Home Extensions
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Renovation Process
How to plan a home addition
When planning your home addition, start with a direction: up, down, or to the side? The direction you choose to extend is only one of many major factors involved in expanding your home. Find a home addition contractor to oversee the process with expert knowledge and skill.
Plan ahead
Finding the right builder for your home extension involves clear planning. You’ll need to know the square footage of your extension and what type of surface you’ll be building on. Remember that you should consult with an architect or structural engineer to obtain construction blueprints.
Define a realistic budget
With a project as extensive as a home addition, determining costs in advance is a must. Square footage and materials used will have the biggest impact on the price of your home extension.
Compare several contractors
Use Smart Reno to find contractors near you and find the perfect partner for your home extension project. Choose a contractor based not only on price, but on how you feel they will help you achieve your dream home addition.
How much does it cost to build an extension to your house?
Home addition projects can cost as little as a DIY greenhouse kit and some weekend elbow grease, or as much as the price of your current home. Your location, the size of your house extension, and the structural changes involved will all contribute to your house extension costs. In most parts of Canada, the price per square foot varies between $100 and $200. Building on existing foundations is a good way to bring the price per square foot down.
| Type of renovation | Predictable budget |
|---|---|
| Home extension on piles | $200 – $250 sq. ft. |
| Home extension on foundation/slab | $250 – $300 sq. ft. |
| Storey addition | $250 – $350 sq. ft. |
Demolition not included.
What’s typically included in a home addition?
To add an extension to your house, you’ll usually begin by working with an architect or structural engineer to draw up blueprints and apply for a building permit. Once the blueprints are finalized and the permit is obtained, take the time to consult with your home addition contractor to determine how and when the work will take place. Demolition of walls and supports may be required, as well as laying a new foundation or installing concrete pilings. After the general structure of the home extension is in place, the rooms will be framed and the plumbing, electrical, and HVAC work will be completed. Finally, the drywall, flooring, and any painting or finishing can be done.
Tips and tricks
Popular home addition ideas in Canada
There are many types of home additions, so it’s important to consider your lifestyle when designing your home addition. You and your family deserve a home that suits your needs, whether you’re welcoming a new member of the household or celebrating your recent transition to empty nesters. The best home additions result from a combination of meticulous planning and clearly articulated needs. Consider the house extension ideas below:
Conventional house addition
This home extension adds multiple rooms to an existing house by building onto an exterior wall. The resulting construction should conform to the style of the existing house or, for a full overhaul, you can remodel the exterior of your home to fit the extension.
Attic
For the room that offers a bird’s eye view of the landscape surrounding your home, your attic may find itself neglected in maintenance and square footage. Turn a crowded storage room into an airy third-floor guest suite with an attic extension, and your hosting and resale possibilities will expand.
Solarium
Beat the winter blues with a solarium addition. Due to the unique challenges of insulating a glass-windowed room, a solarium or sunroom extension can be one of the pricier home additions. However, the resale value of adding a sunroom is undeniable, and the pleasures of taking your morning coffee in warm sunlight while your backyard is covered in snow are unparalleled.
Rear extension
A smaller and cheaper option for extending your home is a rear extension, which opens up a room without requiring extensive foundation or demolition work. Adding on a three-by-four metre breakfast nook to the rear wall of a house, with an expanded opening for the installation of French doors, is a classic and tasteful home improvement that will increase your resale value and your quality of life.
Tools & Calculators
Find out how much home equity you have to finance your renovation using the RBC Home Value Estimator.
Not sure what your renovation should cost you? Use the Renovation Cost Estimator to find out.
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Add an additional floor to my existing bungalow: I appreciate you helping out in choosing the right contractor for the job.
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Scarborough, ON
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It was a good experience to submit our project for trades to respond to. Following that had a consistent follow-up from Smart Reno contact on obtaining a contractor and the status of the project.
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Scarborough, ON
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Extend our concrete deck so we can enclose a sunroom. Good follow up and good contractors were presented.
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