Home Additions
Home additions in North Vancouver, West Vancouver and Vancouver, from a second storey to a new family room off the kitchen, built by Jordan Lane General Contracting.
What Our Addition Work Covers
An addition gives you more room without leaving the neighbourhood you already live in. We build second storey additions, rear and side additions, additions over an existing garage and smaller bump outs that make a tight kitchen, bathroom or bedroom work. Most additions are tied into a renovation of the rooms they open onto, so the old and new parts of the house read as one home.
Jordan Lane is the general contractor for the whole job. We coordinate the designer, the structural engineer and the permit, then handle the foundation, framing, roofing, windows, mechanical and finishing. You deal with one team from the first site visit to the final walkthrough.
How an Addition Project Runs
An addition changes the structure, the roof and the footprint of the house, so the planning happens before anything is opened up. Most of the big decisions are made at the drawing stage.
Site visit
We look at the house, the lot and how you want to use the new space, and check the existing structure, roof lines and access for crews and deliveries.
Feasibility and quote
We check what your municipality allows on the lot, then give you a written scope with line items for the foundation, structure, envelope, mechanical and finishes.
Design and permit
Drawings by a designer or architect, structural engineering, and the building permit with your municipality. Floor area, height and setback rules are confirmed at this stage.
Construction
Excavation and foundation or structural reinforcement, framing, roof tie in, windows, and the plumbing, electrical and heating rough in, with inspections at each stage.
Finishing and walkthrough
Insulation, drywall, flooring, trim and paint matched to the existing house, then a final walkthrough with a deficiency list before handover.
Types of Home Additions
The right addition depends on the lot, the structure of the house and what the new space is for. Each type has a trade off, and we talk them through on the first visit.
Second storey addition
Building up keeps the yard and the footprint as they are, which helps on small Vancouver and North Shore lots. The existing walls and foundation have to carry the new floor, so an engineer checks them first and reinforcement is often part of the job. The roof comes off, so the house is usually open to the weather for a stage of the work.
Rear or side addition
Building out at ground level adds a family room, a bigger kitchen or a main floor bedroom. It needs a new foundation and uses up yard space, and it has to fit within the setbacks and lot coverage your municipality allows.
Addition over the garage
If the garage structure is sound, the space above it can become a bedroom, an office or a suite. The garage walls and slab are checked for the new load, and the ceiling between the two needs fire separation.
Bump out
A small addition of a few feet can make a kitchen fit an island, give a bathroom room for a shower or turn a narrow bedroom into a usable one. It can sometimes sit on a cantilever or small footings instead of a full foundation.
Matching the existing house
Rooflines, siding, windows, trim and floor heights decide whether an addition looks original or added on. We plan the tie in from the start, and the work on the old side of the wall is in the scope, not left to the end.
Living at home during the work
Many families stay in the house for a ground level addition, with the work area sealed off. A second storey addition often means moving out for part of the job. We tell you which stages are hardest to live through before you decide.
What Drives the Cost of an Addition
We do not publish a price per square foot for additions, because the structure of the existing house and the site move the number more than the size does. After a site visit you get a quote with the foundation, structure, envelope, mechanical and finishing shown as separate lines, so you can adjust the scope before work starts.
These are the factors that move an addition quote the most.
- Building up or building out
- Size of the addition and what the rooms are for
- Foundation work, or reinforcing the existing structure
- Roof changes and tying the new roof into the old
- Kitchens and bathrooms inside the addition
- Plumbing, electrical and heating extended to the new space
- Windows, siding and finishes matched to the house
- Design, engineering and permits
Home Additions Across the North Shore and Vancouver
Our office is at 553 7th Street East in North Vancouver, and most of our addition work is within a short drive of it.
Home Additions in West Vancouver
West Vancouver homes often sit on steep lots with views to protect. An addition has to work with the slope, the existing structure and the District of West Vancouver rules on height and floor area, so we check those before any drawings start.
Home Additions in North Vancouver
North Vancouver is home. Many older City and District houses are a good size for an addition, either a second storey or a family room at the back. We look at the structure first, then handle the permit with the right municipality.
Home Additions in Vancouver
Vancouver lots are narrow, so many additions go up instead of out, or extend to the rear within the City of Vancouver setback and floor area rules. We can build the addition on its own or as part of a larger renovation of the house.
Also servingBurnaby, Coquitlam, Port Moody, Port Coquitlam and Richmond.
Home Addition Questions
The questions people ask most before they call. If yours is not here, call the office.
How much does a home addition cost in Vancouver?
We do not quote a typical number without seeing the house. Building up or out, the foundation, the roof and what goes inside the new space all move the price. After a site visit you get a line item quote and can trim the scope before work starts.
Do I need a permit for a home addition?
Yes. Any addition needs a building permit from your municipality, whether that is the City or District of North Vancouver, West Vancouver or Vancouver, along with drawings and usually structural engineering. Plumbing and electrical work need their own permits. We take out the permits and book the inspections as part of the job.
Is it better to build up or build out?
It depends on the lot and the house. Building up keeps the yard but needs the existing structure to carry the new floor. Building out is often simpler structurally but uses yard space and has to fit the setbacks. We look at both on the site visit.
Can my house support a second storey?
Some can as they are, and many need reinforcing. A structural engineer checks the foundation, walls and framing before we design the addition, and any reinforcement is included in the quote.
Can we live in the house during an addition?
Often, for a ground level addition, with the work area sealed off from the rest of the house. For a second storey addition, most families move out for the stage when the roof is off. We plan the schedule around this with you.
How long does a home addition take?
It depends on the size, the permit timeline in your municipality and how much of the existing house is renovated with it. We give you a schedule with the quote and update it once the permit is issued.
Talk to Us About Your Addition
Call the office or send a message from our contact form and we will set up a site visit.
