Is there any standard price per sq ft. for an addition?

[AlCzervik]

sorry it's vague, i don't know if it goes by state or of there is some nationial average.

[stevebreeze]

1. It would go by the the area within the state too

It would also depend on how complicated the addition. There is just no way to guess an average. Ask a couple of contractors to give you a ballpark idea.

[Longhorn]

2. My husband is a remodeling contractor. His answer is "No."

He said you can generally say that it is at least 50 to 100 percent more per square foot than new construction. In the Austin, Texas area, the minimum an addition would cost (not a bathroom or kitchen, etc.) is $100 a foot, if he had to name a figure.

If you get more specific, he might be able to give you more information.

[AlCzervik]

3. OK, we don't know if we should move or improve what we have now

we have a tri-level house and the first floor has all open ceilings so we were thinking about running an addition across the back of the house. When i did the math it about 450sf. We haven't figured out if we should turn it into a master suite or like a large game room with a bedroom on one side. I know i need to get an engineer to check it out first to see if the weight can be supported and if not what we need to do to allow for the extra weight.

OK, the $$ details, we bought this house new in 2000 and paid $209.000 for it, we put a pool in that cost about $25,000 at the time. If i out it on the market today it would sell for around $470,000, thats a tad lower then the neighborhood comps but I'd rather go conservative here. OK, if i were to buy a new house with the same sf including the sf of the possible addition without a pool in it would cost about $550.000. So I'm trying to figure out the best plan here, one of the big reasons for either moving or the addition is that the bedrooms aside from the master are tiny. I have 1 child, she's 10 now and her bedroom is 10 x 11, she needs more space. I was thinking if we did the addition, she could have the current master suite and me and my husband would move into the new one. Also, closet space is a problem, no basements in this part of California and the attic is tiny because of the open floor plan and high ceilings.

OK, thats probably way more then you wanted to know but i appreciate any feed back.
:hi:

[Longhorn]

4. Need some clarification . . .

Are you talking about adding a floor where the open ceilings are now under the existing roof or building an addition with a new foundation, walls, roof, etc?

[AlCzervik]

5. yes, adding on to the second floor where there are open ceilings.

[Longhorn]

6. Okay, here is what he says.

Adding within the existing space will considerably reduce construction costs. No new roof and a floor as opposed to a foundation, most likely no additional HVAC equipment -- just some new ductwork. There will be some costs associated with adding plumbing and electrical since access to waste lines may be an issue. Of course, the addition will change the "feel" of the house, replacing soaring ceilings with low ceilings.

Overall, it sounds like it's worth checking into. He says you are wise to involve a structural engineer. If it looks like a go from an engineering standpoint, you should be able to talk to a couple of contractors for a ballpark price before incurring the expense of a set of plans. In fact, you may not have to involve an architect at all. Many contractors are adept at drawing plans for such an addition.

If you decide to go that far, feel free to ask more questions about the contractor selection process.

[welshTerrier2]

7. mortgage ideas ...

one of the issues you didn't raise was the issue of financing ...

rates are still very low ... if you decide to remodel, it might make more sense refinancing a first mortgage rather than taking a second mortgage (usually at a higher rate) ... there are tons of deals available with no points and no (or low) closing costs ...

now, whether you move or not, here's something to consider ... you've been paying on this mortgage since 2000 ... let's assume you started off with a 30 year fixed rate mortgage ... you've been making payments since 2000 ... that means you have roughly 25 years left ... i would NOT push that debt back to 30 years unless you absolutely had to do it to lower the payments ... don't give up the progress you've made ... so, instead of 30 years, look at a 25 or even a 20 if you can afford it ...

fwiw, if you don't have a fixed rate now, i think you should ... rates are so low, i'd prefer a fixed rate over a variable ...

there's no absolutes here but that's what i would do ...

oh, and one other thing, make sure you upgrade your homeowner's insurance coverage if you increase your home's value ...

[Lefty48197]

8. I live near Detroit and a simple addition would probably run about $125.00

per sq foot. That's a simple room addition without plumbing, or any major HVAC upgrade, and a simple foundation (trench footing, or block crawlspace foundation). If you're adding a brand new two story addition, then the second floor comes a lot cheaper, since you're putting in a foundation and roof anyways. Figure the second floor could be as cheap as $60 per sq ft.

[FloridaPat]

9. Here in Florida 2 years ago it was $90 sq. ft. Cheapter to build a

new home.

[Berserker]

10. I'm a General Contractor

in the Minnesota,Wisconsin area our additions run between $100.00 and $150.00 per Sq.Ft. depending on what is installed on the interior and the exterior.