Free written scope consultation - allowances, timeline, and change-order rules on paper before a single trade is scheduled
Before
After
Before
After
Before
AfterConstruction Services in Kaufman, TX
Most construction problems in Kaufman start in the dirt. The Blackland Prairie vertisol clay under this town shrinks in July and swells in March, and every foundation, driveway, fence post, and room addition has to account for it. We’ve poured slabs, lifted pier-and-beam homes, and installed driveways across the 75142 zip code long enough to know which lots move and which ones hold. If you’re planning a remodel or a new build here, call (877) 610-1318 and we’ll walk the property with you before you spend a dollar on materials.
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 Kaufman Homeowners Choose Barrett & Sons Construction
You’ll see Tom Barrett or one of his sons on your job site. That’s not a sales line; it’s how we’ve run the company since 1998. Kaufman homeowners deal with us directly, from the first estimate to the final inspection. Homeowners around the courthouse square and over in the newer subdivisions off Highway 34 have trusted us with kitchens, roofs, windows, and full additions, and the same names stay on the truck and in front of the work.
Every job we take in Kaufman follows the same rules: permits pulled when the county or city requires them, written change orders before any scope change, and our 90-Day Done Right Promise on every contract. If something’s not right, Tom comes back. One call. That promise is printed on the paperwork, not whispered in the driveway.
Tom publishes his name, his address, and his license number. Look them up. A live person answers the phone at (877) 610-1318, day or night. Our crew members are background-checked and they carry the Barrett & Sons name on their shirts, so the person at your door is someone we’ll answer for.
Construction Services We Offer in Kaufman
Kitchen Remodeling
We install KraftMaid and Cambria materials in Kaufman kitchens, and we write every allowance on paper before the first cabinet comes out. A Kitchen Remodeling - Kaufman project on shifting soil means countertops and tile need movement-tolerant setting, and we plan for that from the start.
Learn more about Kitchen Remodeling in Kaufman.
Bathroom Remodeling
Older Kaufman homes near the courthouse often have bathrooms sitting on floors that have settled unevenly over decades of clay movement. Our Bathroom Remodeling - Kaufman service handles the plumbing, substrate, tile, and waterproofing as one scope, not three separate bills.
Learn more about Bathroom Remodeling in Kaufman.
Roofing
Kaufman sits in a severe-weather corridor where hail comes through hard in the spring. We install GAF and CertainTeed roofing systems with the impact ratings and ventilation that North Texas heat and storms demand, as part of our Roofing in Kaufman services.
Learn more about Roofing in Kaufman.
Windows & Doors
Replacing windows in Kaufman means dealing with frames that have shifted as the clay beneath them moved. We carry Andersen and Marvin Windows & Doors in Kaufman and hang doors with the shimming and sealing a prairie clay house actually requires.
Fence Installation
Fence posts in Kaufman fail early when they’re set shallow in shrink-swell clay. We set posts to a depth that survives wet springs and dry summers, and we use concrete that holds up against alkaline Kaufman County soil.
Driveway & Pavers
Concrete flatwork in Kaufman doesn’t forgive poor site prep. We schedule pours around wet-spring saturation and use proper base compaction so pavers and slabs don’t crack from soil movement underneath them. We install Belgard, Techo-Bloc, and Cambridge Paver systems.
Home Additions & ADU
Adding square footage in Kaufman often means matching new slab construction to an older pier-and-beam original. We coordinate the structural connection, foundation design, and drainage so the addition doesn’t fight the existing house.
Neighborhoods We Serve in Kaufman
We work all over Kaufman and unincorporated Kaufman County, and we can usually be at your property within a day or two of your call. Here are a few areas we know well:
- Historic homes near the Kaufman County Courthouse
- New subdivisions off Highway 34 and Washington Street
- Properties along Farm-to-Market 1388 and County Road 138
- Developments near Kaufman High School and the municipal airport
Why Kaufman’s Climate & Housing Affect Construction
Kaufman sits directly on Blackland Prairie vertisol soils that shrink dramatically during dry summers and swell after heavy rains. The Houston Black clay series here cycles through several inches of vertical movement each year. That means drainage grading, foundation watering systems, and proper site prep are not optional extras in Kaufman. They’re the baseline for everything we build or repair. Drilled piers on larger residential jobs in this area commonly go 12 to 15 feet deep to reach stable bearing strata below the active shrink-swell zone.
The housing stock here reflects that history. The original town core around the Kaufman County Courthouse has early-to-mid 20th century wood-frame homes on pier-and-beam foundations that have shifted unevenly over decades. The outer edges of the city are absorbing new tract-home subdivisions on post-tensioned slab foundations, built for Dallas commuters. A contractor working Kaufman has to be fluent in both structural systems, and in the wet-spring/dry-summer pattern that makes black clay turn from mud to brick-hard in about eight weeks.
Pricing for Construction in Kaufman
What follows is honest ballpark math, not a bid. Kaufman’s clay soil adds prep steps to most projects, and those steps cost money, but skipping them costs far more later.
- Kitchen remodel: $28,000-$65,000 depending on cabinet line, countertop material, and whether walls move
- Bathroom remodel: $14,000-$32,000 for a full gut and rebuild
- Roof replacement: $9,500-$19,000 depending on pitch, square footage, and material
- Windows & doors: $600-$1,800 per opening installed
- Fence installation: $22-$38 per linear foot for cedar or treated pine with deep-set posts
- Driveway & pavers: $11-$24 per square foot installed, site prep and base included
- Home additions & ADU: $145-$260 per square foot depending on foundation type and finish level
Every estimate from Barrett & Sons comes as a written, itemized scope. No allowances that aren’t on paper. No change orders that aren’t in writing before the work starts.
Service Area - Cities Near Kaufman
While this page focuses on Kaufman, our crews also serve nearby communities. If you’re in Terrell, Forney, Seagoville, or Balch Springs, the same Barrett & Sons standards apply and the same phone number reaches a live person.
Serving Kaufman, TX - Our Local Coverage Area
We’re based in the Kaufman 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 Kaufman
A kitchen remodel in Kaufman typically runs $28,000 to $65,000, depending on whether you’re refacing cabinets or moving walls and switching to a slab-compatible layout. Homes near the courthouse square often need floor leveling and movement-tolerant tile setting, which can add scope. Call (877) 610-1318 for a written estimate that includes every allowance on paper.
Yes, more than in most Texas towns. The vertisol clay under Kaufman expands when wet and shrinks when dry, which is why shallow-set fence posts lean and poorly compacted driveways crack within a few seasons. We set posts deep and compact base material in lifts, and we schedule concrete work around spring soil saturation.
Changes to the price happen only as written change orders issued before the work is performed. If we find something unexpected inside a wall or under a floor, Tom or his son shows you exactly what changed and what it costs, and you approve it in writing before a single nail moves. The allowance that isn’t on paper is a surprise waiting for a date.
We pull permits on every eligible job. It isn’t optional, and yes, it’s for your protection. The permit inspector works for you, not for us, and that’s exactly why we like the process. The last contractor many Kaufman homeowners used told them permits weren’t needed. Ask us to show you the permit and the signed inspection at the end.
Most Kaufman projects move at the speed of the scope and the soil. A full kitchen remodel runs six to ten weeks. A roof replacement is usually done in two to four days, weather permitting. A room addition or ADU ranges from four to eight months depending on foundation work and finishes. We’ll give you a written schedule with your estimate, and we’ll hold to it or tell you why not, early.
If you’re planning construction in Kaufman, start with a conversation and a walk-through. Call (877) 610-1318 to schedule a free estimate. A live person answers. We’ll bring our clay-soil knowledge, our written scope, and our name on the truck.
Written by Tom Barrett, Owner at Barrett & Sons Construction, serving Kaufman and Kaufman County.
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 Kaufman Customers Say
"Addition over the garage matched the original roofline and brickwork so closely that visitors do not realise it was added. He tracked down the closest brick he could find rather than settling."
- Gideon Stroud"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