Residential Additions

The type pf permits and plans needed for an addition vary but have in common a few things. The zoning department will want a say. Engineering will want to look over the plans. Here in San Diego. CA, a department will look over the Title 24 report for fenestration conformity. Planning will have a look. Basically, the plans will need to conform to the requirements of the authority being submitted to. They’ll look to make sure the planned construction is within the planned use of the neighborhood, meets the proper zoning, and will be built to current code.

The property location drives who has authority over the permits. Coastal commission gets involved along the ocean front. You can look up maps on line showing where they have authority. Different cities and counties have their own permitting time-frames and costs. Some are significantly easier to work with then others. During times of increased construction, they are slower to process permits.

6 months is a good starting point. The project drives the timeline. If we’re adding a second story while we remodel the first story, that’s faster then if we have to build the second story while the first story is inhabited, and then go back to the first story after the inhabitants move upstairs. If we’re building an addition on-grade it’s a bit faster then a second story. From the first discussion without plans, to occupancy will usually take about 6 to 9 months. That allows for about 3 months to get the architect involved, the plans drawn, the necessary authorities approval, and to start construction. 3 to 6 months for construction is typical.

There are a few things to consider here. As far as cost is concerned, it’s usually a bit less expensive to build on grade then over an existing structure. A 200 square foot, 2 story structure is about the same cost as a 2,000 square foot one story structure. The cost of the smaller foundation and roof, offsets the cost of building above grade for instance. However, there are of course other considerations such as view, zoning, lot size, etc. We’re happy to discuss your specific situation.

You can almost always live in the home during construction however you may not want to. With many additions it’s possible to work around inhabitants. It’s sometimes time consuming though and can be costly. It’s a stressful and uncomfortable environment in which to live. By nature, construction is loud and dirty. Construction sites come alive early and can run late. There are a lot of people coming and going and it’s not an easy place to relax. For this reason, we often advise a short term rental or vacation during at least part of the project. However, this is largely project specific. Many times we can build an entire addition without breaking the exterior envelop of the existing home until the we’re finished with the new work. We’ll be happy to discuss your specific project and the viability of living there.

The cost per foot varies between $100.00 and $1,000.00 a square foot of new living space. Not very helpful right? Let me narrow it down. A free standing studio apartment style box on flat land with utilities already in place (Think a detached garage conversion) built to builders standards with basic materials and finishes could come in at $100.00 a foot. A second story addition of a master suite with en-suite master bath done built with the best finishes over an existing structure, on a hill, with high ceilings, floor to ceiling windows, and radius walls, a slate roof, New HVAC… You get the picture. Realistically, at this time in San Diego, CA. You could use $200.00 to $250.00 a foot as a rough starting point. (This was written 2/10/2018).