Search thousands of topics on CostHelper

BROWSE ALL TOPICS >> babies & children  cars  consumer electronics health & personal care home & garden personal finance  pets  schools small business sports weddings
CostHelper > Home and Garden  > Construction & Renovation > Second Floor Addition

Second Floor Addition Cost


How Much Does a Second Floor Addition Cost?

 
average costMedium: Partial Do-It-Yourself Can Run $100,000-$225,000high costHigh: Hiring a Contractor Can Run $225,000-$450,000

Building a second floor (also called a second story) can added much-needed space, but costs at least 20 percent more than building the same square footage at ground level. However. if you don't have the land to build out it can make sense to go up.

Typical costs:

  • A selective do-it-yourself approach -- doing as much work as possible yourself and acting as your own general contractor when you need skilled subcontractors to do specific work -- can be difficult and time-consuming, but can bring the cost of a second floor down to about $70-$150 a square foot, or $105,000-$225,000 for 1,500 square feet, depending on how much you are able to do on your own or can save by contracting directly with subcontractors. A Virginia homeowner[1] with some construction experience spent about $100,000 to add a 1,300-square-foot second floor (master suite with spa bath and walk-in dressing rooms plus home office space), or about $77 a square foot for a project that took six months.
  • Hiring a remodeling contractor to build a second floor addition can run $100-$300 a square foot for the typical addition (2-3 bedrooms and a bath plus a flight of stairs), but can go as high as $400-$500 per square foot depending on complexity, quality of materials and local labor rates. That works out to $225,000-$450,000 or more for 1,500 square feet. A California family[2] spent $300,000 on a six-month project building a second story over most of their house, including an octagon-shaped turret above the garage.
Related articles: Bedroom Addition, Bathroom Addition, Home Addition, Attic Remodeling, Basement Remodeling

What should be included:
  • Each city or county has its own requirements for how much square footage you can add based on the amount of land. Better Homes and Gardens provides an overview of legal remodeling requirements.
  • BobVila.com provides a video[3] illustrating the process of raising end walls for a new second floor addition and ThisOldHouse.com gives an overview[4] of a successful second floor addition.
Additional costs:
  • You need to determine if your home's existing foundation will support the addition or need to be reinforced; consulting a structural engineer can run anywhere from $200-$700 or more, depending on what's needed and rates in your area. You will also need blueprints for the addition. Hiring an architect to create a set of plan drawings could cost you a flat fee of $700-$10,000 or more, depending on size and complexity, or the architect may charge 5-15 percent of the project's costs.
  • Books[5] about how to plan (and survive) a home addition run $10-$35 or more, or may be available at your local library.
  • Usually an addition will trigger a reassessment of your property taxes and a resulting tax increase, but in most areas the reassessment will only be on the value of the addition, not for your entire house. A large addition can also increase your monthly utility bills.
Shopping for a second floor addition:
  • Gather examples of second floor designs and details that appeal to you. Architects and contractors in Georgia[6] , Illinois[7] and Utah[8] display photos of successful projects.
  • The National Association for the Remodeling Industry provides an online booklet with tips[9] for hiring a contractor.
  • Check whether a contractor is licensed in your state. A written contract should include a detailed outline of the work required and materials used, dates within which the project will be done, and a payment schedule.
post Post   Comments (1)  
CostHelper News


7 Lesser-Known Discounts for the 50+ Crowd
As they age, members of the Baby Boomer generation don't like to admit that they're senior citizens, but they love getting discounts. It's kind of a quandary, because some of the best deals available are reduced prices for older folks. || Posted October 21 2013


7 Ways to Stretch Your Reduced Food Budget
End of the year budgets are tight for everyone, especially in this economy.It's especially hard for the millions of Americans who depend on government programs like food stamps to help make ends meet. || Posted November 11 2013

‣ All CostHelper Blog Posts


What People Are Paying - Recent Comments
Home addition
Amount: $375,000.00 total
Posted by: Katelyn rosemary in Danvers, MA.Posted: October 13th, 2016 03:10PM
Square Feet: 1400Contractor: Robert Augustino Casaletto
He was great throughout the entire process. He has gone above and beyond what we ever thought or expected. The professionalism and craftsmanship is outstanding. We would highly recommend Robert our any construction project.
Was this post helpful to you?   yes     no Report prohibited or spam


 

Comment On Your Experience With a Second Floor Addition
 
Subject:  *
Amount Spent:  * total
Square Feet: Contractor: 
Comments: 
Purchased:  Year: 
City:  * State:  *
 
Information about you:
Email:  * Email addresses are not displayed.
Name:  This is the name we'll display with your post.
me on this computer
*=required field.
 



External Resources:
  1.  hamptonroads.com/node/241021
  2.  www.youtube.com/watch?v=XR2p9TJpr9A&gl=CA
  3.  www.bobvila.com/projects
  4.  www.thisoldhouse.com/toh/article/0,,198760,00.html
  5.  www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_ss_gw?url=search-alias%3Daps&field-keywords=home+addition&...
  6.  www.smallcarpenters.com/pro_gal_01.php?proj_id=35&gal_id=3
  7.  www.northlightarchitects.com/portfolio_po.html
  8.  www.renovationdesigngroup.com/portfolio/10.asp
  9.  www.nari.org/pdf/selectremodpro.pdf
More Home and Garden Topics
Check Out All Costs for Home and Garden How Much Does a Central Air Conditioner Cost? How Much Does a Deck Cost? How Much Does Replacing a Water Heater Cost?

Search Thousands of Topics on CostHelper.com

 
Today's Featured Cost Articles

About CostHelper
CostHelper is based in Silicon Valley and provides consumers with unbiased price information about thousands of goods and services. Our writers are experienced journalists who adhere to our strict editorial ethics policy.

CostHelper Community
UTI urgent care visit
Paid: 147.00
Visit was $135. Antibiotics was $12. Waiting for four hours in the waiting room and the visit was quick... [more]
-nervouschomper
Urinary Tract Infection Treatment Cost
Spanish Medical Interpreter
Paid: 150.00
I worked with SynShyne Services out of Monroe, NC. They were so worth the price! Professional, friendly, accurate, great attitude and always on time. I recieved an itemized report after every contact and a user friendly invoice weekly... [more]
-Gregory Richardson
Interpreter Cost
Dat
Paid: 495.00
This is how much I am paying... [more]
-Calista Christian
Dental Admission Test Cost
Shingrix
Paid: 48.00
... [more]
-Not that BB
Shingles Vaccine Cost
Skin prick allergy test
Paid: 573.00
Took my 9 yr. old in after an allergic reaction to eggs. Several panels for nuts, fish & top 8 allergens. Sure enough, egg came up. Got a script for epinephrine and left... [more]
-D’s mom
Allergy Testing Cost
Estimate for Teeth Cleaning Cat
Paid: 0.00
13 year old cat …teeth extractions, X-rays, blood work, anesthetic, cleaning estimate 2 to 3 thousand... [more]
-Terrimarie
Cat Teeth Cleaning Cost