone, live, 24 hours a day. That matters in Fort Myers Shores because when a hurricane watch goes up, the last thing you want is a voicemail box in another state. We’re also the only company that gives you the 90-Day Done Right Promise written on every contract: if it’s not done right, one call brings Tom back. In Fort Myers Shores, that promise matters more than anywhere else we work, because the code demands are real and the consequences of a shortcut show up fast.
We offer free second opinions on any written estimate. If another contractor quoted your Fort Myers Shores kitchen based on pre-Ian permit practices, we’ll walk the job with you and show you exactly what Lee County will actually require. That second opinion is free. No trip charge inside the county, either.
Our Kitchen Remodeling Services in Fort Myers Shores
Full Kitchen Remodeling
A full kitchen remodel in Fort Myers Shores is rarely just cabinets and counters. If Hurricane Ian damaged your home beyond 50% of its pre-storm assessed value, Lee County’s substantial-damage rule requires the entire structure be brought into current flood-zone compliance, and that often means the kitchen is part of a whole-house elevation. We handle that scope with a structural engineer on the job, not guesswork. The full remodel includes tear-out, framing, electrical, plumbing, insulation, drywall, flooring, cabinets, countertops, backsplash, and finish work, all sequenced to pass Lee County inspection at the right stages.
Cabinets & Countertops
Fort Myers Shores homes sit close to the Orange River, and the humidity and slab moisture here will ruin standard particleboard cabinets within a rainy season or two. We specify KraftMaid cabinets with marine-grade plywood boxes for flood-zone remodel work, and Cambria quartz countertops that hold up to moisture without sealing. For a typical Fort Myers Shores kitchen, cabinet installation runs $4,000 to $13,000 and countertop installation runs $2,000 to $6,500, depending on linear footage and whether the boxes need moisture-rated upgrades.
Backsplash, Tile & Flooring
The backsplash and floor treatments in a Fort Myers Shores kitchen have to handle more than spills. River-adjacent slabs wick moisture, and if the subfloor isn’t sealed correctly before tile goes down, you’ll see grout cracking and tile lifting within a year. We use uncoupling membranes and moisture-rated setting materials on every Fort Myers Shores tile job, and we’ll show you the manufacturer’s spec sheets before we lay a single piece. Backsplash installation runs $800 to $2,500 in this market, and full kitchen tile and flooring runs with the scope of the larger remodel.
Kitchen Design & Layout
Most Fort Myers Shores kitchens we see are original to 1960s and 1970s ranch homes: tight galley layouts, minimal counter space, and a load-bearing wall right where you’d want an island. We design around what’s actually inside the walls. If you want a kitchen island in an older block home, we’ll bring a structural engineer to review the span and specify the footing and support that Lee County will sign off on. A load-bearing kitchen island installation in Fort Myers Shores runs $3,000 to $10,000, and that price includes the engineering review and the county inspection coordination.
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 Shores
We install KraftMaid and Cambria as our standard kitchen lines, and we carry materials from Techo-Bloc and Cambridge Pavers when a Fort Myers Shores remodel extends to an outdoor kitchen or paver patio off the back door. These are brands you can look up, not mystery stock off a van. If you already have a brand in mind, tell us on the estimate call, and we’ll work it into the written scope before we start. We keep local supplier relationships across Lee County, which means fewer delays when a cabinet door arrives damaged or a countertop template needs a same-week revision.
Common Kitchen Remodeling Problems We See in Fort Myers Shores Homes
- Unsupported spans where a load-bearing wall came out. A 1968 block home off Buckingham Road had a wall removed by a previous owner. No header, no beam, no engineer. The ceiling was sagging half an inch. We installed a proper beam and the county wind-load inspection passed on the first visit.
- Particleboard cabinet boxes swelling from slab moisture. We’ve pulled cabinets in Fort Myers Shores that looked fine on the face but were wicking water from underneath. Marine-grade plywood boxes cost more up front and save a full reinstall later.
- Contractors pricing the job on pre-Ian city permit rules. Fort Myers Shores permits pull through Lee County, and the post-Ian substantial-damage thresholds are stricter. A quote built for incorporated Fort Myers will often miss the elevation trigger entirely, and the homeowner finds out mid-demolition.
- Tile and grout failures on unsealed river-adjacent slabs. Moisture coming up through the slab is the single most common cause of failed kitchen floors here. A proper moisture barrier and uncoupling layer is standard scope, not an upgrade.
Pricing for Kitchen Remodeling in Fort Myers Shores, FL
Here’s what a code-compliant kitchen remodel in Fort Myers Shores actually costs, in line-item ranges:
| Scope Item | Fort Myers Shores Range |
|---|---|
| Full Kitchen Remodeling (code-compliant for flood zone) | $14,000 - $45,000 |
| Cabinet Installation (moisture-rated boxes) | $4,000 - $13,000 |
| Kitchen Island Installation (load-bearing, post-elevation) | $3,000 - $10,000 |
The spread depends on home size, whether the project is part of a whole-house elevation, and whether we’re replacing an existing layout or moving walls. Every quote we write for Fort Myers Shores includes the Lee County permit line items, the engineering review if walls move or an island goes in, and moisture-rated materials where the slab demands them. We put every allowance in writing. If the scope changes, you get a written change order before work proceeds, never after. Call (877) 610-1318 for a free estimate, and we’ll give you actual numbers, not a range with a shrug.
We Also Serve Cities Near Fort Myers Shores
We work throughout Lee County, including Gateway, North Fort Myers, Lehigh Acres, and Fort Myers proper. For a full look at what we do across the broader area, see our Fort Myers Shores coverage page, or call (877) 610-1318 and tell us which community you’re in. We’ll tell you straight whether your project pulls permits through Lee County or the City of Fort Myers, because the answer changes the price.
Serving Fort Myers Shores, FL - Our Local Coverage Area
We’re based in the Fort Myers Shores 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 - Kitchen Remodeling in Fort Myers Shores
It can. Lee County’s substantial-damage rule applies when a structure has been damaged beyond 50% of its pre-storm assessed value, and if that threshold is met, the entire home including the kitchen must be brought into current flood-zone compliance, which often means elevating the whole structure to base flood elevation plus freeboard. A kitchen remodel that would be routine in dry-zone Fort Myers can become part of a much larger elevation project in Fort Myers Shores. Before you sign any contract, call (877) 610-1318 and we’ll help you figure out whether the rule applies to your specific home.
Lee County follows the Florida Building Code wind-load requirements for Lee County, and any kitchen island that will be anchored as a permanent structure must meet the same uplift and lateral load standards as the rest of the home. If the island sits over a load-bearing point or replaces a wall, a structural engineer’s calculation is required before Lee County will sign the inspection. We include that engineering review in our Fort Myers Shores kitchen island pricing.
Because much of ZIP 33905 sits in a FEMA Special Flood Hazard Area along the Orange River, and the slab moisture and humidity levels are measurably higher than in incorporated Fort Myers on higher ground. Unsealed concrete wicks moisture into flooring and cabinet bases. Our standard Fort Myers Shores scope includes a moisture barrier and uncoupling membrane under tile, and marine-grade plywood cabinet boxes. That’s not an upsell, it’s what the river does to a house.
Often yes, but you have to keep the paper. Insurance carriers in Florida increasingly want documentation that post-Ian work was permitted, inspected, and built to current wind-load and flood standards. When we finish your Fort Myers Shores remodel, you’ll have the Lee County permit, the signed inspections, and the structural calculations if walls moved. Hand those to your agent and ask for a premium review. That paper trail is part of why we pull permits on every eligible job.
You can use the same brands, but not necessarily the same boxes. KraftMaid, for example, offers marine-grade plywood box construction that holds up far better to the humidity and occasional water intrusion common in Fort Myers Shores than standard particleboard boxes. Countertop brands like Cambria are non-porous and don’t require sealing. The brand name can stay the same; the specification underneath should change in a flood zone. Call (877) 610-1318 and we’ll walk you through the difference in a free estimate.
Our Field Notes From Fort Myers Shores
Our crew just completed a full kitchen remodel on a 1972 concrete block ranch off Palm Beach Boulevard in the Orange River corridor. The original kitchen slab sat two feet below current FEMA base flood elevation after Ian’s flood map revisions. We worked with our structural engineer to design a load-bearing kitchen island that could be installed after the home was elevated, specified KraftMaid cabinets with marine-grade plywood boxes and Cambria quartz countertops rated for moisture exposure, and coordinated the rough-in inspections with Lee County before the walls were closed. That job is exactly what we mean when we say Fort Myers Shores remodels are different. The house wasn’t just getting new cabinets. It was being brought up to code, piece by piece.
If you’re planning a kitchen remodel in Fort Myers Shores, get someone who’s done this work in this specific flood plain. We’ll put every scope item, every allowance, and every change order in writing before a single nail moves. Call (877) 610-1318 for your free estimate, and we’ll come out and walk the house with you.
Written by Tom Barrett, Owner at Barrett & Sons Construction, serving Fort Myers Shores with permits pulled, inspections signed, and a 90-Day Done Right Promise on every job.