ADUs and DADUs
Detached cottages, attached units and garage or basement conversions, with zoning, utilities and septic or sewer reviewed before design.
Residential
Home additions on the Kitsap Peninsula
More room built onto your home and tied into its existing foundation, roof and systems, with septic, setbacks and critical areas checked before design.
Who this is for
This service is for homeowners who like the house and the lot but need more room: a primary suite, a second story, a family room, a larger kitchen, a bonus room over the garage. It is also the service for owners adding bedrooms for family. An addition ties new structure, roof and systems into the existing house, and that connection is the hard part. If you want a separate dwelling instead, see ADUs and DADUs.
What's included
- A site visit and review of the existing framing, foundation, roof and mechanical systems
- Coordination with your designer and engineer for the foundation, structure and roof tie-in
- Septic and setback review, because an addition can add bedrooms or move the footprint close to a boundary
- A written estimate that shows foundation, framing, roof, windows, finishes and systems as separate lines
- Permit application with the city or county
- Excavation, foundation, framing and dry-in, with temporary protection where old and new meet
- Extension or upgrade of electrical, plumbing, and heating and ventilation
- Interior finishes that match or complement the rest of the house, then a walkthrough and punch list
How the work runs
Step 1: Existing house review
We look at what the addition has to connect to: foundation, roof, framing and the mechanical systems.
Step 2: Design and budget
Your designer draws and we price. Foundation and roof tie-in are the items that surprise people, so they get their own lines.
Step 3: Permit
The application and any septic, setback or critical-area reviews, tracked through comments.
Step 4: Foundation to dry-in
Excavation, foundation, framing and roof, then the opening into the house once the new space is weather-tight.
Step 5: Systems and finishes
Mechanical and electrical, insulation, drywall, flooring and trim, then a walkthrough and punch list.
On the Kitsap Peninsula
Additions on the peninsula often run into three things before design is finished. The first is the septic system. On lots without public sewer, Kitsap Public Health District reviews additions that add bedrooms, and the tank and drain field can limit both the size of the addition and where it can go.
The second is setbacks and critical areas, such as a slope, stream or wetland buffer, which can rule out the side of the house you wanted to build on. The third is the existing house itself. Foundations on older homes can be shallow, and tying a new roof into an old one is where leaks start if flashing is rushed.
Many lots in Poulsbo, Bremerton and Port Orchard are city lots with sewer; the same project in Indianola, Hansville or Seabeck is a county project with septic and a well. The Washington State Energy Code applies to the new space, and we plan insulation and windows for it from the start, not at the end.
Permit guides
The office that issues the permit depends on the parcel. Start with the authority that covers yours.
What it costs
The Estimate Desk gives a planning band for an addition: a room built on the side of a house, with the foundation and roof tie-in included. It is a planning band, not a bid, and a site visit sets the number. Second stories and additions that change the existing structure are priced from plans.
What moves an addition's price: the footprint and the number of stories, the foundation type, how complex the roof is, how much existing wall has to be opened, the window and finish level, and any added electrical or heating capacity. Septic work, when the addition adds bedrooms, can be a significant separate item.
Price it first
The Estimate Desk gives a planning band, not a bid. A site visit sets the number.
Questions about this work
Can you add a second story to my house?
Often, but it depends on the existing foundation and framing. An engineer has to confirm that the walls and footings can carry another floor. We review the house first so you know whether it is a modest upgrade or a larger structural project.
Will an addition affect my septic system?
It can if the addition adds a bedroom. Kitsap Public Health District reviews septic systems for additions that add bedrooms. We ask about septic at the first visit, because the system can limit the size and location of the addition.
How do I choose between an addition and an ADU?
An addition adds room to your home; an ADU is a separate dwelling with its own entrance, kitchen and bath. If the space is for family living with you, an addition may be simpler. If it is for rent or independent living, look at ADUs and DADUs.
How long will I be living around construction?
It depends on the size of the addition, the permit review and the season. The part that affects daily life most is when the new space is opened to the house, and we plan that for late in the project, once the addition is weather-tight.
Do I need a survey for an addition?
Often, when the addition is near a property line or a setback. A survey locates the boundaries so the design and the permit are based on facts. We tell you at the site visit whether the lot needs one.
Why does an addition cost more per square foot than the house did?
It often does, because the work is smaller in scale and includes connections to the existing house: foundation, roof, wall openings and systems. We list those connections as their own lines so you can see where the money goes.
Does an addition have to meet the current energy code?
The new space does. The Washington State Energy Code applies to the work being done, which means insulation, windows, air sealing and ventilation for the addition. We include them in the estimate.
Talk with us about additions
Call Ian Laughlin at (206) 226-1988, or send the details and we will set up a site visit.