The Process of Building an Addition
Adding an addition or an in-law suite to your home is an amazing way to accommodate family members and ultimately add significant value to your home. The process from start to finish requires proper planning and concise execution. The first step in this process is to establish a budget for your needs. What is the purpose of this addition? Will it be a private space? Will it have a bedroom, a bathroom? A kitchenette? This budget should be realistic and include material and labor costs, permit fees as well as contingencies in the event additional expenses occur. Once you hire a team to design and manage your project, everything will begin to fall into place. Now it's time to start the permitting process. It's imperative that all necessary permits for each aspect of the build are secured to ensure that all plans are designed to the local building code.
Once the design is approved, the construction begins with site preparation. The first step is to dig the footers. These footers must meet specific depth and width requirements based on building codes. A concrete block is then added to meet the elevation requirements set forth by the existing foundation. Rebar, a steel reinforcing rod, is then added to provide a stable foundation once the concrete is poured in the footers.
Depending on your design, the addition may have a concrete slab, crawl space, or full basement foundation. The foundation is then poured, leveled, and given time to dry before any actual framing starts. Now that the foundation is set, it is time for the framing to begin. The framing includes constructing floor joists and subfloors, building the walls and openings, as well as installing joists and roof trusses. On the exterior walls, you will use either sheathing or zip board. Once the exterior is sheathed, the outer walls will be wrapped with house wrap, which waterproofs the structure while awaiting siding and trims. This is also the point in which windows are installed. The exterior is now ready for siding and trimming work to begin.
After the walls are up, the roof is framed and covered with sheathing, underlayment's and accessories as required per code and shingles to match the existing roof structure. This ensures that the addition is now weatherproof.
Once the framing is in place it's time to do rough ins for plumbing, electrical, and HVAC work. All wiring, lights, pipes and drains are installed, which is especially crucial for bathrooms and kitchens included in these buildouts. An existing HVAC may not be able to support the new space, in which case you may need a separate unit, ductwork, or a mini split system installed to provide proper heating and cooling in the addition.
By now you can see how much goes into the project before we can even begin finishing the interior. The next step in the process, once all plumbing and electrical inspections have passed, is insulation. To maintain energy efficiency, insulation is installed in walls, ceilings and sometimes floors. Typically, you want to achieve at least an R-value of 28 in your walls and an R-38 in your ceiling. Options for insulation include: batt or blown in insulation. Once the insulation is in and passes inspection, drywall work begins. The drywall goes up, seams are taped and then is prepped and primed for paint.
With drywall complete, it's time for flooring. Once the flooring of choice is laid down, baseboards, trims and doors are then installed prior to painting walls and ceilings. Now you can really see the space take shape. Plumbing fixtures, lighting fixtures, countertops, cabinets and appliances are installed. The final steps are where final inspections take place as well as a final punch list for your contractor to put the finishing touches on.
From concept to completion, building an addition or an in-law suite is a rewarding investment that adds functionality and value to your home. As you can see, careful planning and oversight is required. Most importantly, to realize your vision, hiring the right professionals is perhaps the most important part of this renovation. A professional contractor will oversee the project from beginning to end and make sure the job is done right the first time.
With over 39 years of award-winning excellence in design and construction, Starcom Design Build is here to guide you through the building process. From concept to completion, we will bring your vision to life. You can rest assured the project will be done right every step of the way.