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 Kirby
Bathroom remodeling in Kirby, TX typically runs $9,000 to $28,000 for a full gut-and-replace, with walk-in shower installations landing between $4,500 and $12,000. The price moves based on what’s behind your walls, and in Kirby’s 1950s and 1960s ranch homes, that’s usually galvanized plumbing and outdated wiring. We’ve been opening up Kirby bathrooms long enough to know what the inspector will flag before the first wall comes down. Call (877) 610-1318 and we’ll walk the job with you, opening up line-item pricing before you commit to anything.
Tom Barrett started Barrett & Sons Construction in 1998, and he built the company around a simple idea: the quote you sign is the price you pay, unless a change order lands in writing first. That matters in Kirby more than most places. This is a fully independent city with its own permit desk and its own inspectors, and contractors who don’t know that create delays that cost homeowners real money. We do know it. We’ve pulled Kirby permits for enough bathroom remodels to walk into City Hall and get the right paperwork the first time.
If you’re weighing a full remodel, a tub-to-shower conversion, or a walk-in shower installation, call (877) 610-1318. We’ll give you a written scope, written allowances, and a price that won’t change unless you approve it in writing.
Why Barrett & Sons Construction Is Kirby’s Preferred Bathroom Remodeling Company
We’re not a franchise dispatching a van from across the metro. Tom Barrett’s name is on the truck, his sons run the crews, and he answers his own phone. In Kirby, that means the person you talk to at the estimate is the same person who shows up when the rough-in inspection happens. Homeowners between 50 and 70 tell us the same story again and again: a national company quoted one price on the phone, then handed them a different number after demo. That doesn’t happen on our jobs. Every scope, every allowance, every price change arrives as a written change order before work starts. The allowance that isn’t on paper is a surprise waiting for a date.
We’ve worked throughout the 78244 ZIP long enough to know the housing stock. These are slab-on-grade ranch homes built for the workforce tied to JBSA-Randolph, and they come with the same set of surprises: original cast-iron drains, aging electrical panels, and subfloors that have shifted over decades of expansive clay movement. When we quote a Kirby bathroom remodel, we build those realities into the number upfront. You won’t get a change order for something we should have seen coming.
We’re also the contractor who answers at 2 a.m. Not a voicemail box. A live person, 24/7. When a shower pan fails on a Saturday morning, you don’t want to wait until Monday for a callback. Call (877) 610-1318 and see for yourself.
Our Bathroom Remodeling Services in Kirby
Every Bathroom Remodeling job we run in Kirby starts the same way: we inspect the existing conditions, note what the city inspector will require, and write allowances into the contract for what we can’t see until the wall is open. Here’s what that looks like across the work Kirby homeowners ask for most.
Full Bathroom Remodeling
A full bathroom remodel in Kirby means tearing out the tub or shower, vanity, tile, and often the subfloor, then rebuilding to current code. On a 1950s ranch in 78244, that rebuild usually includes new drain lines, updated wiring, a load-bearing header if you’re changing the tub-to-shower opening, and a waterproofing system that can survive the clay soil under the slab. We price the full scope honestly: $9,000 to $28,000 depending on square footage, material grade, and what the rough-in inspection requires.
Walk-In Showers & Shower Remodeling
Walk-in shower installation is the single most requested bathroom upgrade in Kirby, and for good reason. The original tubs in these 1960s homes are cast iron, heavy, and often set into a slab that’s moved over the years. A walk-in shower remodels the space for aging-in-place comfort while addressing the waterproofing failures that come with a shifting foundation. We install Schluter waterproofing membranes and Sterling or Grohe fixtures, and we price the job at $4,500 to $12,000 depending on size and finish level.
Tub-to-Shower Conversion
This is the job that separates local Kirby contractors from everyone else. A tub-to-shower conversion in Kirby usually requires a permit, and Kirby’s inspector will want to see a properly sized header if the opening changes. Out-of-town contractors who don’t know Kirby runs its own inspections often frame it wrong, fail the rough-in, and stall the job for weeks. We don’t. Tub-to-shower conversions in Kirby run $3,500 to $10,000, and the crew who frames it knows what Kirby City Hall expects before the first stud goes in.
Vanities, Tile & Fixtures
You don’t need a full gut to fix a tired bathroom. Vanity replacement in Kirby runs $800 to $3,000, and we’ll set a new vanity, swap the tile, and install new fixtures without disturbing the rest of the room. We keep a working stock of common parts for Kirby homes in our San Antonio yard, so a vanity job doesn’t wait on a backorder. Tile, grout, and fixture work all falls under the same permit-free scope when it’s cosmetic-only, and we tell you upfront if the inspector wants anything more.
Small Bathroom Remodels
Half-baths and guest bathrooms in Kirby’s ranch homes are tight spaces, usually 40 square feet or less. A small bathroom remodel runs $5,000 to $12,000 and often unlocks the biggest return because you’re updating the room your guests actually see. We’ll help you pick a vanity that fits the footprint, a low-profile shower pan that works with the existing drain location, and a frameless glass enclosure that makes the room feel twice its size.
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 Kirby
We install materials you can look up, not mystery brands off the back of a van. In Kirby bathrooms, that means Schluter waterproofing membranes under every shower base, Sterling tub and shower units when the budget counts, and Grohe fixtures where the homeowner wants something that feels European. We’ve also installed GAF roofing systems on plenty of Kirby homes, which tells you something about how we approach every trade: named brands, written specs, installers who know the product line. If you’re having trouble with a shower pan, a leaking drain, or a vanity that’s pulling off the wall, call (877) 610-1318 and we’ll tell you what we’d do.
Common Bathroom Remodeling Problems We See in Kirby Homes
- Cast-iron and galvanized drain lines under the slab. Kirby’s 1950s and 1960s ranch homes were built with plumbing that’s now 60 to 70 years old. Opening a bathroom wall frequently reveals drain lines that are corroded, cracked, or patched with a previous owner’s shortcut. We write a line-item allowance into every contract for this exact issue.
- Expansive clay soil shifting the slab under the shower. Kirby sits on the eastern Bexar County black-clay belt, and those dramatic seasonal moisture swings move slabs over time. A new shower pan without a reinforced subfloor and proper waterproofing will crack within a year. We address the substrate before we set the pan, because we’ve seen what happens when someone doesn’t.
- Undersized headers where a tub becomes a shower. The bathroom walls in these older homes often weren’t framed for a wider shower opening. Kirby’s inspector will check for a proper load-bearing header on any tub-to-shower conversion, and if it’s missing or undersized, the rough-in fails and work stops.
- Outdated electrical panels feeding the bathroom circuit. Many Kirby homes still have original panels that don’t meet current code once a remodel is triggered. If the wall is open anyway, the inspector is going to want a dedicated GFCI circuit. We write this into the scope before demo so it’s not a surprise.
Pricing for Bathroom Remodeling in Kirby, TX
Here’s what we charge across the most common Kirby bathroom projects. These are the ranges you should expect from a contractor who pulls the right permits and does the job to code:
| Service | Kirby Price Range |
|---|---|
| Bathroom Remodel | $9,000 - $28,000 |
| Walk-In Shower Installation | $4,500 - $12,000 |
| Tub-to-Shower Conversion | $3,500 - $10,000 |
| Small Bathroom Remodel | $5,000 - $12,000 |
| Bathroom Vanity Installation | $800 - $3,000 |
What moves the number is what’s behind the wall. If the reveal turns up rotted subfloor, cast-iron drains, or wiring that needs an upgrade, the change order comes to you in writing with a fixed price before we touch it. That’s not a negotiation tactic. It’s how we protect both of us. Call (877) 610-1318 for a free estimate, and we’ll give you a written line-item quote you can compare against anyone else.
We Also Serve Cities Near Kirby
We run crews from Bathroom Remodeling in Kirby out to the surrounding Bexar County communities. If you’re in Windcrest, Converse, Live Oak, or Universal City, the same crew who works in Kirby is the one who shows up at your door. Same brands, same 90-Day Done Right Promise, same written change order process. The only difference is which city hall we pull the permit from.
Serving Kirby, TX - Our Local Coverage Area
We’re based in the Kirby 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 Kirby
Yes. Kirby is a fully independent municipality encircled by San Antonio, which means every tub-to-shower conversion runs through Kirby City Hall’s own permitting and inspection process, not Bexar County and not San Antonio. If a contractor pulls the wrong permit, Kirby stops work until the correct city permit is issued, and that delay lands on your schedule. We pull the Kirby permit before demo starts. Call (877) 610-1318 and we’ll confirm exactly what your job requires.
You approve it in writing before we touch the work. When our crew opens a 1960s Kirby bathroom and finds cast-iron drains or an outdated panel, we write a change order that states the additional scope and a fixed price, and you sign it before the rough-in continues. You’ll never get a bill at the end for work you didn’t approve in writing first. That’s not a policy. It’s a contract.
The inspector checks framing, plumbing rough-in, electrical work, and waterproofing, and Kirby runs its own inspections on its own timeline. On a tub-to-shower conversion, expect the inspector to verify the load-bearing header, the drain slope, and the GFCI circuit. We’ve been through enough Kirby inspections to know what gets flagged, and we typically clear the rough-in on the first visit.
Yes. Kirby sits on expansive black clay that swells when wet and contracts when dry, and over decades that movement shifts slab foundations. A shower pan set directly on a stressed slab without a reinforced subfloor and a proper waterproofing membrane will crack, usually within the first year. We address the substrate before the pan goes in, and we warranty the work with our 90-Day Done Right Promise. Call (877) 610-1318 if you’re seeing cracks in an existing pan or tile floor.
Yes, if it’s in good condition and you want to keep it. Plenty of Kirby homeowners keep their original cast-iron tub as the anchor of a small bathroom remodel and spend the budget on new tile, a new vanity, and updated plumbing. If the tub is chipped, rusting, or the drain is failing, replacement often costs less than the repair work over time. We’ll show you both numbers before you decide.
Ready to talk numbers? Call (877) 610-1318 and ask for Tom. You’ll get a live person, a free estimate, and a written price you can actually rely on. We serve Kirby and the surrounding Bexar County communities, and we’ll put our name on the line for every job we quote.
Written by Tom Barrett, Owner at Barrett & Sons Construction, serving Kirby and surrounding communities since 1998.