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Home Expansion: How Much Does House Extensions Cost?

Photo by: Bigstockphoto
Photo by: Bigstockphoto

A home extension is a great option for homeowners who want to expand their space. Adding more space is a lot cheaper than moving to a larger home. Home expansion can also boost the overall value of your house, in case you want to sell it.

But expansion is not cheap, far from it. Even if you’ve applied ways to cut costs, the total amount of a home extension will cost thousands of dollars. But if you’ve been planning this project for some time now and you are ready for a change, it’s important to check the amount of money involved in adding extra space to your home. Our basic guide on calculating home extension costs will help you take everything into consideration.

Get a Building Consultant

Before going ahead with the project, hire a building consultant first. The consultant will survey your home to determine the ideal way to approach the project. Contrary to popular belief, many building consultants specialize in residential projects and this can help you save more money. All you have to do is give your consultant an idea how you want the expansion to be. The consultant will develop a plan and list down all the materials you need to make it happen. From there, you can get quotes from hardware stores and buy the materials yourself.

How to Calculate the Extension Costs

Calculating the Cost Per Square Foot

To calculate the extension cost, measure the square foot of the extension first. This will give you an idea how large the project is. For example, an added garage is around 5,000 square feet while a sunroom is about 200 square feet. Measure the one side of the space into squares then measure every square individually. Then, add the total square footage.

After combining the total square footage, multiply it by the average cost of constructing a building in your local area. If you live in rural or sub-rural areas, the building cost is cheaper at around $80. But if you live in urban areas, the price could go up to $200 per square foot. Use this base cost for the addition.

Calculating the Building Material Costs

After calculating the base cost for the structure, you can move forward to the little details. List down all the items that will incur extra costs such as in-floor heating, plumbing, excavations, permits, and landscaping. Add alarm system, sprinkler system, and special windows, if needed. The smallest detail counts so make sure the list is as accurate as possible. Then, get an estimate from professionals for an even more accurate quote.

Finally, add 10% to 25% for expenditures you overlooked items on your list. The grand total will be the estimated cost of building an extension in your home.

To give you an idea how much an extension cost in the US, a typical bathroom will set you back $3,000-$6,000. The cost will depend on the size of the room, the fixtures, and other amenities. Converting an extra space into a bedroom could cost up to $5,000 and hiring a contractor will drive the cost to $50,000. DIY porch can set you back $120 and hiring a contractor will drive up the cost up to $6,000. Adding a second floor to a home could cost anywhere from $105,000 to $225,000.


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