Home Addition - comparison

2/29/2012 at 2:09:28 PM

Lisa,

Your costs for a project like this will include design costs, building permit costs, and construction costs. There could also be additional municipal charges and deposits due, which vary from municipality to municipality. If you are near a water course, conservation approval may be required. Additional costs could relate to site specific conditions (ie: if you need to remove a fence to get construction equipment to the back of the house, relocating underground utilities - the list of possibilities is long). As every house addition is a custom project, it is best to have a contractor or builder who has experience in house additions come and look at your home and discuss the project with you.

Construction costs including excavation, foundation framing, roofing, windows, exterior finishes, plumbing, heating, electrical, interior finishes, and will again vary based on the design and finishes you choose. The difference in cost between building up, or building to the back is not substantially different, in our experience. The major difference between the two is ability to live in the house during construction. A 2nd storey addition involves the removal of the roof, and trying to live through such a project is not advisable, whereas homeowner can usually live through a project that involves an addition to the back of the house. As for total cost, expect it to be between $150 to $250 per square foot for design, permits and construction - again depending on how you choose to design and finish the space. You also need to consider what parts of the existing house may be impacted by the work and the cost of repairing those spaces. You can find more information on house additions our blog at www.inspirehomes.ca.

Lou Orazem

Inspire Homes Inc.