Free written scope consultation - allowances, timeline, and change-order rules on paper before a single trade is scheduled
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AfterFast, Reliable Bathroom Remodeling Across Alief
Bathroom remodeling in Alief typically runs $9,000-$28,000 for a full gut renovation, with tub-to-shower conversions landing between $3,500 and $10,000. Those are honest numbers for this market, and they reflect what we actually see when we open up walls in 1970s and 80s slab-on-grade ranches across the Brays Bayou watershed. In unincorporated Harris County, a bathroom remodel that exposes old plumbing and framing can require county permits and inspections that many Houston-based contractors are not set up to pull. We’re Barrett & Sons Construction, and we work in Alief every week. Call (877) 610-1318 when you’re ready for a straight answer and a free estimate.
Why Barrett & Sons Construction Is Alief’s Preferred Bathroom Remodeling Company
We’ve been doing this since 1998, and Tom Barrett still answers the phone. When you call about a bathroom remodel in Alief, you’re not talking to an out-of-state call center. You’re talking to someone who knows that a house off Bellaire Boulevard with a Brays Bayou feeder street behind it probably sat in water during Harvey, and that the slab under it is moving on Beaumont clay. That matters when you’re planning tile work and shower pans.
Our crews are Tom’s sons and their teams, background-checked and uniformed on every visit. We carry a written 90-Day Done Right Promise on every contract. If something’s not right, one call brings Tom back. That’s the whole point of hiring a name-on-the-truck company instead of whoever the national chain sends out this week.
Alief homeowners tell us the same story over and over: someone quoted one price on the phone and handed them a different bill at the door. We don’t work that way. Every price change arrives as a written change order before a single nail moves. The permit inspector works for you, not for me; that’s why I like him.
Our Bathroom Remodeling Services in Alief
We handle the full range of Bathroom Remodeling work across Alief, from small half-bath refreshes to full gut-and-rebuild projects. Here’s what most Alief homeowners call us for:
Full Bathroom Remodeling
A full bathroom remodel in Alief means opening up walls that haven’t seen daylight since Carter was in office. We demo to the studs, inspect the framing and rough plumbing, and only then do we start rebuilding. On a 1980s brick-veneer ranch off a Brays Bayou feeder street, our crew opened a second bath and found the original cast iron drain embedded in a slab cracked by decades of Beaumont clay movement, with moisture wicking into a load-bearing interior wall. We wrote a change order for slab repair, re-routed the new PVC rough-in, and had Harris County inspect the plumbing and framing before we waterproofed with Schluter and tiled with large-format porcelain. That’s how you do it right in this part of Harris County.
Walk-In Showers & Shower Remodeling
Walk-in shower installation in Alief runs $4,500-$12,000 depending on size, tile selection, and what we find when the old tub or shower comes out. We build true waterproofed shower systems, not plastic pans that flex underfoot after two years. Given the clay movement under Alief slabs, we always level and reinforce the subfloor before tile goes down.
Tub-to-Shower Conversion
Tub-to-shower conversion is the most common request we get from Alief homeowners in their 60s and 70s who want to age in place. It’s also the job with the biggest hidden cost risk. Before we close any walls, we verify the old galvanized supply lines and the nearby junction box have enough capacity for a new thermostatic valve and a code-required GFCI circuit. In Alief’s 1970s tract homes, that’s not a given. Budget $3,500-$10,000, and expect us to show you exactly what we find before we cover it back up.
Vanities, Tile & Fixtures
New vanities, large-format porcelain tile, and solid brass or brushed nickel fixtures can change a bathroom without moving a single wall. We stock common parts for Alief customers and can get most vanities and fixtures within days, not weeks. If you need something specific, we’ll order it and you’ll see the invoice.
What happens when you call
- 1
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 Alief
We install brands you can look up, not mystery products off a van. In Alief bathrooms, we regularly work with Simonton and Ply Gem for windows and glass, and we bring in quality tile underlayment and waterproofing systems from Schluter and Kerdi. When you choose a vanity or fixture, we’ll give you the make and model so you can research it yourself before you pay for it.
Common Bathroom Remodeling Problems We See in Alief Homes
- Expansive clay damage under slabs. Alief sits on Harris County’s notorious Beaumont clay, which swells and shrinks with moisture. Slabs crack, tile pops, and shower pans fail prematurely when someone skips subfloor leveling. We write a leveling allowance into every Alief bathroom contract before we start.
- Failed waterproofing from Harvey-era quick fixes. After Harvey hit the Brays Bayou watershed in 2017, plenty of homes got fast, cheap bathroom repairs. We regularly tear out moldy drywall and rotted subfloor from those jobs. Proper waterproofing takes time and inspection, and it’s the difference between a bathroom that lasts ten years and one that fails in three.
- Galvanized supply lines and undersized electrical. Those 1970s and 80s homes off Bellaire and Bissonnet often still have original galvanized pipes and overloaded bathroom circuits. New thermostatic valves and GFCI outlets sometimes require plumbing and electrical upgrades, and a permit triggers those code requirements. We catch this before the walls close, not after.
- Wrong-jurisdiction permitting delays. We hear about this constantly: a contractor pulls a permit through the Houston Permitting Center for a job in unincorporated Alief, then waits for a city inspector who is never coming. Harris County Engineering runs its own process. Mixing them up stalls the rough-in sign-off and leaves your bathroom walls open for weeks.
Pricing for Bathroom Remodeling in Alief, TX
Here’s what we charge for the most common Alief bathroom jobs. These are real ranges for this market, not national averages pulled off a website.
| Service | Price Range in Alief |
|---|---|
| Bathroom Remodel | $9,000-$28,000 |
| Walk-In Shower Installation | $4,500-$12,000 |
| Tub-to-Shower Conversion | $3,500-$10,000 |
What moves the number? Tile choice, whether we’re moving plumbing, what we find when the old tub comes out, and whether Harris County requires electrical or plumbing upgrades once we open the walls. Every Alief estimate we write includes allowances in writing, so you’ll see the scope on paper before you sign. Call (877) 610-1318 for a free estimate. We’ll come out, look at your bathroom, and give you a number you can plan around.
We Also Serve Cities Near Alief
Beyond our work across Alief, our crews serve homeowners in Four Corners, Mission Bend, Stafford, and New Territory. Same owner-operated team, same written change orders, same 90-Day Done Right Promise. Call us and ask for Tom.
Serving Alief, TX - Our Local Coverage Area
We’re based in the Alief 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 - Bathroom Remodeling in Alief
If you’re only replacing a tub, tile, vanity, and fixtures in kind, you may not need a permit in unincorporated Alief, but once you touch plumbing, electrical, or any load-bearing structure, Harris County typically requires one. We’ll tell you exactly what applies to your project before we start, and we pull every eligible permit ourselves. Call (877) 610-1318 and we’ll explain it for your specific bathroom.
The clay under Alief expands and contracts with moisture changes, which cracks slabs and shifts subfloors over decades. If you tile over an unlevel slab without addressing it, grout lines crack and shower pans separate within a season. We include a leveling allowance in every Alief bathroom contract so the fix is priced in writing before work starts.
The biggest hidden cost is finding a load-bearing wall with moisture damage or a cracked slab drain once the walls and subfloor come up. In 1970s and 80s Alief ranches, old cast iron drains and Beaumont clay movement create exactly these surprises. That’s why we write allowances and change orders in writing, so the surprise has a price on paper before we touch it. Call (877) 610-1318 for an exact quote on your bathroom.
Probably not, and once you open walls, Harris County may require upgrades like GFCI circuits, anti-scald valves, and proper waterproofing details before they’ll sign off the inspection. We bring your bathroom to current code while keeping the scope in writing, so you’re never guessing at what the inspector will flag. Call (877) 610-1318 and we’ll walk you through it.
Because Alief is unincorporated Harris County, not City of Houston, and Harris County Engineering runs its own permit process with separate fee schedules and inspection workflows. A contractor who files through the Houston Permitting Center portal will stall the job waiting for a city inspector who serves a different jurisdiction. We pull Alief permits through the correct Harris County channels from day one.
Written by Tom Barrett, Owner at Barrett & Sons Construction, serving Alief since 1998. Call (877) 610-1318 for a free estimate on your bathroom remodel.