Additions

You might have an issue with parental care which could be solved by having the older folks living with you, but with their own entrance. Whatever the reason, you've made up your mind to go with an addition. How do you go about it?

You'll need an architect. Get referrals and interview at least three. This will give you a good sense of the issues involved and which of the 3 is the most familiar with accomplishing what you need done.

Let these people know what you intend doing, where to locate the new space, and how much you want to spend. They should be able to tell you if there are any zoning restrictions or other problems with your wish list. If there is a problem, they should be able to suggest a potential solution or alternative.

Find out what services are included (like filing for permits, for example), and what the construction documents include. Ask to see a sample from another job.

If you don't understand anything you see, ask questions. Ask if he or she includes walk thru inspections to check quality of workmanship and adherence to drawings.

One service which is very important is that the architect should work with an engineer to determine if the addition will require more electricity to be brought into the house. Additions have to be connected to all the existing mechanical systems in the house, even if they're on separate zones.

Ask about how to size the new plumbing and/or HVAC ducts. Do we need to enlarge the size of any HVAC equipment? Should we be replacing a water heater?

These are all things which you probably didn’t foresee when you established your budget, and you want to identify them as early as possible. In addition, to pay for everything, do you need to take out a personal loan?

While you're at it, see if there is some way to save on your energy bills, and (if you're creating new rooms and not enlarging existing ones) make sure the new addition has it's own zone and thermostat.

Once you've selected an architect, and the construction documents are complete, don't simply take the drawings, pay the bill, and think you're finished with this vital member of your team. Before you do anything, you should have a face-to-face review meeting where the drawings get explained to you.

Review any changes that may have been made to your wish list. Get reasons for these changes. If something that was changed is troubling you, discuss an alternate solution. DON'T LET IT PASS! You'll be regretting it forever. Let me give you an example:

Michael & May Ann expanded their home by extending the back of the house to enlarge the kitchen and create a new bedroom and bath above. They gave their architect dimensions of 10 ft. by 22 ft. for the addition. When they got the drawings, they discovered that the extension was only 8 ft. They asked why and they were told that the zoning says that the living space in the house cannot exceed 35% of the size of the lot.

The 8 ft dimension abides by this restriction. They let it go until the builder installed the new sliding door to the deck and it was only 48" wide instead of the desired 72" width. Ever try to carry a tray of glasses or food to a deck through an opening that was less than 24" wide?? Very unhappy people.

They could rearrange the layout of the interior cabinets to create a bit more room, but they couldn't come up with a revised plan that worked well. So let's rip out the 48" sliding door and buy a pair of french doors (extra cost). Still not thrilled -felt like they had to settle for something they really didn't want.

This could have been avoided if they had a meeting with the architect and discussed keeping the 10 ft dimension and decreasing the 22 ft dimension instead. This alternative would have worked much better in Michael & Mary Ann's case.

You should think about furniture layouts before the construction starts. If the flow doesn't seem right, or if you think you're going to need additional electrical outlets, - whatever, make the adjustments before the contractor starts working.

Lastly, make sure the addition conforms to the rest of the house. Roofing, siding, colors, should all match. The idea is to make the new structure look like it was always there.

Now you need a builder. You need to get several copies of the construction documents from the architect so that each bidder is bidding on the same information. This doesn't mean that they will all interpret or identify every item the same way.

So - same deal - talk to at least 3; ask for a description of services included; have a meeting to review the contract and scope of work before the job starts. If there are differences in the scope of work, have one or the other adjust the price accordingly.

Before you award the job, make sure everything you want done has been included in the price. And make sure the contractor is figuring on cleaning up after himself after each day and that he'll protect the rest of the house from dust and debris.

If neither the architect or contractor are getting the permit and certificate of occupancy, you'll have to do it. Making your way through the typical Department of Buildings (or equivalent) is not a pleasant experience.

Have patience and ask a lot of questions. In particular, ask how long it usually takes to receive the permit once the application is submitted. This will vary from town to town. Be prepared to stand on a few lines and fill out a few forms.

When awarding the job to a contractor, get a job schedule from him, and work out a mutually agreeable payment schedule which is based on the job schedule.

For example, first payment when starting; 2nd when roughing is done and applicable inspections are completed; 3rd when finishing trades (painting, flooring, cabinetry, etc.) are beginning; 4th upon completion. That's just an example. You can work out your own variations.

Site logistics. Will there be a dumpster? Where will it be? How will you prevent damage to the front lawn or driveway? Will contractor trucks be on the street? How will material be brought to the construction area?

Are there any tree limbs in the way of the delivery trucks? There might be trees or landscaping that will be ruined by trucks if you don't make sure the deliveries are routed to avoid damage.

If you're in a neighborhood where the houses are built close to each other, you may have to get your materials delivered in small loads, only as needed, without storing anything on your site.

The solutions are easy enough. I just want to make sure you think about these issues. It might be a good idea to let your neighbors know what's going on, so they don't have any unpleasant surprises.

Is the construction being performed in winter weather? If so, either you or the contractor has to provide heat until the heating system for the new space is operational. Make sure the contractor knows to do it.

You have to stay involved during construction. This way you can catch mistakes and answer questions. There will be many. And you should document the progress of the job. I recommend keeping a daily journal, with before, after, and during pictures.

There are many reasons for building an addition. For related topics, check out the list in the right column for links to pages with more information.

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If you have a question, contact me about additions here.

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