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 South Houston
A full bathroom remodel in South Houston typically runs $9,000 to $28,000, and on older homes in 77587 the final number usually depends on what we find behind the walls once the permit is pulled through South Houston’s own building department. We do not quote a price over the phone and pretend it won’t move. We inspect first, put allowances in writing, and every change gets approved in writing before a single stud is touched. Tom Barrett and his sons run the crews themselves, and when you call (877) 610-1318, a live person answers, not an out-of-state call center.
Why Barrett & Sons Construction Is South Houston’s Preferred Bathroom Remodeling Company
Barrett & Sons has been owner-operated since 1998. That means the people who show up at your house are the same people whose name is on the truck. Tom is on-site most days, and his sons run the crews. We answer our own phone. That matters in a place like South Houston, where so many homeowners got burned during the post-Harvey rebuild by contractors who swept in with a low number, tore out walls, and vanished when the hidden damage surfaced.
South Houston homeowners tell us the same thing again and again: the last crew never pulled a permit, or pulled one from the wrong jurisdiction, and then the inspector showed up anyway. We know the difference between a City of Houston permit and a South Houston building permit, and we pull the right one the first time. Our reputation in 77587 is built on written change orders issued before any scope change, permits pulled on every eligible job, and a 90-Day Done Right Promise written into every contract, not buried in fine print. If something isn’t right, Tom comes back and makes it right. One call.
Our Bathroom Remodeling Services in South Houston
Every bathroom we remodel in South Houston starts the same way: we open it up and look before we write the final number. That’s how we avoid the phone-quote trap that has burned so many homeowners here. Below are the services we handle most often in 77587.
Full Bathroom Remodeling
A full bathroom remodel in South Houston usually means taking a 1950s or 1960s bathroom down to the studs and rebuilding it properly. We handle everything: framing repair, subfloor replacement, new plumbing rough-in, electrical upgrades, waterproofing, tile, fixtures, vanity, and glass. If the permit inspector needs to see the rough-in before we close the wall, we schedule it and stand with you through the inspection.
Walk-In Showers & Shower Remodeling
Walk-in showers are the most requested upgrade in South Houston, especially for homeowners planning to age in place. A curbless or low-threshold shower in a 77587 home often requires re-framing the floor to drop the pan below the joist line, which is exactly the kind of structural work that triggers a permit from South Houston’s building department. We write that rough-in as a priced allowance so you know the cost before the saw comes out.
Tub-to-Shower Conversion
Tub-to-shower conversions in South Houston run $3,500 to $10,000, and the range depends on what’s under the tub. In 1940s and 1950s pier-and-beam homes we frequently find rotted sills, no moisture barrier, and galvanized drain lines that snap when we try to unthread them. We do not pretend a tub-to-shower conversion is a simple swap until we’ve looked under the deck. Most are, but enough are not that we budget for it.
Vanities, Tile & Fixtures
Vanity installation in South Houston runs $800 to $3,000, and we install premium brands you can look up, not mystery stock off a van. For this market we frequently recommend Simonton or Ply Gem where windows touch shower areas, because moisture exposure on older South Houston homes demands a product that won’t swell or rot at the sill. Tile selection, fixture placement, and vanity sizing all happen after we confirm the rough-in is square and the subfloor is sound.
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 South Houston
We stock and install brands with a track record in Gulf Coast humidity. Simonton windows hold up well in South Houston bathrooms where steam and moisture are constant. Ply Gem and PGT both make products we’ve installed in 77587, and we can order replacement parts locally when turnaround matters. We do not push a brand because it’s cheap; we push what works in a pier-and-beam house forty miles from the Gulf and twenty feet from a bayou.
Common Bathroom Remodeling Problems We See in South Houston Homes
South Houston’s housing stock was mostly built fast and cheap between the 1940s and 1960s for Ship Channel workers. That means certain problems come up again and again, and they’re the reason a bathroom remodel quote moves after inspection. Here are the four we see most:
- Permits pulled from the wrong jurisdiction. South Houston is an independent incorporated city entirely surrounded by Houston and Pasadena. Any work in 77587 must be permitted through South Houston’s own building department. Contractors who pull a City of Houston or Harris County permit get a stop-work order and re-inspection costs. We pull the right permit the first time.
- Hidden post-Harvey unpermitted work. Between 2018 and 2021, a wave of South Houston homes changed hands after Harvey, and many of those rebuilds were done under emergency timelines with minimal permitting oversight. We open bathroom walls and find spliced Romex, bowed studs, and unvented drains behind fresh drywall. Our contract includes a written allowance so those discoveries don’t become a fight.
- Rotted subfloor and sills. Older pier-and-beam bathrooms in South Houston often have dry rot at the sill plate and no moisture barrier under the flooring. A simple tub-to-shower conversion turns into a full subfloor replacement once we lift the deck. We budget for it and show you what we found before we replace anything.
- Undersized electrical panels. Many 1940s-1960s South Houston homes still run on 60-amp service. Adding a heated floor, a vented exhaust fan, or a curbless shower with linear drain can push a bathroom over that limit. The permit inspector will flag it, so we flag it first and put the panel upgrade in writing before we start.
Pricing for Bathroom Remodeling in South Houston, TX
Here are the price ranges we quote most often in 77587. These are South Houston market numbers, not national averages pulled from a website. The range exists because older homes hide things, and we would rather quote a range than pretend we can price a 1950s bathroom without looking under it.
| Service | Typical Range in South Houston |
|---|---|
| Bathroom Remodel | $9,000 - $28,000 |
| Small Bathroom Remodel | $5,000 - $12,000 |
| Walk-In Shower Installation | $4,500 - $12,000 |
| Tub-to-Shower Conversion | $3,500 - $10,000 |
What moves the number is what we find: rotted sills, galvanized supply lines, post-Harvey unpermitted work, or a panel that can’t carry the load. Every one of those gets priced as a written change order before we touch it. You approve it in writing or we don’t do it. That’s the only way we’ve done business for over 29 years. Call (877) 610-1318 and we’ll come out, look, and give you a written line-item estimate for free.
We Also Serve Cities Near South Houston
Our crews work throughout the South Houston area and surrounding communities. We regularly serve Bathroom Remodeling customers in Pasadena, Galena Park, Deer Park, and Jacinto City. Same owner-operated crew, same written change orders, same 90-Day Done Right Promise in every one of those cities. If you’re just across the city line, call us. We’ll come look.
Serving South Houston, TX - Our Local Coverage Area
We’re based in the South Houston 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 South Houston
Yes. South Houston is an independent incorporated city, and any bathroom remodel in ZIP 77587 requires a permit pulled through South Houston’s own building department, not Harris County and not the City of Houston. We pull the correct permit on every eligible job, schedule the inspections, and stand with you through sign-off. If a contractor tells you permits are optional in South Houston, that’s exactly the kind of wrong answer that has cost homeowners here thousands in fines and re-inspection fees. Call (877) 610-1318 and ask us about your specific project; the estimate is free.
Expect to find unpermitted electrical, structural, or plumbing work behind the drywall. Many Harvey-era rebuilds in South Houston were done under emergency timelines with minimal permitting oversight, and we routinely find spliced Romex, bowed studs, and unvented drains once walls come open. We budget for this with a written allowance in the contract. When we find something, we write the fix as a change order, get your approval in writing, and proceed. You never get a surprise invoice at the end. Call (877) 610-1318 for a free estimate and we’ll walk you through exactly how the allowance works before we start.
We replace it, and we price it before we touch it. On 1940s and 1950s pier-and-beam homes, we regularly find dry rot at the sill plate, no moisture barrier under the flooring, and tubs sitting directly on water-damaged decking. The fix is a full subfloor replacement, and occasionally structural remediation at the sill. We write that work into the contract as a priced allowance, pull the South Houston permit for the structural work, and get it inspected before any tile goes in. Call (877) 610-1318 for an exact quote on your home; estimates are free.
South Houston sits in a low-lying area of Harris County with poor natural drainage, and post-Harvey flood-mitigation requirements, including finished floor elevation minimums and improved drainage planning, now shape most major renovation projects in 77587. A full bathroom remodel that touches the floor structure may trigger a floodplain review, and the elevation requirement depends on your home’s location relative to the flood zones mapped after Harvey. We check this before we quote, not after we start. Call (877) 610-1318 and we’ll research your specific address and give you a straight answer.
Because an allowance that isn’t on paper is a surprise waiting for a date. When we open a South Houston bathroom wall, we don’t know what’s behind it until we look. Rotted sills, galvanized plumbing, post-Harvey unpermitted work, an undersized 60-amp panel; all of those are common in 77587, and none of them are free to fix. We write an allowance into every contract so the cost of hidden work is defined in advance. When we find something, we price it, hand you a written change order, and wait for your approval. You never pay for work you didn’t approve. Call (877) 610-1318 for a free estimate, and ask us to show you what a written allowance actually looks like.
Written by Tom Barrett, Owner at Barrett & Sons Construction, serving South Houston since 1998.