Free written scope consultation - allowances, timeline, and change-order rules on paper before a single trade is scheduled
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AfterFast, Reliable Home Additions & ADU Across Fort Myers Shores
If you’re planning a home addition or ADU in Fort Myers Shores, the number most people ask first is simple: what’s it going to cost? Here’s the straight answer. A room addition on a lot that doesn’t trigger the post-Ian substantial-damage rule runs $45000 to $130000 in this market. A new detached ADU, which almost always includes site prep, septic setbacks, and grading, lands between $90000 and $220000. Call us at (877) 610-1318 and we’ll walk your specific lot before quoting a single number.
We’ve spent enough time on the ground along the Orange River corridor to know that Fort Myers Shores doesn’t behave like the incorporated neighborhoods west of I-75. The lots are bigger, the permits come from Lee County, and the flood rules changed after Ian in ways that still catch out-of-town contractors. That’s exactly why this page exists: to show you what actually drives costs here, not what a national call center says a “typical” addition should cost.
Why Barrett & Sons Construction Is Fort Myers Shores’s Preferred Home Additions & ADU Company
We’re not a franchise and we don’t dispatch strangers. Barrett & Sons Construction is owner-operated by Tom Barrett, and when you call you get a live person. Our crews work directly under Tom’s sons, and that matters a lot when you’re writing a check for a concrete slab and framed walls on a flood-plain lot. The name on the truck is the name on the contract, and we publish Tom’s name, address, and license number because you should be able to look up who you’re hiring before you sign anything.
Word travels fast in a community the size of Fort Myers Shores, and we’ve earned our spot here by scoping jobs the way Lee County actually reviews them. That means elevation certificates before permits, septic and well setback checks before we quote, and written change orders before anything changes. If a Fort Myers Shores customer calls with a question after we’re done, one call brings Tom back. That’s our 90-Day Done Right Promise, written on every contract.
Our Home Additions & ADU Services in Fort Myers Shores
ADU Site Prep & Utilities
Most of our Home Additions & ADU work in Fort Myers Shores starts here, and it’s where inexperienced contractors lose their shirt. A detached ADU on a half-acre lot off Palm Beach Boulevard has to sit clear of the septic drain field and the wellhead. Lee County enforces those setbacks on unincorporated lots, and the inspector will measure. We bring in a surveyor, cut the slab grade for positive drainage, and run utilities before the first wall goes up. Skipping this step guarantees a stop-work order.
Garage Conversion ADU
A garage conversion is often the most affordable path to a rental or an in-law suite in Fort Myers Shores, typically $30000 to $80000 depending on the condition of the existing slab and framing. But here’s the catch: if the primary home took heavy water in Ian and is considered substantially damaged, converting the garage can still drag the whole structure into current flood compliance. We check Lee County’s records before we quote, because finding that out after framing starts is a $100000 mistake.
New Detached ADU
A new detached ADU in Fort Myers Shores almost always means building on an open lot with no existing swales, no established drainage, and high water table pressure from the Orange River basin. That’s why our price range reflects real engineering: $90000 to $220000. We work with wind-rated straps, impact-rated windows, and moisture-resistant framing details as standard. For builders who only know suburban lot conditions, this is foreign ground. For us, this is most of what we see in ZIP 33905.
Junior ADU & Interior Conversion
When you’re adding a small suite inside the existing footprint, the budget conversation changes. A junior ADU in Fort Myers Shores can run well under a detached build because you’re working inside conditioned space. But flood-zone compliance still applies if any work touches the foundation, the roofline, or the exterior envelope. We’ll scope the permit path first and tell you flat out whether your interior conversion stays a remodel or becomes a structural upgrade.
What happens when you call
- 1
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 Fort Myers Shores
On Fort Myers Shores projects we keep Schluter systems in the waterproofing spec, GAF materials on any roof assembly that ties into the addition, and Sterling fixtures in the bath or kitchenette of the ADU. These aren’t mystery brands off a van; you can look up every one of them before you sign. Because Fort Myers Shores sees heavy afternoon storms and hurricane-driven rain, we stock the local parts and materials that hold up in this climate, and our crews know how to detail them to pass a Lee County inspection the first time.
Common Home Additions & ADU Problems We See in Fort Myers Shores Homes
- Ignoring the substantial-damage rule: If the primary home took more than 50% of its pre-storm assessed value in damage, the entire structure has to come up to current flood elevation. What looks like a $60k room addition becomes a $200k whole-house elevation. We check this before we quote, every single time.
- Using City of Fort Myers setbacks in unincorporated Lee County: They’re different. The county reviewer checks flood maps and county standards, not city grids. A shorter setback from a city design will fail inspection and stop the job.
- Flooding from missing drainage engineering: Open lots in Fort Myers Shores often have no existing swales. A new ADU slab with no engineered positive drainage means the first summer storm sends water under the subfloor and ruins the rough-in. We cut the grade and design the drainage before the concrete is poured.
- Septic and well setback surprises: New detached ADUs have to sit clear of existing septic drain fields and wellheads, and on small acreage that can shrink the buildable envelope dramatically. We verify those distances with a surveyor before you commit to a footprint.
Pricing for Home Additions & ADU in Fort Myers Shores, FL
Here’s what we currently see across Fort Myers Shores jobs. A room addition with no elevation trigger runs $45000 to $130000. A fully detached ADU, including site prep, septic setback checks, grading, and utilities, lands between $90000 and $220000. A garage conversion ADU is $30000 to $80000. The wide spreads aren’t hedging; they reflect whether Lee County’s flood rules apply to your existing structure, how far your lot sits from the Orange River, and how much fill and drainage engineering the slab requires. No one can quote accurately without walking the lot. We do that for free.
| Project Type | Fort Myers Shores Price Range |
|---|---|
| Room Addition (no elevation trigger) | $45000-$130000 |
| New Detached ADU (with site prep, septic setback, grading) | $90000-$220000 |
| Garage Conversion ADU | $30000-$80000 |
Every quote from us is a written line-item scope. Allowances are on paper. Price changes are change orders signed before work proceeds. The permit inspector works for you, not for me, and that’s exactly why I like him. Call (877) 610-1318 to schedule your free estimate in Fort Myers Shores.
We Also Serve Cities Near Fort Myers Shores
Beyond Fort Myers Shores, our crews work regularly in Gateway, North Fort Myers, Lehigh Acres, and Fort Myers. If you’re anywhere along the Orange River corridor or east toward the Lee County line, we’d rather meet you in person and scope the lot than quote a square-foot price over the phone. We’re a local Home Additions & ADU in Fort Myers Shores team that shows up when we say we will.
Serving Fort Myers Shores, FL - Our Local Coverage Area
We’re based in the Fort Myers Shores 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 - Home Additions & ADU in Fort Myers Shores
Only if the existing house was damaged beyond 50% of its pre-storm assessed value and Lee County has it flagged as substantially damaged. When that flag exists, any addition or ADU tied to the same parcel requires bringing the primary home into current flood-zone compliance, which often means elevating the entire structure 2 to 4 feet. We check county records before we quote so you never find out mid-framing that your $60k job just became a $200k rebuild. Call (877) 610-1318 and we’ll look it up for your specific address.
Lee County requires 75 feet from an existing septic drain field and 10 feet from a wellhead on unincorporated lots like those across much of Fort Myers Shores. Some older lots have tighter configurations, and that’s where a survey becomes essential. We bring in a surveyor and confirm every setback before we draw the footprint, because guessing wrong means a failed inspection and a redesign that costs you weeks and money.
Almost never, and here’s why: Fort Myers Shores sits in unincorporated Lee County, so the reviewer pulls county flood maps and county standards. City of Fort Myers permits used shorter setbacks and lower freeboard in many cases. What passed city review pre-Ian will likely fail county review now. We redraw the design to meet Lee County’s current requirements and we tell you exactly which details changed before you pay for a single sheet.
Yes, but only with engineered positive drainage and an elevation certificate. We cut the slab grade, add fill where Lee County requires it, and design swales that move water away from the ADU before the concrete is poured. This is standard on Fort Myers Shores lots near the Orange River, and it’s a major reason cheap quotes from out-of-area contractors don’t survive their own first summer. Call (877) 610-1318 for a price that includes the drainage engineering, not one that hides it.
Expect a short, written punch list covering trim paint, caulking, door adjustments, and any hardware fixes noted during the final walk. On Fort Myers Shores ADUs, you should also expect us to run a water check on the exterior drainage and confirm the slab is shedding water the way it was designed to. We don’t disappear after the certificate of occupancy. One call brings Tom back, and our 90-Day Done Right Promise means any punch-list item that’s not right gets fixed, not negotiated.
Written by Tom Barrett, Owner at Barrett & Sons Construction. Serving Fort Myers Shores and surrounding Lee County communities since 1998.