Free written scope consultation - allowances, timeline, and change-order rules on paper before a single trade is scheduled
Before
After
Before
After
Before
AfterFast, Reliable Home Additions & ADU Across Iona
Home additions and ADU construction in Iona, FL runs $45,000 to $130,000 for a typical room addition, and $90,000 to $220,000 for a detached ADU, with garage conversions landing between $30,000 and $80,000. Those numbers are honest, but Iona has a wrinkle most contractors won’t mention on the first call: Lee County’s post-Ian flood rules can change the scope of your project before the permit clears. Tom Barrett and his sons have worked through enough 33906 projects to know exactly what the county will require, and we write every one of those requirements into the contract before we swing a hammer. Call (877) 610-1318 to talk through your addition or ADU with a real person who knows Iona’s codebook.
Key Takeaways
- A room addition in Iona generally runs $45,000-$130,000; a detached ADU runs $90,000-$220,000.
- FEMA’s substantial-improvement rule can turn a $60,000 addition into a mandatory whole-home elevation in 33906.
- Every Barrett & Sons job includes permits pulled, inspections signed, and written change orders before any scope change.
- We back every completed project with a 90-Day Done Right Promise in writing.
Why Barrett & Sons Construction Is Iona’s Preferred Home Additions & ADU Company
We’re not a franchise and we don’t dispatch strangers. Tom Barrett founded this company in 1998, and his sons run the crews that work in Iona. When you call, a live person answers. When something needs fixing after the job, Tom comes back. That’s the arrangement, and it’s been the arrangement for over 29 years.
Iona homeowners have a specific reason to be careful about who they hire: the post-Ian permitting landscape here punishes contractors who don’t understand flood elevation rules. We do. We’ve pulled permits on additions and ADUs throughout 33906, and we know which projects will trigger Lee County’s substantial-improvement review before we bid. If your project sits on an AE-zone parcel near the 50% threshold, you’ll know that on day one, not when the county stops the job.
Our approach is old-fashioned in the ways that matter. Scope in writing. Allowances in writing. Change orders in writing. Materials you can look up: PGT impact-rated windows, GAF roofing, Andersen or Marvin when the design calls for premium fenestration. No mystery brands off the back of a van. Ask anyone on your street, or look up the license number yourself. Tom Barrett publishes his name, his address, and his license number; we expect you to check.
Our Home Additions & ADU Services in Iona
Our Home Additions & ADU team handles the full range of projects Iona homeowners bring us, from interior conversions to full detached units. Four services matter most in Iona right now.
ADU Design & Permitting
In Iona, design and permitting are not a formality; they’re the make-or-break phase. Lee County compares your project cost to the home’s pre-Ian market value. If the number crosses 50%, the entire structure has to come up to current Base Flood Elevation. We run that calculation early, before you spend money on plans that won’t pass. If your ADU clears the threshold, we still build to the same post-Ian wind-load and glazing standards inspectors now enforce on every 33906 permit.
Garage Conversion ADU
Garage conversions are popular in Iona because they use existing square footage and often come in between $30,000 and $80,000, well under a ground-up build. But converting a 1970s-era concrete block garage into living space means bringing that structure up to current code: new electrical service, impact-rated windows, insulation, flood-resistant finishes if the slab sits below AE-zone elevation. We price that work honestly, with allowances written into the contract so you’re not surprised mid-project.
New Detached ADU
A detached ADU in Iona runs $90,000 to $220,000, and the single biggest variable is your lot’s Base Flood Elevation. Where the county requires a raised foundation, that cost appears in the first written estimate, not as a surprise change order later. Our crews frame, rough in, and finish ADUs on schedule, and the permit inspector works for you, not for me; that’s why I like him. He signs off on every phase before we close walls.
Junior ADU & Interior Conversion
A junior ADU, often a bedroom with a kitchenette and separate entrance carved from the existing footprint, works well in Iona’s ranch homes. These projects are smaller, but the same code questions apply: substantial-improvement thresholds, electrical panel capacity, and flood-resistant materials. We handle the calculation and the construction, so the county’s requirements become part of the plan instead of a problem.
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.
Trusted Brands We Service in Iona
We stock and install brands homeowners in Iona can look up and trust. PGT impact windows and doors are a common choice here given the 130+ mph design wind corridor, and for projects where budget matters, Simonton and Ply Gem offer strong alternatives. When you’re adding square footage to a 33906 home, glazing isn’t decorative; it’s structural. We spec the right product for the load and the exposure, and we order it direct, not through a middleman who might substitute something cheaper.
Common Home Additions & ADU Problems We See in Iona Homes
- Substantial-improvement threshold crossed mid-permit. A $60,000 room addition on a parcel Ian damage assessments already pushed to 48% of pre-storm value can trigger a full elevation requirement. We run the math before you commit, not after the county flags it.
- Undersized load-bearing framing from 1970s construction. Many Iona ranches were built with framing that doesn’t meet current wind-load standards. When we open a wall for a second-story addition, we often find corroded connectors or missing strapping that must be upgraded before framing can proceed.
- Failed waterproofing at the slab-to-wall transition. Iona sits between the Caloosahatchee River and San Carlos Bay, and storm surge from Ian exposed thousands of flawed waterproofing details. Any addition that ties into an existing slab needs that transition inspected and often remediated.
- Missing or outdated FEMA elevation certificates. Contractors sometimes start framing an ADU before the elevation certificate is pulled, and Lee County stops the job. We pull the certificate first and design to the number it gives us.
Pricing for Home Additions & ADU in Iona, FL
Here’s what we’re seeing in Iona right now, and these are real numbers, not marketing ranges.
| Service | Typical Iona Range |
|---|---|
| Home Addition | $45,000 - $130,000 |
| ADU Construction | $90,000 - $220,000 |
| Garage Conversion | $30,000 - $80,000 |
| Sunrooms & Enclosed Patios | $45,000 - $130,000 |
Three things drive cost in Iona more than anywhere else in Lee County. First, flood elevation: if your project triggers the substantial-improvement rule, the price isn’t for the addition anymore; it’s for the addition plus the lift. Second, wind-load engineering: 130+ mph requirements mean impact-rated glazing, upgraded connectors, and in many cases a structural engineer’s stamp. Third, condition of the existing structure: once we open a wall, we frequently find what Ian left behind, corroded fasteners, compromised waterproofing, outdated wiring. That’s why we write allowances into every contract. An allowance that isn’t on paper is a surprise waiting for a date. Call (877) 610-1318 for a free estimate, and you’ll get a written, line-item scope from a company that puts its name on the truck.
The Iona Reality Most Quotes Leave Out
Here’s the thing about building in Iona that no national company’s call center will tell you. Nearly every home addition or ADU in 33906 triggers Lee County’s substantial-improvement rule once the permit review compares project cost to the home’s pre-Ian market value. Ian’s surge pushed hundreds of Iona parcels dangerously close to that 50% line. So a room addition quoted at $60,000 can legally force a $120,000 whole-home elevation to current Base Flood Elevation. We’ve seen it happen to homeowners who signed with contractors that never ran the calculation. That’s not a risk you manage after the permit is filed; it’s a risk you price before you sign. When you call Barrett & Sons, the first thing we discuss isn’t square footage. It’s your parcel, your flood zone, and your elevation certificate.
We opened up a 1972 concrete block ranch off McGregor Boulevard for a second-story addition and found the original roof-to-wall strapping was never upgraded. The inspector’s post-Ian checklist required impact-rated glazing and engineered roof-to-wall connections for 130+ mph loads before we could even frame the new floor. Our superintendent wrote the rework into a change order, got the owner’s signature, and the inspector signed off on the rough-in before we closed the walls, keeping the punch list clean. That’s how it’s supposed to work, and that’s how we work in Iona.
We Also Serve Cities Near Iona
Our crews work throughout Iona and the surrounding communities of Cypress Lake, McGregor, Fort Myers Beach, and Villas. If you’re a few blocks past the 33906 line, we’re still your contractor. Same crew, same written pricing, same 90-Day Done Right Promise. Call (877) 610-1318 and we’ll schedule a walkthrough wherever you are.
Serving Iona, FL - Our Local Coverage Area
We’re based in the Iona 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 Iona
The county compares your project cost plus any prior post-Ian improvements to your home’s pre-storm market value, and if the total crosses 50%, the entire structure must be brought to current Base Flood Elevation. The only way to know your number is to pull your elevation certificate and run the calculation on your specific parcel. We do that during estimating, before you sign anything. If your project is close to the line, we’ll tell you, with the dollar figure in writing. Call (877) 610-1318 and we’ll walk your parcel’s math with you for free.
Iona’s exposure between the Caloosahatchee River and San Carlos Bay means Lee County enforces the strictest wind-load and flood-resistance standards here, with 130+ mph design requirements driving impact-rated glazing and engineered roof-to-wall connections that add real cost. Older Iona homes also tend to carry more hidden structural issues from Ian’s surge, so framing rework is common once walls open. A second-story addition in Fort Myers might not face the same exposure or the same existing-condition surprises. Our written estimates reflect Iona’s actual codebook, not a generic Lee County number. For a precise quote, call (877) 610-1318.
Yes, if the garage conversion stays under the 50% substantial-improvement threshold and the existing slab is already compliant or can be brought into compliance with flood-resistant finishes rather than a full lift. Many Iona garage conversions fall between $30,000 and $80,000 and stay below the trigger. But if your parcel’s pre-Ian value assessment already sits near the limit, even a modest garage conversion can push you over. We calculate your threshold before we quote. Call (877) 610-1318 and we’ll tell you where your property stands.
We stop the work on that section, document what we found, and write a change order with the rework scope and price before we touch anything else. That’s the Barrett & Sons rule, and it’s the reason we put allowances in every Iona contract. If the job needs a new panel or rewire to meet current code, you’ll approve it in writing first. No surprise invoices at the end. Call (877) 610-1318 and we’ll explain how allowances protect you from a quote that quietly doubles.
You can legally act as owner-builder in Lee County, but you’ll be personally responsible for the substantial-improvement calculation, the FEMA elevation certificate, the permit schedule, and every inspection. If the county flags your project at 51% of pre-storm value mid-build, you’ll carry the cost of the stop-work order and the redesign yourself. A licensed contractor who knows Iona’s post-Ian codebook carries that risk on your behalf, and in our case, in writing. That’s why homeowners here hire us. Get a free consultation at (877) 610-1318.
Written by Tom Barrett, Owner at Barrett & Sons Construction, serving Iona since 1998.