Last Updated on September 23, 2024 by Advance Design Studio – Home Remodeling
If you love your home and its location but need more square footage to make home life exceptional, a home addition may be the best solution. Adding to the home you love can be a wise investment if done well, and we’re here to help you establish your goals and find the best design solution for your home and family! If you are searching for inspiration, check out some of our recent home addition projects.
Many factors can make up the total cost of your home addition project, but a few common factors will likely affect the cost of your addition the most. Let’s go through them together as you begin your home addition design-build journey.
1. STRUCTURAL WORK:
Before you begin planning the specifics of your addition, take time to consider what type of addition you need. There are a few different types of additions you can pursue.
Single-Story: If you’re thinking of adding a sunroom, a laundry/mudroom, or bumping out your kitchen or living room to add an island or more living space, a single-story addition is great if you have the space on your property. Single-story additions are categorized as square footage that is added to the ground level of a home without adding additional floors.
Two-Story: Two-story additions are commonly built as a single-story addition with a 2nd floor above it. These are most common when adding a master suite on the second level over an expanded kitchen or other space below.
Second-Story: An addition built on top of an existing floor is categorized as a second-story addition. Second-story additions require more structural planning, support, and construction than single-story additions. They also require a highly skilled and coordinated team of construction professionals since the entire home is exposed to the elements temporarily during construction. These combined elements result in a typically more expensive renovation than a single or two-story add-on.
Basement Addition: Basement additions can be added underneath an existing home. This is an ideal solution if you need additional square footage and cannot build up or out on your property. However, the cost to lift the home, remove the existing foundation, excavate, and build a new basement foundation must be considered when budgeting for this type of renovation.
The foundation of your existing home will need to be carefully evaluated for soundness when planning your project to determine that it can support additional structure and weight.
2. ADDITION SIZE:
The size of your addition is one of the most impactful factors when considering project cost. Homeowners often start by asking how much their addition will cost per square foot. This conversation is best reserved for new home construction where set costs can more easily be predetermined. Because every addition has unique needs, challenges, and factors that make up the overall cost, it is difficult for any contractor to standardize an accurate price per square foot for addition projects. Homeowners should beware of contractors or architects who may lead with this type of analysis as it may be misleading at best.
As you plan your addition, there are two things that typically ring true no matter the type of addition regarding cost:
– Generally speaking, size does matter. The larger the addition, the more materials and associated labor there will be.
– There will always be fixed costs associated with a home addition regardless of size. Whether it’s 200 square feet or 2,000, there will be architectural and design fees, permitting fees, possibly survey costs, engineering, utility fees, and demolition costs. More square footage only means those fixed costs are spread out.
3. MATERIALS & FINISHES:
Interior Products
Finish products and material selections will impact your overall budget differently depending on what your addition requires, as well as the quality and level of products you choose. Whether it’s flooring, cabinetry, countertops, appliances, fixtures, millwork, etc, an experienced designer can be instrumental in helping navigate your selection options to help you achieve the look and functionality you desire within a predetermined investment range.
Enough can’t be said about the value of employing an experienced design-build team when incorporating the complexity of efficient architectural design of a home addition paired with an interior design team that can package the selection process into the project from the beginning. The predictability of a project’s success in controlling cost can most effectively be achieved when these two things are done in tandem.
Siding
The cost of your siding and roofing can largely depend on what type of material you select. Our team most often installs vinyl, LP SmartSide siding, and Hardie board siding, vinyl typically being the most cost-effective option.
Based on the age of your home, matching your existing siding may be possible. Keep in mind that weather and sunlight may have faded the surfaces even if only a few years old, and new matching siding may still not be a perfect match. If a 90-degree plane is being added, a less-than-perfect siding mismatch may not be obvious.
If your renovation requires the addition of material on the same plane, that entire wall should be planned to be re-done. Sometimes removing material and re-using it from existing areas can be done with both siding as well as with brick or stone especially if a brick or stone is no longer available. A talented team of designers and installers must be utilized to make certain the effectiveness of such solutions will be assured.
Roofing
Roofing shingles are categorized primarily by their expected lifespan, which reflects their durability and performance over time. Roofs in the Chicagoland area are commonly specified as a 3-dimensional architectural asphalt shingle with a 25 to 30-year expected lifespan.
More upscale options can include increased thickness in asphalt increasing the lifespan, composite roofing that can mimic cedar or shake, or steel that can have up to a 70-year lifespan. Roofing material choice can significantly impact overall project cost, especially when many homeowners may take the opportunity to re-roof the entire home during a home addition project.
Windows
Allowing natural light into your new addition is a fantastic way to brighten your space, and no matter what type of windows you select for your addition, they should be thoughtfully considered in your investment.
Vinyl windows are very popular and cost-effective. They are frequently specified for the Northwest geographical area, as many homes are already clad in vinyl. Desirable upgrades include an aluminum-clad exterior with either a primed or unfinished interior ready for staining or painting. Popular finishes like black-framed windows, exterior and interior, often come with an upgrade cost.
Many homeowners opt to replace all of the windows in their home at once, as it can be more cost-effective and convenient to do so while undergoing a renovation. The cost of the window itself is only one factor to consider. Redoing windows must also include a plan to handle millwork/finishing on the interior as well as siding re-work on the exterior to accommodate new window installation.
Options can vary in cost between brands like Pella, Marvin, and Anderson. Partnering with a professional familiar with the pros and cons of different window choices can be helpful to make sure you choose windows that complement both your style and investment goals. Window replacement during renovation may be a wise choice that boosts your home’s aesthetics and relative energy efficiency.
4. PLUMBING, ELECTRICAL, HVAC
If you are planning to include a new kitchen, bath, or laundry room in your home addition, you will likely need new electricity, plumbing, and ventilation. The impact this will have on your investment will vary depending on what is going into your addition and how it will tie into your existing mechanicals.
Existing mechanicals may need to be relocated or upgraded to accommodate the added square footage. An evaluation of your electrical panel most likely will result in the addition of more circuit breakers, upgrading the amp service, and in some cases, the replacement or addition of an entire electrical panel. Tie-ins to your existing furnace system may need to be evaluated and increased to handle the added spaces. The option of radiant heat, which works great in the mid-west to maintain an optimal air environment, may be considered instead of more forced air.
Older homes frequently contain galvanized pipe that has become corroded and may require upgrades to copper (sometimes PEX) for better functionality. We have found in different geographical areas around the Northwest Suburbs that we see differences in what is currently installed and will make recommendations accordingly. Existing plumbing or electrical that might not be to code may need to be addressed if it is exposed during the addition project.
5. HOME ADDITION DESIGN
The shape and architectural complexity of your addition’s design will influence the cost of your addition. Your addition should blend seamlessly with the rest of your home’s aesthetics, and building a structure that achieves this is a primary goal of every good addition design.
Every home has its own mix of architectural details that your design and build team will carefully consider when designing your addition. Each architectural style has its own set of guidelines, which can impact the materials needed for your project. For example, in a true Victorian or Contemporary style, there is often more custom siding, windows, roof angles, and decorative millwork than in homes with blended styles. In the Chicago suburbs, there is a mix of historical homes with distinct architectural styles and neighborhoods with transitionally designed homes that are a blend of different styles.
Transitional style homes are characterized by their mixture of contemporary and traditional aesthetics, and they offer more flexibility when designing an addition. More simplistic or rectangular addition shapes are most economical compared to more non-traditional shapes with complex angles and details. More roof lines and higher pitches on an addition can contribute to your project investment.
6. TIE IN & REWORK
One element that should be carefully considered in your addition is the tie-in and associated re-work that will be required within your existing home. Making sure that every point of contact is sound and secure from the foundation up is crucial. Each addition’s tie-in will be different depending on where the addition will connect to your home. A home addition that requires more linear feet of tie-in may disturb more of the existing space and require more re-work in the existing home.
Areas that tie-in can affect are the foundation, walls, ceilings, and roofs, and of course the interior finishing. Since many homes are receiving an addition because the family needs a larger kitchen or added bath, this may be an obvious factor, but it is still one worth mentioning since interiors can contribute to project costs just as much as the actual structural construction costs.
WHY CONSIDER DESIGN-BUILD?
Many homeowners today who are planning an addition to their home find it most beneficial to work with an experienced design-build team instead of hiring an architect separately and then trying to find an interior designer and contractor to produce the project.
The addition and renovation of an existing home is considerably more difficult than building a new home. There are numerous things to consider in design and product selection that will effectively integrate with your existing home. An experienced design-build team brings all these professionals together from the very beginning to streamline the planning and development process, allowing for a smoother construction process for the most predictable result.
Design-build clients have often reported that the most impactful thing that aided in developing and maintaining their budget was the design-build process with an experienced team.
As you plan your home’s expansion, establish your wants vs. needs list early in the design process. With your qualified design-build team, you will find a solution that complements the beauty of your home inside and out and enhances everyday life for your family. It can be a fun and exciting process that results in extended living spaces for you and your family that will truly change your life. Check out our home addition resources and project case studies to see how other local homeowners have added to their homes.
If you’re itching to add highly functional square footage for your family but aren’t sure where to start, schedule a complimentary consultation with our design team. We will help you break down the steps needed to complete your home addition and answer your questions regarding investment ranges, layout ideas, timeframes, and more.