Free written scope consultation - allowances, timeline, and change-order rules on paper before a single trade is scheduled
PGT Home Additions & ADU: The Houston Owner’s Guide
If you’re planning a PGT home addition or ADU in Houston, you’re looking at a full project range of $45,000 to $130,000, depending on square footage, foundation work, and interior finish level. We build additions and accessory dwelling units that tie into existing PGT windows and doors, so the new space matches the performance of what you already have. Most Houston owners reach out because they’ve outgrown their house but not their lot, and they want to know if the numbers can work before they spend a dime.
What usually happens is this: you’ve got PGT windows or an impact-rated exterior already keeping the heat and storms out, and now you’re adding a bedroom, a home office, or a rentable ADU in the backyard. The addition has to match the existing envelope. We’re an independent remodeling company, not affiliated with PGT, but we work around their window and door products constantly in Houston. Trevor Nash has walked enough Meyerland-area foundations to know that soil movement under a slab shows up in the window reveals first. That experience shapes how we plan the tie-in between old structure and new.
Key Takeaways
- Home additions in Houston run $45,000 to $130,000; ADU construction typically runs $90,000 to $220,000.
- Your existing PGT windows and doors can stay put during most additions; we integrate new work around them.
- Every Penhallow Remodeling Houston job gets a written price before work starts, and a 365-Day Done Right Promise in writing.
- A live person answers our phones 24/7. Call (254) 527-5340 and you’ll talk to a human, not a menu.
Which PGT Models This Applies To
PGT makes a few window and door lines that commonly show up in Houston homes: the WinGuard impact line, the SpectraGuard vinyl line, and the Eze-Breeze porch enclosure system. When we tie an addition into an existing home, we’re usually matching WinGuard or SpectraGuard sightlines so the new windows don’t look like an afterthought bolted on. The compatibility gotcha most people miss: PGT impact windows carry specific structural ratings (DP, or design pressure) that matter when you’re adding a second story or a room that changes the windload on the existing wall. A window that was fine on a one-story ranch may not meet code once the roofline changes and the wall is now holding more lateral load.
For the part-level question, this page focuses on the bigger picture: the addition or ADU itself, not a single sash or roller. But owners sometimes ask whether they should match PGT exactly or save money with a quality equivalent. Our answer is consistent: for any window or door on the exterior envelope of a new addition in Houston, we recommend staying with impact-rated product, whether PGT or a comparable line. We also work with KraftMaid and Cambria for cabinetry and Silestone for countertops inside those new spaces. The interior finishes can flex; the exterior rated products should not.
Styles & brands we work with
Signs Your PGT Home Additions & ADU Is Failing
Most additions don’t fail all at once. They whisper first. Here’s what we hear from Houston owners before they call us:
- Doors that suddenly rub or stick at the top corner. This usually points to slab movement under the addition, which is common in Houston’s clay soils. The framing has shifted just enough to pinch a door against its jamb.
- Hairline cracks running diagonally from window corners. PGT windows are rigid. When the wall around them moves, the drywall telegraphs the stress in a diagonal line outward from the frame. It’s not the window failing; it’s the structure around it.
- Humidity that never leaves one room. If an addition feels swampy even when the HVAC is running, the building envelope has a gap. Often it’s a failed flashing detail at the roof tie-in where the new meets the old.
- Water staining on the ceiling at the original roofline. The valley where a new roof plane meets the old one is the classic leak point. We see it constantly on additions that were rushed by crews who didn’t re-flash properly.
- Floors that slope toward the exterior wall. This is a foundation issue. In Houston’s expansive clay, a slab edge can drop an inch over a decade. You feel it in the floor, and your level will confirm it.
See the difference
Before
After
Before
After
Before
AfterReplacement Cost & What’s Included
Home additions in Houston fall between $45,000 and $130,000 depending on three things: the foundation type (slab-on-grade additions run less than pier-and-beam on the high side), the finish level inside (builder-grade drywall and carpet versus custom cabinetry and stone), and how much of the existing structure has to be modified to tie in. An attached ADU with a kitchen and full bath runs on the upper end. A detached garage conversion for a bedroom and office sits lower, typically $30,000 to $80,000.
Every number we give includes the same structure: written line-item pricing, permits pulled, inspections passed, background-checked and uniformed crew on site, and the 365-Day Done Right Promise in writing. If something fails in the first year, we come back and fix it at no charge. No re-inspection fee, no arguing. That’s the Kingswell Way, and it’s been the standard since 2004. We install Cambria quartz, KraftMaid and Wellborn cabinetry, and Kohler and Moen fixtures because the products behind the guarantee need to be as solid as the promise itself.
DIY or Call Us?
Planning an addition is not a weekend project, and nobody should be swinging a hammer on a load-bearing wall without knowing what’s behind it. That said, there are things an owner can do before picking up the phone. Walk the exterior and look at the roof tie-in. Check for cracking at window corners. Measure the space you’re thinking about and sketch what you want. That sketch helps us give you an accurate range on the first call.
What we’d caution against: knocking out an exterior wall yourself, even a non-load-bearing one, without understanding how it affects your PGT window and door openings. Improper tie-ins void window warranties and create water intrusion points that cost more to fix later than the original work. If you’re in the Houston area and wondering whether your addition idea holds water, call (254) 527-5340. Trevor and the crew can look at what you’ve got and give you the straight number on what it costs. As Trevor says, “Give me the straight story on what you need, and I’ll give you the straight number on what it costs.”
FAQs
A properly built addition should last 50 years or more, but Houston’s clay soil means the foundation needs attention around the 10 to 20-year mark. We build for that reality from day one, which is why our slab prep and drainage details matter more than the paint color. Call (254) 527-5340 for an exact quote on your project.
Yes, in most cases. If the framing is sound and the issue is flashing, drywall cracks, or door misalignment, we repair it. A full rebuild only makes sense when foundation movement has compromised the structure itself. We’ll tell you which one you’re dealing with before we ever ask for a signature.
An attached addition typically takes 8 to 14 weeks from permit to final inspection. An ADU can run 4 to 6 months depending on finishes. We give you a written schedule along with the written price so you know what’s happening on day one and day ninety.
We stock common tie-in materials and can source PGT-compatible windows and doors quickly through our trade suppliers. What we bring on day one is a crew that’s background-checked, uniformed, and ready to work clean. Estimates are free, so call (254) 527-5340 and we’ll come out.
Written by Trevor Nash, Owner, Penhallow Remodeling Houston at Penhallow Remodeling Houston, serving Houston and nearby areas.
