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 Highlands, TX
Construction in Highlands, TX is shaped by one thing more than any other: the San Jacinto River floodplain. Most of the homes here sit low, many were built decades before modern flood rules existed, and nearly every project we take on starts with the same question: where does this structure stand relative to the Base Flood Elevation? We coordinate with Harris County Engineering, pull the permits, handle elevation certificates when they’re needed, and keep every price change in writing before work begins. Call (877) 610-1318 and we’ll walk your property with you.
We know the 77562 zip code well: the older slab homes along Wallisville Road, the post-Harvey rebuilds near the river bends, the pier-and-beam houses that shifted on Beaumont clay long before anyone thought about a remodel. Tom Barrett runs the company, his sons run the crews, and we’re glad to talk through what your house actually needs rather than what a phone script says to sell.
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 Highlands Homeowners Choose Barrett & Sons Construction
Highlands is unincorporated Harris County. That distinction matters more than most people realize. Every permit and every inspection runs through Harris County Engineering, not a city hall down the street, and since Harvey the county has been strict about its revised floodplain ordinance. A contractor who does most of his work inside Houston city limits can get surprised by the freeboard requirements out here. We’re not surprised. We work with the county’s process on a regular basis, and we like the inspector because the inspector works for you, not for us. That’s how we want it.
We serve homeowners throughout the Highlands area, from the neighborhoods off Thompson Road to the streets branching from Decker Drive and along the 565 corridor. Barrett & Sons was founded in 1998 and has always been owner-operated. Tom’s name, address, and license number are published and verifiable. Ask anyone on your street, or look up the license number yourself. If the answer you get from us isn’t the same as the one you get from the county, something’s wrong.
Construction Services We Offer in Highlands
Kitchen Remodeling
We measure, plan, and build kitchens around the way Highlands families actually cook and gather. KraftMaid and Cambria are our standard lines here, and every allowance is written down before it’s spent.
Learn more about our Kitchen Remodeling in Highlands.
Bathroom Remodeling
From 1950s bathrooms with cast-iron plumbing to post-Harvey rebuilds that need better moisture detailing, we handle the whole scope. No allowance that isn’t on paper is ever a surprise waiting for a date.
Learn more about our Bathroom Remodeling in Highlands.
Roofing
Roofs in Highlands take the same beating from summer storms and river-valley humidity that the rest of Harris County does, and flooding adds its own demands. We install GAF and CertainTeed systems with documentation that holds up to wind and water scrutiny.
Learn more about our Roofing in Highlands.
Windows & Doors
We install Simonton, Ply Gem, and PGT products suited to Gulf Coast heat and hurricane-season winds. The right window in this climate isn’t just about looks; it’s about keeping a house tight when the air runs nine months a year.
Fence Installation
Highlands has plenty of open lots, drainage ditches, and neighbors with dogs. We build fences that square up straight on clay that moves, with posts set to handle the wet-dry cycle this soil is known for.
Driveway & Pavers
Flat lots and flood-conscious grading mean drainage has to be thought through before concrete or pavers go down. We plan for water first, then pour or set the surface.
Home Additions & ADU
Adding onto an older Highlands home often means tying a new, elevated structure to an existing slab that was never built to current standards. We assess the whole thing honestly and tell you what’s feasible before you spend money on drawings.
Neighborhoods We Serve in Highlands
We work throughout Highlands, including homes around Wallisville Road, Decker Drive, Thompson Road, and the streets near the San Jacinto River. Our crews are in the area regularly, and we can usually have someone at your door within a day or two to look things over.
- Homes along Wallisville Road
- Neighborhoods off Decker Drive
- Streets near Thompson Road
- Properties close to the San Jacinto River
- Areas around the 565 corridor
Why Highlands’s Climate & Housing Affect Construction
Highlands sits squarely in the San Jacinto River floodplain, and Hurricane Harvey put a lot of these homes underwater in 2017. Since then, FEMA map revisions and Harris County’s updated floodplain ordinance have changed how every job is planned. The county now requires finished floors to be at least 2 feet above the Base Flood Elevation for new construction and many substantial improvements. That means additions, rebuilds, and even large remodels often involve structural elevation, flood-resistant materials, and elevation certificate coordination. If a contractor ignores that, the project stalls at the permit counter, or worse, gets built and fails inspection.
Add the soil to the equation and you get a full picture. Highlands rests on flat coastal prairie with the same expansive Beaumont and League City clays that Houston is known for. Wet-dry cycles push and pull at foundations all year long. Much of the original housing stock was built on slab-on-grade or low pier-and-beam foundations in the 1950s, 60s, and 70s, long before anyone was thinking about two feet of freeboard. Post-Harvey demolitions and rebuilds left a patchwork of old and new structures side by side, which makes tying a new addition into an older home a careful engineering job, not a hand-wave. We plan for the water, the clay, and the county all at once.
Pricing for Construction in Highlands
Honest numbers, because that’s what people need first. Here’s what we typically see for work around Highlands:
- Kitchen remodel: $35,000-$85,000, depending on size and finish level
- Bathroom remodel: $18,000-$40,000
- Roof replacement: $9,000-$22,000, depending on slope and material
- Window replacement (whole house): $8,000-$25,000
- Fence installation: $18-$35 per linear foot with materials
- Driveway or paver work: $8-$18 per square foot, depending on drainage prep
- Home addition or ADU: $180-$350 per square foot, heavily influenced by elevation work
These are planning ranges, not quotes. Every job gets a written scope, line-item pricing, and a contract that says exactly what happens if something changes. Permits and inspections are part of the number, not an add-on surprise. Call (877) 610-1318 to set up a free estimate and we’ll give you a real number on paper.
Service Area - Cities Near Highlands
Along with Highlands, our crews work in nearby communities across eastern Harris County and into the neighboring county line towns. See how we serve Channelview, Baytown, Mont Belvieu, and Cloverleaf.
Serving Highlands, TX - Our Local Coverage Area
We’re based in the Highlands 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 Highlands
Most kitchen remodels we quote in the 77562 area land between $35,000 and $85,000 depending on the footprint, the cabinets, and whether the house is pre-Harvey or newer. The elevation status of the home affects the number too. Call (877) 610-1318 for a written estimate, not a phone guess.
Only if the scope changes, and even then only in writing. Every allowance, every change order, every price adjustment comes to you on paper before work proceeds. That’s been the rule since 1998, and it doesn’t bend because dirt conditions in Highlands surprised somebody.
Yes. Highlands is unincorporated Harris County, so permits and inspections go through Harris County Engineering. We pull them on every eligible job, and we welcome the inspector. You’re paying for him to protect you.
If your home sits at or below the current Base Flood Elevation, Harris County’s revised ordinance may require structural elevation, flood-resistant materials, or an elevation certificate before you can add on or substantially improve. We figure that out early so you don’t buy drawings for something the county won’t allow.
It depends entirely on scope and what the county requires. A simple fence might take two days. A kitchen with plumbing moving around can take six to nine weeks. An addition that needs elevation work can stretch into months. We’ll give you a schedule in writing with the estimate, and we’ll stick to it as closely as any honest contractor can.
Have questions about a project in Highlands? Call (877) 610-1318 and ask for Tom or one of his sons. We answer the phone. We’ll come look, put the scope in writing, and you can decide with real numbers in front of you. No trip charge inside the county, free second opinion on any written estimate, and a permanent 10% discount for seniors and veterans. The 90-Day Done Right Promise is written into every contract: if it’s not done right, one call brings us back.
Written by Tom Barrett, Owner at Barrett & Sons Construction, serving Highlands, TX and surrounding communities since 1998.
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 Highlands Customers Say
"Every change to the price came as a written change order before the work happened, not as a surprise on the final bill. I did not know contractors still did that."
- Xiomara Benavides"Tom Barrett was on our job most days himself, not just at the quote and then never again. When something needed deciding there was an actual person to decide it with."
- Rosalie Pemberton"Came back a year later to sort a door that had dropped as the frame settled. No charge and no argument about whether it was covered."
- Thaddeus Oyelowo