When you're looking around your home wondering how you managed to accumulate so many random items and how you ended up with a family twice its original size, a home addition can be an excellent alternative to buying a larger home.

 

What do you need to know about building a home addition? We're answering the most frequently asked home addition questions. 

 

What Does a Home Addition Include?

 

Building a home addition can include various steps, depending on the type of addition you're building. An entire second-story addition will have a significantly higher number of components than a simple bump-out to your living room. 

 

Some basics include foundation materials and installation, roof and framing materials, wall demolition, drywall, flooring, electrical, and plumbing and HVAC. Insulation, siding and windows, door installation, and finishing touches like paint and molding may also be a part of your project. 

 

How Long Does a Home Addition Take?

 

The pre-construction phase can take several months, which includes working with your contractor on design and permitting. Construction of your home addition can take as little as two months or as long as nine months. 

 

What are the most considerable contributions to timing? The size of the addition is a huge factor, as is the style, the complexity of the design, and any potential delays. While no one wants to experience delays, there are certain things that your contractor has little to no control over, like material backorders, and weather.

 

How Much Does a Home Addition Cost?

 

Determining your final costs of an addition requires more than a calculator. There are so many things to consider, like the size of the addition, site preparation, demo costs, materials, design, building codes, and so much more.

 

Many banking institutions have home addition calculators, but they often miss the mark. That said, to get a ballpark range you can estimate, you can calculate by square footage. 

 

A standard addition can run between $80 to $200 per square foot, while a more extensive addition can run anywhere between $100 to $300 per square foot. Remember that many unforeseen circumstances can occur, so a good rule of thumb is to add around a 20% buffer to your overall budget. So, if your all-in budget is $100,000, shoot for a project budget of $80,000. 

 

What Is the Most Expensive Part of a Home Addition?

 

Typically, the most expensive part of building a home addition is the framing, which includes the wood needed for the frame, trusses, and sheathing.

 

Why is this so expensive? You'll need high-quality lumber to support the structure properly, and that certainly isn't cheap. It’s also not something you can skimp on either. 

 

How Much Does an Addition Increase Your Home's Value?

 

This is another tricky one that's very dependent on the type of addition and whether your addition is upscale or mid-range. For example, on average, you can recoup 53.1% of your investment in a bathroom addition, where a master-suite addition will give you about 47% of your investment back. 

 

A second-story addition may allow you to recoup 65% of your costs. Of course, the design elements, quality of work, curb appeal, and other factors can increase or decrease these percentages dramatically. 

 

Who Is the Top Home Addition Contractor Near Washington, DC?

 

If you're looking for the best contractor in the DC Metro area, look no further than our team at FLX Construction. Our design and building professionals are experts in planning and executing the home addition of your dreams.

 

The best part? Your in-home consultation is free! Give us a call today at 240-354-4598 or fill out our online contact form to get scheduled!