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 Three Lakes
A full bathroom remodel in Three Lakes typically runs $9,000-$28,000, and the single biggest factor that moves that number is what’s hiding behind your walls. Homes here were largely rebuilt after Hurricane Andrew, and 30 years later we’re opening up concrete-block bathrooms with failed shower pans, corroded pipes, and rot nobody could see from the outside. If you’re planning a bathroom remodel in Three Lakes, call Barrett & Sons Construction at (877) 610-1318 and we’ll walk the job with you before any number is put on paper.
We’re an owner-operated shop. Tom Barrett started Barrett & Sons Construction in 1998, and his sons run crews on job sites in Three Lakes most days. When you call, a live person answers. When you sign, the scope is in writing. When something changes, the change order is in writing before the work happens. That’s the whole deal.
Why Barrett & Sons Construction Is Three Lakes’s Preferred Bathroom Remodeling Company
Three Lakes has its own set of rules. We know them because we’ve pulled permits here for years. The homes off SW 142nd Avenue and the neighborhoods feeding into Kendale Lakes are mostly 1- and 2-story concrete block and stucco built in the late 1980s through the mid-1990s. That’s post-Andrew construction, which means it was built to tough codes, but also that the materials are now hitting the end of their service life at roughly the same time. Shower pans from 1993 are failing. Galvanized pipes are rusting from the inside out. Tile grout is shot.
Our crews understand CBS construction. Fastening a grab bar or shower bench into concrete block is not the same job as screwing into wood studs in a Broward County home. You need the right anchors, the right technique, and the right building department paperwork. That’s what we do for Three Lakes homeowners week in and week out.
Tom publishes his name, his address, and his license number. Look it up before you sign anything. He lives close enough to Three Lakes that if something isn’t right, he hears about it at the hardware store on Saturday. That’s accountability you don’t get from an out-of-area franchise.
Our Bathroom Remodeling Services in Three Lakes
Most Three Lakes remodels fall into one of four categories. Here’s what each one looks like and what it costs in this market.
Full Bathroom Remodeling
A full bathroom remodel in Three Lakes means taking the room to the studs and rebuilding it. That includes new tile, new fixtures, new waterproofing, new lighting, and often a new layout. On the 1990s CBS homes that dominate the area, full remodels usually run $9,000-$28,000. The range is wide because we don’t know what’s behind the tile until the tile comes off. We write allowances into the contract for exactly that reason. If we find a rotted subfloor or a hidden termite channel, you’ll see the price on a written change order before we do anything about it.
Walk-In Showers & Shower Remodeling
Walk-in showers are the most requested upgrade we do in Three Lakes. Homeowners want to eliminate the tub they haven’t used in a decade and get a zero-threshold entry that’s easier on aging knees. Walk-in shower installation in Three Lakes typically runs $4,500-$12,000 depending on size, tile selection, and whether we’re moving plumbing. We install frameless glass enclosures as well, and every shower we build gets a Schluter waterproofing membrane underneath the tile, not a sheet of plastic behind backer board.
Tub-to-Shower Conversion
If you’re in one of the townhome or villa communities off SW 142nd Avenue, a tub-to-shower conversion is often the smartest move. You keep the existing footprint, which saves money on plumbing moves, and you get a shower that’s easier to step into. The conversion in Three Lakes runs $3,500-$10,000. One thing to know: in a condo or townhome, we coordinate with your association on any plumbing shut-offs and confirm what’s covered by association insurance versus what falls to you. That paperwork matters.
Vanities, Tile & Fixtures
Not every Three Lakes bathroom needs to be gutted. We replace vanities, retile floors and shower surrounds, swap out fixtures, and install new sinks and faucets. Vanity installation alone runs $800-$3,000 in this market. We carry premium brands you can look up, not mystery materials off a van. If you want KraftMaid cabinetry or Cambria countertops in a bathroom, we’ll quote it, order it, and install it.
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.
Opening Up a Three Lakes Bathroom: What We Actually Find
The hardest part of remodeling a Three Lakes bathroom isn’t the tile work. It’s what’s underneath. Homes here went through Hurricane Andrew in August 1992. Much of what stands today was either rebuilt or substantially repaired in the 1992-1996 window under dramatically toughened post-Andrew codes. That means the homes are solid, but it also means the original materials are now 30 years old and failing together.
On a 1993 concrete-block-and-stucco home off SW 142nd Avenue, our crew opened a guest bath and found the original shower pan had failed, with water wicking up the CBS wall and rotten drywall behind the tile. We wrote a change order to replace the pan with a Schluter waterproofing system, installed a new Moen valve with code-mandated pressure-balancing, and rerouted the vent to a Miami-Dade NOA-listed roof cap before our inspection sign-off. That’s a normal Tuesday for us. The point is, we didn’t guess. We opened the wall, found the problem, priced it in writing, and fixed it properly.
Here’s the thing about Three Lakes: because it sits within Miami-Dade County’s High-Velocity Hurricane Zone, any bathroom remodel that opens exterior walls or penetrates the building envelope triggers a Miami-Dade Notice of Acceptance review for replaced windows, exhaust fan vents, or water barrier materials. That’s a regulatory layer that does not exist in neighboring Broward or inland Florida counties. An out-of-area contractor who doesn’t know this will install a standard Florida-approved exhaust fan and stall your final inspection for weeks. We know the NOA sequence because we pull these permits constantly.
Common Bathroom Remodeling Problems We See in Three Lakes Homes
- Hidden termite channels in concrete block. Three Lakes sits atop flat oolitic limestone, and subterranean termites move through that porous rock. When we open a CBS wall, we sometimes find narrow termite channels that no visual estimate caught. It’s a local reality, and it’s why we write pest-damage allowances into every Three Lakes contract.
- Subfloor rot under 1990s acrylic tubs. Those original tubs were builder-grade and have been leaking slowly for years before anybody noticed. The damage surfaces only after demolition, forcing an unplanned framing repair and subfloor replacement. We handle it as a written change order, never as a surprise invoice.
- Corroded galvanized pipes. Some Three Lakes homes still have original galvanized supply lines. They rust from the inside, which means water pressure drops and leaks start behind walls. If we find them during a remodel, we’ll quote replacement before we do anything else.
- Failed waterproofing that passed in 1993. The waterproofing standards of the early 1990s were not what they are now. Many original shower pans did their job for 20 years and then quietly gave up. We replace them with modern membrane systems and the difference is real.
Do You Need a Permit for a Bathroom Remodel in Three Lakes?
The short answer: yes, almost always. Cosmetic refreshes like painting, replacing a vanity in the same location, or swapping a faucet typically don’t require one. But the moment you move plumbing, replace a shower pan, open an exterior wall, or touch the water barrier behind tile, you’re in permit territory in Miami-Dade County. And because Three Lakes sits inside the High-Velocity Hurricane Zone, certain penetrations trigger the NOA review we mentioned earlier.
Here’s how we handle it: we pull every eligible permit ourselves. The permit inspector works for you, not for me, which is exactly why I like him. Our permits get pulled and our inspections get signed before we call the job done. No shortcuts. The last contractor most of our customers used told them permits were optional. We don’t.
Pricing for Bathroom Remodeling in Three Lakes, FL
Let’s put real numbers on the table. These are our current ranges for Three Lakes, and they’re what we quote day in and day out.
| Service | Typical Price Range in Three Lakes |
|---|---|
| Bathroom Remodel | $9,000-$28,000 |
| Tub-to-Shower Conversion | $3,500-$10,000 |
| Walk-In Shower Installation | $4,500-$12,000 |
| Bathroom Vanity Installation | $800-$3,000 |
The range exists because every Three Lakes bathroom is different. A 5×8 guest bath with builder-grade tile is not the same job as a primary bath with a frameless enclosure, custom vanity, and a plumbing move. What we won’t do is quote you one number on the phone and hand you a different bill at the end. Every scope, every allowance, every price change arrives as a written change order before work happens. An allowance that isn’t on paper is a surprise waiting for a date.
We offer free estimates in Three Lakes, and there’s no trip charge inside the county. We also give a free second opinion on any written estimate you’ve already received from another contractor. Bring us their number. We’ll tell you if it’s honest.
How Long Does a Bathroom Remodel Take in Three Lakes?
A standard full bathroom remodel in Three Lakes takes about three to five weeks from demo to final inspection. A tub-to-shower conversion is often faster, around two to three weeks. What slows jobs down is not our crew. It’s the surprise behind the wall, the NOA product review, or a permit office hiccup. We plan for those things. You’ll get a written schedule with your contract, and when the schedule changes, you’ll hear about it from a live person, not an app notification.
We Also Serve Cities Near Three Lakes
Our crews work throughout the area around Three Lakes, including The Crossings, Country Walk, The Hammocks, and Kendale Lakes. If you’re in one of those communities and planning bathroom work, you’ll get the same written change orders, the same Miami-Dade permit discipline, and the same 90-Day Done Right Promise. We’re local. You’ll see our trucks around.
Serving Three Lakes, FL - Our Local Coverage Area
We’re based in the Three Lakes 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 Three Lakes
Because Three Lakes sits inside Miami-Dade County’s High-Velocity Hurricane Zone, which requires a Notice of Acceptance product number for any exterior door, window, roof penetration, or water barrier material installed on a building envelope. When a bathroom remodel opens an exterior wall or replaces an exhaust vent, those items must carry a current NOA number logged with the county. Out-of-area contractors who don’t work in HVHZ counties routinely fail inspection on this. Call (877) 610-1318 and we’ll explain what applies to your specific house before you sign.
Expect the original builder-grade waterproofing to be past its service life. Most homes in Three Lakes were rebuilt between 1992 and 1996, so the shower pans are now 30 years old. We commonly find failed pans with water damage behind the tile, subfloor rot under acrylic tubs, and sometimes hidden termite channels in the concrete block. We write allowances for these conditions into your contract up front, so when we find them, you get a written change order, not a surprise bill. For an exact quote on what your specific bathroom might hide, call (877) 610-1318.
Yes, and it’s one of the most common jobs we do in the villa and townhome communities in Three Lakes. The conversion itself runs $3,500-$10,000 depending on whether plumbing moves and what finishes you choose. The key with a condo or townhome is that we coordinate with your association on plumbing shut-offs and confirm what the association insurance covers versus what you’re responsible for. We handle that paperwork, including any association approval forms. Call (877) 610-1318 to schedule a walk-through of your unit.
For true cosmetics like painting, swapping a faucet, or replacing a vanity in the same spot, no permit is required. But as soon as you move plumbing, replace a shower pan, open an exterior wall, or change the waterproofing behind tile, Miami-Dade County requires a permit. And in Three Lakes specifically, certain exterior penetrations trigger the NOA review we described above. We pull every eligible permit and every inspection gets signed before we finish. That’s not a sales pitch; it’s how we’ve worked since 1998. Call (877) 610-1318 and we’ll tell you exactly what your project needs.
We write a line-item allowance for rot repair, framing repair, and pest damage into every Three Lakes contract before work starts. When we open a wall and find damage, we show you what we found, we price the repair on the spot, and you approve it in writing before we do anything else. Nothing gets done without a signed change order. That’s the Barrett & Sons way, and it’s why our customers don’t get surprise invoices at the end of a job. For a free estimate with allowances already written in, call (877) 610-1318.
What Three Lakes Homeowners Should Know About the Miami-Dade NOA Sequence
We covered the basics above, but let’s get specific. If your bathroom remodel in Three Lakes touches an exterior wall or a roof penetration, here’s the sequence: the product we install, whether it’s a window, an exhaust fan, or a waterproofing membrane, must carry a current Miami-Dade Notice of Acceptance number. That number gets logged with the county as part of the permit. The inspector checks for it on the final walk. If the product isn’t NOA-listed, the inspection fails, the product gets ripped out, and you pay for it twice.
This doesn’t happen in Woodlands or Tamiami or anywhere outside Miami-Dade and Broward. It’s a Three Lakes reality, and it’s why we don’t send out-of-area crews or buy materials from whatever supplier is cheapest this week. Our suppliers stock NOA-listed products because we buy them constantly. That’s the practical difference. Call (877) 610-1318 and ask us about the NOA numbers on the materials we’ll use in your bathroom. We’ll tell you.
The 90-Day Done Right Promise
Every job we do in Three Lakes comes with a written 90-Day Done Right Promise. It’s on the contract, not buried in fine print. If something isn’t done right, Tom comes back and makes it right. One call. That’s it. He lives close enough to Three Lakes that the promise means something. Ask anyone on your street, or look up the license number yourself. We want you to check.
We’ve been doing this since 1998. Owner-operated from day one. Tom’s sons run crews in Three Lakes. Background-checked crew members who carry the Barrett & Sons name, uniformed on every visit. A live person answers the phone 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Not a voicemail box, not an out-of-state call center.
Call (877) 610-1318 to schedule your free estimate. No trip charge inside the county. Senior and Veteran discount of 10% on every job. If you already have a written estimate from another contractor, bring it and we’ll give you a free second opinion. What you’ll get from us is a number in writing, allowances in writing, and every price change in writing before a single nail moves.
Written by Tom Barrett, Owner at Barrett & Sons Construction, founded in 1998 and serving Three Lakes homeowners with permits pulled and inspections signed on every eligible job.