Who Builds Home Additions?

Building a home addition will add living space and utility to your home and, in turn, normally adds value to your property. But who builds home additions, and how do you choose from the different pros who can tackle the work? Let’s discuss the different options you have and why a home addition specialist is your best bet.

Benefits of Hiring a Home Addition Specialist to Build a Home Addition

You should hire a home addition specialist near you to build a home addition because they can tackle everything from start to finish and have the most specialized experience. There are a few key reasons a specialist is ideal.

• They’re less likely to subcontract work: General contractors may be able to tackle the foundation and framing, but they’ll often subcontract electrical, plumbing, and HVAC work. This isn’t always a bad thing, but it can cause scheduling delays and quality issues. Home addition specialists are more likely to have a full suite of pros on their team.

• They’re often more affordable than a general contractor: General contractors will also charge a GC fee for hiring and coordinating the necessary contractors. Hiring a home addition specialist is less likely to leave you with supervisory fees.

• They have an intimate understanding of the permit process: Home addition specialists build home addition after home addition, so they’ll know what permits you’ll need from the get-go. This can help avoid delays and ensure your project is up to code and legal.

• They have the most experience: Focusing on home additions also means they’re true experts. They may be able to foresee problems before the work begins, and they’re less likely to submit change orders due to things not going according to plan.

Can I Hire a General Contractor to Build a Home Addition?

Yes, you can hire a general contractor to build a home addition. However, you’ll pay a general contractor fee, which is between 10% and 20% of the total in most cases and will drive up your labor costs. General contractors also often don’t have specialized experience, so they’re less likely to anticipate problems and solve them before they further increase costs or extend project timelines.

How Do Home Addition Specialists Build Home Additions?

Home addition specialists follow the general steps below to make your home addition dreams a reality.

• Detailed planning: First, your pro will have a structural engineer and an architect draw up plans for your home addition.

• Sourcing materials: Next, your home addition specialist will work with you to choose all materials for the inside and outside of the addition.

• Pulling permits: Your pro will pull all necessary permits to ensure the work is legal and up to code.

• Laying the foundation: The specialist will excavate and pour the foundation for the addition.

• Framing the addition: Next, your pro will frame the addition, including exterior and interior walls, roofing, and flooring, if applicable.

• Enclosing the addition: Roofing, sheathing, windows, and doors are the next to go up. This is called “drying in” your addition and will keep rain, snow, and debris outside.

• Roughing in utilities: The rough-in for plumbing, electrical, and HVAC equipment comes next.

• Installing insulation and drywall: After the rough-in, your pro will put in insulation and install drywall.

• Finishing the interior: Interior finishings come next, including paint, flooring, plumbing and electrical fixtures, trim, and more.

• Restoring the exterior: The home addition specialist will then level and reseed your yard, which will suffer some damage during the building process.

How Much Does a Home Addition Cost?

A home addition costs an average of $51,000, and most homeowners pay between $22,000 and $84,000. Your price will depend on the size and type of home addition you go for, the materials you choose, and more.

DIY vs. Hiring a Pro

Building a home addition is a job that you’ll need to leave to the professionals. Even handy DIYers can make mistakes that can lead to entire structure collapse, water damage, and house fires when working with structural, plumbing, and electrical components. You can choose to do some of the finishing work, like installing flooring, putting up drywall, and painting, to save on room addition costs, but you should leave the bulk of the work to a professional.

Your local municipality will also require that a licensed pro pull permits, so you’ll need help from an expert even if you are comfortable with doing the project yourself.