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 McGregor
A home addition or ADU in McGregor typically runs $45,000 to $220,000 depending on scope, foundation work, and whether the project triggers Lee County’s substantial-improvement rules. Most room additions in the 33919 corridor land between $45,000 and $130,000, while a new detached ADU with flood-elevation compliance starts around $90,000. Barrett & Sons Construction has worked through enough post-Ian rebuilds in this corridor to know exactly where costs move, and we put every one of those numbers in writing before a single wall comes down. Call (877) 610-1318 and we’ll walk the property with you.
Why Barrett & Sons Construction Is McGregor’s Preferred Home Additions & ADU Company
We’re the contractor that answers the phone. Tom Barrett started this company in 1998, and he still picks up when you call. His sons run the crews. When we say we’ll show up in McGregor, the person who walks your property is someone whose name is on the truck.
McGregor homeowners have watched the parade of out-of-town crews since Hurricane Ian. We understand the skepticism. That’s why Tom publishes his name, his address, and his license number, and why every estimate from us comes as a written line-item scope. No allowances that aren’t on paper. No price changes without a signed change order. In a corridor where the permitting system is still chewing through post-storm determinations, that kind of predictability matters more than a flashy truck.
The permit inspector works for you, not for me. That’s how Tom sees it. He’d rather have the inspector sign off on the rough-in than argue about whether flood vents were really needed. In McGregor, they’re always needed.
Our Home Additions & ADU Services in McGregor
Our Home Additions & ADU team handles every scope from a single room bump-out to a fully permitted detached unit. Here’s how we approach the most common McGregor projects.
ADU Design & Permitting
Adding an ADU in McGregor means navigating Lee County’s flood zone requirements long before the first footing goes in. We handle the design work and the permit package, including substantial-improvement review if your home sits in a FEMA AE zone. We’ll tell you up front whether your planned ADU pushes the 50% threshold, and we’ll price the flood-elevation work into the contract from day one rather than springing it on you mid-project.
Garage Conversion ADU
Most garages on 1950s and 1960s McGregor ranches are slab-on-grade structures with original flatwork that predates current code. Converting one into livable space usually means cutting and re-pouring for proper floor elevation, adding flood vents, and upgrading the entire envelope to current wind standards. We’ll scope that honestly. In McGregor, a garage conversion typically runs $30,000 to $80,000, with the higher end reflecting flood-zone work and full HVAC integration.
New Detached ADU
A new detached ADU gives you a clean slate, but in McGregor’s flood plain, the slab still has to sit at the right elevation, and the structure has to meet current hurricane wind-load requirements from the foundation up. We’ve built these with impact-rated windows, straps, and clips throughout, and we’ve had inspectors sign off on units that inland contractors wouldn’t know how to detail. Expect $90,000 to $220,000 for a properly permitted detached ADU in the 33919 corridor.
Junior ADU & Interior Conversion
For homeowners working with an existing footprint, a junior ADU or interior conversion can add a private living area, kitchenette, and separate entrance without the full cost of a ground-up build. In McGregor’s older ranch homes, the catch is usually what’s hiding behind the walls. We’ve opened up bedrooms off McGregor Boulevard and found exactly that. We’ll price the conversion itself, and we’ll write the discovery language into the contract so you’re never surprised when the scope expands.
Room Additions
Room additions on McGregor’s slab-on-grade homes carry their own set of risks. The existing slab may not meet current elevation requirements, the original framing predates Florida’s post-Andrew wind codes, and the roof tie-in has to be done perfectly or you’ll be chasing leaks for years. We’ve done enough of these to know where the money goes before we open the first wall. A typical room addition in McGregor runs $45,000 to $130,000.
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.
Trusted Brands We Service in McGregor
We stock and install materials that hold up to McGregor’s humidity and storm season, and we don’t hide them behind vague “builder grade” language. On ADU kitchens and baths, we install Schluter waterproofing systems instead of shortcuts that fail after three Florida summers. On windows, we carry impact-rated product lines that meet Lee County wind requirements. When a McGregor customer asks what we’re putting in, we hand them a spec sheet with brand names they can look up, not a mystery brand off a van.
Common Home Additions & ADU Problems We See in McGregor Homes
- Hidden storm-surge damage in wall cavities. Ian pushed brackish water from the Caloosahatchee River into dozens of McGregor ranch homes. Drywall can look fine on the surface while framing behind it is wicking moisture and growing mold. Opening a wall for a room addition frequently reveals damage that turns a simple scope into a remediation and rebuild job.
- The 50% substantial-improvement threshold. If your repair or renovation costs exceed 50% of your flood-zone home’s pre-storm assessed value, the entire structure must be elevated to current BFE standards. McGregor homeowners hit this threshold mid-permit more often than anywhere else in Lee County, and it changes everything about the budget and timeline.
- Original jalousie windows and non-impact framing. Most 1950s and 1960s McGregor ranches still have their original jalousie windows and framing that predates current wind codes. Any addition or ADU that touches those openings triggers code upgrades, and skipping them means failing wind-mitigation inspection.
- Slab-on-grade foundation work in a flood zone. You can’t just pour a new slab at the old elevation and call it done. Finished-floor elevation has to be calculated and documented, and flood vents have to be placed exactly where the codes say. Get this wrong and your certificate of occupancy stalls for months.
Pricing for Home Additions & ADU in McGregor, FL
McGregor’s pricing reflects the flood zone, the age of the housing stock, and the fact that nearly every project involves code upgrades the original builder never had to think about. Here’s what we see in the 33919 corridor:
| Project | Typical McGregor Range |
|---|---|
| Room Addition | $45,000-$130,000 |
| ADU Construction | $90,000-$220,000 |
| Sunroom or Enclosed Patio | $45,000-$130,000 |
What moves the number? Whether we hit the 50% substantial-improvement rule, what we find when we open the walls, and whether your slab needs to be raised. None of that is a mystery. We inspect first, write the allowances into the contract, and every change arrives as a signed change order before we touch anything. Call (877) 610-1318 for a free estimate with real numbers, not a range pulled off a website.
We Also Serve Cities Near McGregor
Our crews work throughout the corridor, and we regularly take on projects in McGregor, Cypress Lake, Villas, Iona, and Fort Myers. If you’re anywhere in the area and you’re weighing an addition or ADU, we’ll come out and give you the same straight numbers we’d give a neighbor.
Serving McGregor, FL - Our Local Coverage Area
We’re based in the McGregor 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 McGregor
If the combined cost of your ADU project plus any previous post-storm repairs exceeds 50% of your home’s pre-storm assessed value, Lee County requires the entire structure to be elevated to current FEMA BFE standards. That’s a six-figure, multi-month addition to the scope. We check this before you sign anything, because finding out mid-permit is the worst way to learn it.
Because Hurricane Ian drove storm surge from the Caloosahatchee River into wall cavities throughout the corridor, and the damage doesn’t always show on the surface. When we open a wall on a 1960s ranch off McGregor Boulevard, we expect to check for hidden framing damage and mold. If we find it, we file a change order for the rebuild and get your written approval before we proceed.
Usually not if it’s a ground-level slab conversion in a FEMA AE zone. The finished floor has to meet current elevation rules, and the enclosure needs flood vents. We’ll do the substantial-improvement math for you before you commit, and we’ll price the elevation work into the contract from day one.
Yes. Any enclosed living space in Lee County has to meet current wind-load requirements, including impact-rated glazing or shutters and proper roof tie-downs. A sunroom that skips those details fails wind-mitigation inspection, and you’ll be paying a punch-list crew to fix it before you can get a certificate of occupancy.
The existing slab and footing usually aren’t engineered to carry a second floor, so you’re looking at structural reinforcement or partial foundation replacement before framing even starts. Add in flood-elevation compliance and wind-code upgrades, and the real cost is significantly higher than the square-foot estimate you’ll find online. We’ll give you the real number in writing, not a phone quote that changes at the door.
One More Thing Before You Sign Any Contract
McGregor is the only Lee County corridor where pre-1994 slab-on-grade ranch homes rebuilt after Hurricane Ian routinely hit the 50% substantial-improvement threshold mid-permit. That single fact has added six figures and months to scopes quoted by inland contractors who never mentioned flood-vent detailing. It’s the reason we start every McGregor estimate with an inspection and a written scope. On a 1960s ranch off McGregor Boulevard, our crew opened up a bedroom wall for a room addition and found original jalousie-framed pockets where storm surge had wicked into the framing. Before we touched the new subfloor, we filed a change order for mold remediation, sistered the damaged load-bearing studs, and had the rough-in inspection signed off with flood vents at the required elevation. The addition went from a simple bedroom to a fortified ADU shell, but the owners never once got a surprise bill. Every line was in the contract, and every change was approved in writing before our crew opened the next wall.
An allowance that isn’t on paper is a surprise waiting for a date. We don’t do surprises.
Call (877) 610-1318 today to schedule your free estimate. We’ll walk the property, open the right conversations about flood elevation and substantial improvement, and hand you a written scope with real numbers. No trip charge inside the county. Senior and veteran discounts apply, and we’ll honor a free second opinion on any written estimate you’ve received.
Written by Tom Barrett, Owner at Barrett & Sons Construction, serving McGregor and the surrounding Lee County corridor since 1998.