Home addition cost estimates.

Home additions are necessary if you are in the need of additional living space in your current home. Additions can be expensive, but are nothing compared to the price of selling your home and moving to large home. By adding living space to your current residence, you can continue to enjoy living in the location that you love while at the same time making it more comfortable by increasing it with the space that you need. When it comes to home additions, there are a few things that you need to know prior to determining how much each addition will cost you.

What Is Involved With Room Additions.

When you get into adding additional space to your residence, there are many different areas of contractor work that could be involved. Home additions do not simply involve knocking out a wall and putting up some drywall. They involve professionals such as electricians, plumbers, and carpenters. You also have to consider the cost of finishing your project such as carpet, paint, and window treatments (if applicable). This is why it is good to have a contractor give you an estimate as opposed to trying to tackle the job yourself. You do not want to knock out a wall without having some idea of how much the total addition will cost you.

Types of Additions and their Cost Estimates.

There are different types of additions and you will need to know which type you plan on doing prior to getting an estimate. For instance, if you plan on doing an addition to your kitchen, it will more than likely cost you more than if you are adding a sun room or enclosed porch. When considering a home addition, make sure that you know the type. Here are a few that you can consider :

• Kitchen Addition – Additions to kitchens normally include adding an additional eating area, a sitting room, or simply expanding the size in order to accommodate more people in the space. Kitchen additions will also help you add the appliances that you have always wanted as more room in the kitchen means more available space for the new dishwasher or double door refrigerator. If you plan on tackling an addition to your kitchen, you should plan on spending approximately $375 to $450 per square foot. The total cost will depend on the different type of materials that you plan to use (e.g., granite versus laminate, tile versus linoleum, etc.).
• Bathroom Addition – Bathroom additions can also run you approximately $250 to $300 per square foot depending on the type of materials that you choose to use. The most common reason you would want to add on to a bathroom is due to being cramped in a tiny room and needing to either add areas for more privacy or more space to put in a larger shower or bath area. Also, many bathroom additions involve adding a completely new bathroom to an existing home that may not have enough current bathrooms to accommodate your family.
• Other Room Additions – Other room additions are less expensive than kitchens and bathrooms as you do not have to deal with as much plumbing and electrical work. Many people add additional living space that include sun rooms and covered porches. Additions may also include an additional bedroom or extended living room space. Regardless of the project, plan on spending approximately $150 to $275 per square foot for an addition. As always, the overall price will depend on the type of materials that you use (e.g., hardwood floors versus carpet, etc.).

Building Materials For Room Additions.

To help you get a better idea of what it will cost to complete an addition to your home, you need to know some of the material costs that are involved.

• Concrete Footings and Slabs – This is necessary to support the new addition and ensure that there is no settling in the future. Failure to pour a proper footing or slab can result in cracked floors and walls which can cause mold and invite bug infestations. The average cost for concrete slabs is approximately $110 to $120 per cubic yard.
• Shingles and Flashing – While the majority of additions focus on the interior, you need to keep in mind that there is exterior work involved as well. There will be metal flashing and shingles that need to be put on any addition to your home. The cost for these items is approximately $15 to $150 per square foot.
• Doors – Doors are something that will be needed for any addition and you will pay approximately $150 to $900 depending on the type of door that you choose (metal, wood, laminate).
• Windows – Windows are also a necessary part of any addition and could run you anywhere from $150 to $900 each depending on the size of the window.
  
  

Additional Price Considerations.

When starting a room addition, there are many things that you need to keep in mind. One of the most important is knowing the laws in your area regarding home additions. You will likely need to obtain a permit to start construction and also have inspections once the addition is complete. When you receive an estimate from a contractor, make sure that they include this in their estimate as obtaining a building permit is an additional charge.

Always choose quality over cost when it comes to building materials. Any addition will look the same once it is complete; however, how will it look ten years from now? If you choose cheap materials as opposed to quality materials, you will need to bring your contractor back years later in order to do repairs. Always choose quality over price as it will save you money and headaches in the long run.

As with all remodeling projects, it is better to do more work at once as opposed to doing small chunks at a time. If you are looking to do several additions to your home, do them at the same time as you will save money in labor and material costs. Also, if you are ordering carpet for your new addition, consider replacing carpet in other rooms as you will save more per square foot when you buy in larger quantity.

To get a better idea of costs, here are some home addition estimates from professionals.

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