Make Your Dreams a Reality
Add Extra Space and Value to Your Home
A home addition can be a great investment for your home. You can add valuable living space, add specialized rooms like a home office, workout room, or home theatre. You can also add functionality with a new kitchen, bathrooms, a mudroom, and more. We at ALH have completed addition projects for our clients and helped them bring their vision to life.
Process
It’s beneficial to know the process of building a home addition before you embark on the journey. The process can vary depending on the size and scope of the project and the local building regulations. It begins with reaching out to a professional general contractor or building company to start the initial planning phase.
1. INITIAL PLANNING & PRICING
This is the first step in building your addition. Every project begins with understanding exactly what the homeowner’s vision is and what they would like to achieve. This is the discovery phase and one our of trained professionals will come out to look at your home and learn about the scope of the project. After the discovery phase, we will create a detailed plan for the addition, including the layout, size, and materials to be used. This will include ballpark pricing for the project.
2. DESIGN PROCSES
The design phase is where the necessary permits are approved and the reviews of the plans are certified by the local building department.
“How long does it take to get the permits approved?”
That is a great question. This depends on the jurisdiction you are in. A lot of building departments in the Denver area are backed up and understaffed. It can take a long time, up to 6 months or more, to go through the entire permitting phase. Here is a link to the Denver Building Department’s showing the entire permitting approval process.
Even though it can take awhile if this is something you are considering, it is important to jump on the ball and get things rolling right away. The good news is once everything is approved by the Builder Department you are now ready to move on to the next phase, construction.
3. CONSTRUCTION
The construction phase is where the rubber meets the road. Once the plans and permits are in place, we will begin actually building the addition. Here is what that will look like:
- Site Preparation. This may involve grading the land, installing utilities, and removing any existing structures or trees that are in the way.
- It will also include demolition of the exterior, foundation, and interior for the project to begin.
- Foundation. The foundation for the addition will be constructed, which may include a crawl space, full basement, or slab on grade foundation.
- Framing. After the foundation is in place, the framing of the addition will begin. This includes the installation of the floor, walls, and roof.
- Plumbing, Electrical, and HVAC. The plumbing, electrical, and HVAC systems will be installed during this step. This will include the installation of pipes, wiring, and ductwork.
- Insulation and Drywall. Insulation will be installed in the walls, floors, and ceiling, and then the drywall will be hung.
- Finish work. Finish work such as flooring, cabinetry, and trim will be installed.
- Final inspection and occupancy. Once the addition is complete, it will be inspected by local building authorities to ensure that it meets all code requirements. Once the inspection is passed, the addition will be ready for occupancy.
As you can see this process can be complex and this was just the tip of the iceberg. That is why it is extremely important to hire a professional team that knows what they are doing and can guide you through the process from start to finish.
Now if this is something you are interested in please reach out to us today. We would love to chat and learn about your project!
Home Addition Pictures
Denver, CO
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