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 Novato, CA
If you’re planning a remodel, an addition, or a repair in Novato, you want a contractor who knows the difference between flatland Marin and the parcels up against the hills. Barrett & Sons Construction brings the same crew from the home office to job sites across 94949, 94945, 94947, and 94998, with written change orders, permits pulled, and a live person answering the phone at (877) 610-1318. We’re not a franchise model. Tom Barrett’s name is on the truck, and his sons run the crews.
Construction pricing in Novato runs anywhere from $8,000 for a modest fence to $160,000+ for a full kitchen remodel or addition, depending on access, the age of the house, and which side of the Wildland-Urban Interface line you live on. We give you a line-item quote before any work starts, not a rough guess that turns into surprises later.
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 Novato Homeowners Choose Barrett & Sons Construction
Two kinds of companies work in Novato: the ones that quote a number on the phone and send a different crew every day, and the ones you’ll run into at the hardware store on Saturday. We’re the second kind. Tom Barrett founded this company in 1998, and the sons you’ll meet on a job in the Hamilton neighborhood or up in the Ignacio hills are the same ones who answer the phone. That’s the whole point.
In the Black Point corridor and the older bungalow streets near downtown, we hear the same story from homeowners: the last contractor said permits were optional, the price changed at the end, and the materials were whatever was on the van that morning. We do it differently. Every scope, every allowance, every change shows up as a written change order before a nail moves. The permit inspector works for you, not for me, which is exactly why I like him. And we carry brands you can look up: KraftMaid and Cambria in kitchens, GAF and CertainTeed on roofs, Andersen and Marvin on windows. No mystery materials.
Ask anyone on your street or look up the license number yourself. Tom Barrett publishes his name, his address, and his license number. That’s how it should work.
Construction Services We Offer in Novato
Kitchen Remodeling
Older Novato kitchens in mid-century tract homes were built for 1960s family sizes, which means tight walkways, laminate counters, and cabinets that are past their useful life. For Kitchen Remodeling - Novato, we use KraftMaid and Cambria materials, manage the full demo-to-finish scope, and keep the allowance sheet in writing the whole way. We remodel with KraftMaid and Cambria materials, manage the full demo-to-finish scope, and keep the allowance sheet in writing the whole way.
Learn more about our Kitchen Remodeling in Novato.
Bathroom Remodeling
Bathroom Remodeling - Novato addresses the original cast iron drains and shower pans in 1950s bungalows and 1970s Ignacio tract homes that have been leaking slowly for years. We handle full gut remodels with Schluter waterproofing systems and Grohe fixtures, plus the permit and inspection sign-off. We handle full gut remodels with Schluter waterproofing systems and Grohe fixtures, plus the permit and inspection sign-off.
Learn more about our Bathroom Remodeling in Novato.
Roofing
Novato’s ridge and hillside neighborhoods sit inside CAL FIRE’s State Responsibility Area, and those roofs need Class A assemblies, ember-resistant vents, and materials that meet Wildland-Urban Interface code. For Novato Roofing, we install GAF roofing systems rated for the WUI zones and handle reroofs on flatland homes where simple composition shingles suffice.
Learn more about our Roofing in Novato.
Windows & Doors
The single-pane aluminum windows common in Novato’s 1960s and 1970s housing stock leak heat in winter and bake rooms in summer. Windows & Doors in Novato from Andersen or Marvin changes how the house feels and how Title 24 energy compliance calculates. We handle full-frame and retrofit replacements.
Learn more about our Windows & Doors work in Novato.
Fence Installation
Fences in Novato deal with hot, dry summers, heavy winter rains, and the occasional deer leaning on them near the open space edges. We build with pressure-treated posts, steel-reinforced gates, and line-and-grade work that keeps fence lines straight on hillside lots.
Learn more about our Fence Installation in Novato.
Driveway & Pavers
Concrete driveways in older Novato neighborhoods show their age with cracked expansion joints and settled slabs. We pour new concrete or install Belgard and Techo-Bloc paver driveways and patios, with proper base prep for the valley’s clay soil.
Learn more about our Driveway & Pavers work in Novato.
Home Additions & ADU
Novato’s mid-century lots are wide enough for a second-story addition or a detached ADU, and the city’s planning process is more predictable than many Marin towns. We work with your architect or ours, pull the permits, and carry the project through final inspection.
Learn more about our Home Additions & ADU work in Novato.
Neighborhoods We Serve in Novato
Our crews work across Novato, from the hillside streets up toward Indian Valley and the flatlands near the old downtown to the newer housing north of Atherton Avenue. Typical response time for an estimate visit anywhere in the city is fast, because we’re already working the area.
- Hamilton (94949)
- Ignacio
- Black Point corridor (94945)
- Downtown Novato bungalow district (94947)
- San Marin / north Novato (94998)
Why Novato’s Climate & Housing Affect Construction
Novato sits far enough north in the Marin valley that summers run hotter and drier than coastal towns, while winter rains still soak the clay soil and push water against foundations. The housing stock swings from 1940s and 1950s wood-frame bungalows near the historic downtown to extensive 1960s and 1970s tract development in Ignacio and the Black Point corridor. Remodel work on those mid-century homes surfaces undersized shear walls, original single-pane aluminum windows, and attic insulation that fails current Title 24 energy standards. None of that is visible from the curb, but all of it affects what a remodel actually costs in Novato.
Then there’s the fire hardening requirement. Hillside and ridge neighborhoods inside the Wildland-Urban Interface zone must meet CAL FIRE’s State Responsibility Area codes on new construction and major remodels: ember-resistant vents, Class A roofing, ignition-resistant siding assemblies. Those requirements add cost and lead time that flatland portions of the city do not carry, which is exactly why a Novato-specific quote matters more than a generic Marin County number.
Pricing for Construction in Novato
Honest numbers for Novato, based on what we see on quoted jobs in this market:
- Bathroom remodel: $18,000 - $45,000 depending on size and finish level
- Kitchen remodel: $35,000 - $90,000+ depending on cabinetry line, counters, and structural changes
- Roof replacement: $12,000 - $35,000 depending on pitch, layers, and WUI requirements
- Window replacement: $700 - $1,800 per opening installed
- Fence installation: $3,000 - $12,000 depending on footage and material
- Driveway / pavers: $10,000 - $40,000 depending on square footage and base work
- Home addition / ADU: $120,000 - $300,000+ depending on size and site conditions
Every quote is line-item and written. If the scope changes, a change order comes to you in writing before work continues. No surprises at the end. Call (877) 610-1318 for a free estimate and we’ll give you numbers specific to your house, your neighborhood, and your lot.
Service Area - Cities Near Novato
We work throughout Marin County and the surrounding communities. If you’re in Lucas Valley-Marinwood, San Rafael, Fairfax, or San Anselmo, we can bring the same written-scope, permit-pulled approach to your project.
Serving Novato, CA - Our Local Coverage Area
We’re based in the Novato 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 Novato
A typical Novato kitchen remodel runs $35,000 to $90,000 or more, with the biggest variables being cabinetry line, countertop material, whether walls move, and whether the house is in a WUI fire zone requiring upgraded assemblies. Get an exact quote by calling (877) 610-1318, and we’ll walk the space with you.
Yes, for nearly all structural, plumbing, electrical, and roofing work, and we pull the permits ourselves. An unpermitted remodel in Novato will surface at resale or remodeling time, costing more to legalize than it would have to permit originally. The permit inspector works for you, not for me, which is why I like having him on the job.
Hamilton is built on the former Hamilton Army Airfield, and much of that land carries a recorded environmental remediation covenant with parcel-specific deed restrictions. Certain lots near the old fuel farm and flight line have monitored natural attenuation zones requiring coordination with the property’s covenant manager before any soil disturbance. A contractor who doesn’t know that can stall a project before it starts. We’ve worked on Hamilton properties and know when and how to bring in the right sign-offs.
Only if the scope changes, and even then, only in writing. Every allowance, every change, every adjustment comes to you as a written change order before any work happens. If it isn’t on paper, it’s a surprise waiting for a date. That’s not how we work.
A live person answers (877) 610-1318 around the clock, not a voicemail box and not an out-of-state call center. You’ll talk with someone who knows the Novato market and can schedule your free estimate directly.
Call Barrett & Sons Construction Today
If you’re planning construction work in Novato, call (877) 610-1318 for a free estimate. We’ll walk your property, talk about what you want, and put the scope in writing before you commit to anything. And if something isn’t right when the job is done, the 90-Day Done Right Promise means one call brings Tom back to make it right. That’s how we’ve done it since 1998.
Written by Tom Barrett, Owner at Barrett & Sons Construction, serving Novato and Marin 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 Novato 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