When an addition makes sense
Moving means land transfer tax, agent fees, moving costs and leaving a neighbourhood you like. An addition keeps you where you are and builds exactly the space you are missing. It is a bigger project than a renovation, so we start by checking what your lot and your house allow.
Types of additions we build
- Rear additions. A bigger kitchen and family room, a main-floor primary bedroom with ensuite, or space for an aging parent.
- Second-storey additions. Adding a floor to a bungalow or building over a garage. An engineer checks that the foundation and walls can carry the new load.
- Side additions and bump-outs. Smaller extensions that add a mudroom, a pantry or a larger bathroom.
- Sunrooms and four-season rooms. Insulated and heated, so they are usable in January too.
- Garages. Attached and detached garages, and garage conversions to living space.
Zoning, permits and drawings
Every addition needs a building permit, and many need a close look at zoning first: how close you can build to the property lines, how much of the lot can be covered, and how tall the house can be. If the design needs an exception, the City of Windsor's Committee of Adjustment can approve a minor variance. We work with a designer and a structural engineer to prepare the drawings, file the permit and answer the City's comments. Near Lake St. Clair, Lake Erie or the Detroit River, the Essex Region Conservation Authority may also need to approve the work.
How an addition project runs
- Site visit and feasibility: what your lot, zoning and structure allow.
- Design and drawings with an engineer where the structure needs one.
- Written quote and schedule, line by line.
- Permits, and a minor variance if one is needed.
- Build: foundation, framing, roof, windows, rough-ins, inspections, insulation, drywall, finishes.
- Tie-in to the existing house: roof lines, siding, floors and heating, so the addition looks like it was always there.
Living at home during the work
Most families stay in the house during an addition. The new space is built while the old house stays closed and weather-tight; the opening between them is made near the end. We plan noisy and dusty days ahead and tell you when they are coming.