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Room Additions

Room Additions Guides

Guides to adding space to your home, from ground-floor additions to second stories, including typical costs and what to plan for.

Bare plywood subfloor in a framed room with a chalk line and a framing square
Article

Cost per Square Foot Explained: What the Number Counts and What It Leaves Out

Cost per square foot explained with U.S. Census Bureau definitions of construction value and floor area, plus HUD's…

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Kitchen wall opened to the studs beside new white base cabinets during a remodel
Article

Contingency Budget Explained for a Home Remodel

A contingency budget is money set aside for unforeseen costs: HUD's definition, how its 203(k) program sizes one…

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Wood-framed accessory dwelling unit on a concrete slab in a backyard with stacked lumber
Article

California ADU Timeline by Phase: Design, Permit Review, Build and Occupancy

California ADU timeline by phase: design, the 30 and 60 day state review clocks, one builder's build ranges,…

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Framed doorway into an unfinished room addition with a sawhorse table and rolled plans
Article

In-Law Suite Timeline Runs Design, Permit Review and Construction in Turn

Check the phases of an in-law suite project: design and wait time, the California permit review deadline, construction…

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Projecting floor of a bump-out with rigid foam being fitted into the open joist bays
Article

Where Bump-Out Additions Go Wrong, and What to Check Before the Walls Close

The edges where a bump-out addition tends to fail, from the sealed floor edge to ducts, structure and…

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Stakes and string marking the footprint of a room addition beside a house
Article

Room Addition Quotes Depend on Permits, Setbacks, Septic and Flood Status

Before you ask for room addition quotes: permits, size triggers, setbacks, septic approval, flood status and the state…

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A room addition at the rough-in stage with open wood stud framing, two outlet boxes with cable, red and blue PEX lines and an insulated exterior wall
Article

Building Inspections Check Work Before It Is Covered and Again at the End

What building inspections are and which stages they check, from footings and rough-in work to insulation and the…

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A wall-mounted tankless water heater in a garage with copper water lines and shutoff valves, a gas line with a yellow valve, a vent pipe and a carbon monoxide alarm beside it
Article

How Long Does a Tankless Water Heater Last, and What Signs Point to Replacement?

Tankless water heater lifespan as ENERGY STAR and a home builders' study report it, signals that replacement is…

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A bathroom mid-demolition with a water-stained, rotted plywood subfloor around the toilet flange and an opened wall showing a damaged bottom plate and mold
Article

Hidden Remodeling Costs: Five Places Surprises Come From

Hidden remodeling costs explained: low allowances, conditions found behind walls, items missing from an estimate, changes after signing.

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