Free written scope consultation - allowances, timeline, and change-order rules on paper before a single trade is scheduled
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AfterConstruction Services in Shady Hollow, TX
Finding a construction contractor in Shady Hollow means finding someone who understands the trees before they ever understand your floor plan. The live oak and cedar elm canopy that makes 78739 feel the way it does also controls what you can build, where you can pour concrete, and how long your permits take. Tom Barrett has been working around those constraints since he founded Barrett & Sons Construction in 1998, and his crews know Slaughter Lane, Brodie, and the surrounding neighborhoods well enough to plan for the arborist’s report before the first bid goes out. Call (877) 610-1318 and you’ll get a live person, not a voicemail.
What happens when you call
- 1
A real person answersNo phone trees - you reach a local pro.
- 2
You get an upfront price rangeHonest numbers before anyone is dispatched.
- 3
A background-checked tech heads outLicensed & insured, dispatched right away.
- 4
You approve before work beginsNothing starts until you say go.
Why Shady Hollow Homeowners Choose Barrett & Sons Construction
Ask anyone in Shady Hollow’s Sendera or Tanglewood sections what separates a good contractor from one they’ll warn their neighbors about, and you’ll hear the same two words: surprises and permits. Tom Barrett publishes his name, his address, and his license number. Look it up before you sign anything. Every scope change arrives as a written change order before work happens. Every eligible job gets permits pulled and inspections signed, because the permit inspector works for the homeowner, not the contractor. That’s why Tom likes him. Homeowners near MoPac and Davis Lane have called Barrett & Sons for kitchen remodels, bathroom remodels, roofing, and additions for over two decades, and Tom’s sons run the crews on-site most days. This is not a franchise dispatching strangers.
Construction Services We Offer in Shady Hollow
Barrett & Sons handles the full range of residential construction in 78739, from a single window replacement to a whole-home addition. Here’s what we do and what it means for Shady Hollow homeowners.
Kitchen Remodeling
Shady Hollow kitchens built between 1983 and 1998 weren’t designed for the way families cook now, and many original layouts waste space while trapping heat. We install KraftMaid and Cambria materials you can look up by name, not mystery brands off a van. Learn more about our Kitchen Remodeling in Shady Hollow.
Bathroom Remodeling
Original slab-on-grade bathrooms in 78739 often hide decades of moisture problems behind tile that was installed to 1980s standards. Our bathroom remodels address waterproofing and ventilation properly, with written allowances so you know the exact cost before anything is ordered. Learn more about our Bathroom Remodeling in Shady Hollow.
Roofing
Shady Hollow roofs take a beating from hailstorms that roll through the Balcones Escarpment transition zone, and many original 1980s and 1990s roofs are long past their useful life. We install GAF and CertainTeed systems with full tear-off and written scope, and every roof gets inspected and signed off. Learn more about our Roofing in Shady Hollow.
Windows & Doors
Austin’s current energy code is far stricter than what governed construction when most Shady Hollow homes went up, and single-pane aluminum windows are losing conditioned air year-round. We install Windows & Doors in Shady Hollow using Andersen, Marvin, Simonton, and PGT products with proper flashing and air sealing, and we’ll show you the U-factor numbers before you choose a line.
Fence Installation
Mature tree roots in Shady Hollow make post-hole digging a job for someone who knows where the critical root zones start and stop. Our fence installs are planned around protected trees, and every post placement is confirmed in writing before the auger starts.
Driveway & Pavers
Adding hardscape in 78739 triggers Austin’s impervious cover caps and watershed ordinances for Slaughter and Williamson Creek, which catch homeowners off guard when a contractor didn’t mention it upfront. We plan driveways and paver projects with stormwater compliance built into the estimate, not as a surprise line item later. We install Belgard and Techo-Bloc pavers with base prep rated for the shrink-swell clay movement this area is known for.
Home Additions & ADU
Room additions and accessory dwelling units in Shady Hollow are among the most permit-intensive projects you can take on, thanks to the Heritage Tree ordinance and the watershed protections. We handle the arborist reports, the impervious cover calculations, the permit package, and the build, with every allowance tracked in writing.
Neighborhoods We Serve in Shady Hollow
We work throughout 78739, and our crews are familiar with the specific site conditions in each part of the neighborhood. Typical response time for a free estimate inside Shady Hollow is one to two business days, depending on how many projects are already scheduled.
- Saddleback
- Sendera
- Tanglewood
- Windmill Ridge
- The sections along Davis Lane and Brodie
Why Shady Hollow’s Climate & Housing Affect Construction
Shady Hollow was deliberately developed in the 1980s and 1990s around its mature live oak and cedar elm canopy, which means virtually every lot in 78739 has trees that trigger Austin’s Heritage Tree ordinance. Any trunk diameter of 19 inches or larger requires a city permit and an arborist-approved critical root zone plan before a foundation, addition, or flatwork job can begin. That requirement routinely stretches construction timelines and budgets in Shady Hollow in ways builders a few miles south in Buda or Kyle simply never deal with. Add the Balcones Escarpment shrink-swell clay that abuts fractured limestone in this exact ZIP code, and you get two site forces pulling against each other: tree roots on top, heaving clay underneath. The original brick-veneer slab-on-grade homes built here between 1983 and 1998 are now hitting their 30-to-40-year renovation cycle, and many of them carry insulation and framing practices far below what Austin’s current codes demand. That combination, tree-protection compliance plus aging housing stock plus reactive clay, is why a Shady Hollow bid from a contractor who works here regularly will always look different from one written by an out-of-area crew.
Pricing for Construction in Shady Hollow
Every Shady Hollow project has to account for the tree ordinance and watershed review, which means honest pricing here includes site-survey and arborist line items that contractors in less-regulated areas might leave out. That’s not padding; it’s the cost of building legally in 78739. Typical price ranges in this market run roughly like this:
- Fence installation: $25-$45 per linear foot, depending on material and root conditions
- Window replacement (per opening): $600-$1,400 installed, depending on brand and rough-opening conditions
- Driveway or paver patio: $18-$34 per square foot, with stormwater compliance included
- Kitchen remodel (mid-range): $65,000-$145,000 with written allowances for cabinets, counters, and tile
- Bathroom remodel (mid-range): $28,000-$65,000, depending on waterproofing scope and plumbing condition
- Roof replacement: $14,000-$38,000, depending on pitch, story count, and underlayment upgrades
- Home addition or ADU: $225-$420 per square foot, with arborist and impervious-cover costs broken out separately
Every allowance is written into the contract, every price change arrives as a written change order before work starts, and the number on the estimate is the number you’ll see on the final invoice unless you authorized a change. No surprise invoices. Call (877) 610-1318 to schedule a free estimate and get exact line-item pricing for your project.
Service Area - Cities Near Shady Hollow
Barrett & Sons Construction is proud to serve Shady Hollow and the broader Austin metro. If you’re in Buda, Austin, Kyle, or Bee Cave, we’ll bring the same written change orders, pulled permits, and 90-Day Done Right Promise to your project.
Serving Shady Hollow, TX - Our Local Coverage Area
We’re based in the Shady Hollow 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 About Construction in Shady Hollow
A mid-range kitchen remodel in Shady Hollow typically runs $65,000 to $145,000, with the final number driven by cabinet line, counter material, and whether your existing slab needs electrical or plumbing moves. Every allowance is written into your contract before you sign. Call (877) 610-1318 for an exact quote; estimates are free.
Yes, in almost every case. Austin’s Heritage Tree ordinance protects any tree with a trunk diameter of 19 inches or more, and most Shady Hollow lots have multiple trees that size. Before a foundation, addition, or flatwork job can start, you’ll need a city permit and a critical root zone plan from an International Society of Arboriculture-certified arborist. We handle that process as part of the permit package, but it does add weeks to the timeline and line items to the bid. Call (877) 610-1318 and we’ll walk you through what your specific lot requires.
Not unless you ask for something different and sign a written change order first. In Shady Hollow, where the tree and watershed reviews can sometimes uncover site conditions that weren’t visible in the original survey, this matters even more. The allowance that isn’t on paper is a surprise waiting for a date. Every change at Barrett & Sons arrives in writing before any work happens.
We do, on every eligible job. Austin’s permitting process for 78739, especially anything touching the tree ordinance or the Slaughter and Williamson Creek watershed protections, is complex enough that a contractor who says permits are optional is telling you something important about how they’ll handle the rest of the job. The inspector works for you, not for the contractor, which is exactly why we want them on-site.
Plan on the full process taking longer than you’d expect, with tree-report and Urban Forestry review alone often adding two to six weeks before the first footing gets poured. A typical detached ADU here runs five to nine months from contract signing to final inspection, and remodel projects with Heritage Trees on the lot can stretch further. We’ll give you a written schedule and update it in writing when anything changes. Call (877) 610-1318 to get a realistic timeline for your specific project; estimates are free.
Written by Tom Barrett, Owner at Barrett & Sons Construction, serving Shady Hollow and the surrounding Austin metro.
What happens when you call
- 1A real person answersNo phone trees - talk to a local construction pro.
- 2You get an upfront price rangeHonest numbers before anyone is dispatched. No surprises.
- 3We come out and measureLicensed & insured, at a time that suits you - the visit and the quote are both free.
- 4You get the price in writingLine-itemed, yours to keep, and nothing starts until you say go.
What Shady Hollow Customers Say
"The bathroom was finished on the day he said at the start, which nobody had led me to believe was possible."
- Loretta Vanterpool"His sons run the crews and they were in our house for four months. Not once did I feel I had to be home to keep an eye on things."
- Camila Fuentes"Beautiful work and honest pricing throughout. The project ran about three weeks past the estimate waiting on the cabinets, which was the supplier rather than him, though the delay was still real."
- Genevieve Ashcombe