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octothorp · 05-11-2008, 02:45 PM

Sometime in the next couple years, we're going to be looking at an addition to our house, and I'd love to get some advice on how to start that whole process; I'm guessing that some other Calgarypuckers have gone through this before. We won't be doing this until the summer of 2010, but I want to do as much planning on it as possible beforehand.

The first issue is finding out whether it's even possible to do what we want to do: specifically, adding a second story to our house. It's an old, inner city house (1912) on a small lot, and there's two big questions:

Firstly whether we can get a permit to build a second floor. The house next door to us was at one point a similar dwelling that had a second level added (likely in the 1970s), so I imagine it should be possible. But how does that whole process work? Do we need to get an architect to draw up plans before going and getting a permit? Can we get information from the city on what sorts of structures and additions are allowed on our property? I certainly wouldn't want to pay for an architect and an inspection of the existing property before finding out if we'd even be allowed to put in a second floor.

Secondly, how do we go about getting an inspection to see what sort of additions our existing property can support? Despite it's age, the foundation seems to be pretty solid (we've never had any problem with leaks in the basement, despite our proximity to the river), and I'm told that the narrow width of the house (combined with the fact that it was build in an era when studs were closer together and walls were built with fir rather than pine) will make it easier for the existing structure to support a second level. But really it would require an expert evaluation. Are there companies that specialize in simply evaluating the strength and quality of existing structures?

When it comes to the actual construction, I'm planning on working with a builder who specializes in additions (any recommendations anyone has would be great) as opposed to coordinating the whole process myself, but I don't want to put a lot of money up right now or commit to a builder until I've determined that it's actually going to be possible to do what I want with the property. Do I hire a builder now, get them to do the inspection process, or should I coordinate that myself for now, and then hire a builder when I know how I want to proceed?

05-11-2008, 02:45 PM	#1
octothorp Franchise Player Join Date: Oct 2002 Location: not lurking Exp:	Looking for advice on home additions Sometime in the next couple years, we're going to be looking at an addition to our house, and I'd love to get some advice on how to start that whole process; I'm guessing that some other Calgarypuckers have gone through this before. We won't be doing this until the summer of 2010, but I want to do as much planning on it as possible beforehand. The first issue is finding out whether it's even possible to do what we want to do: specifically, adding a second story to our house. It's an old, inner city house (1912) on a small lot, and there's two big questions: Firstly whether we can get a permit to build a second floor. The house next door to us was at one point a similar dwelling that had a second level added (likely in the 1970s), so I imagine it should be possible. But how does that whole process work? Do we need to get an architect to draw up plans before going and getting a permit? Can we get information from the city on what sorts of structures and additions are allowed on our property? I certainly wouldn't want to pay for an architect and an inspection of the existing property before finding out if we'd even be allowed to put in a second floor. Secondly, how do we go about getting an inspection to see what sort of additions our existing property can support? Despite it's age, the foundation seems to be pretty solid (we've never had any problem with leaks in the basement, despite our proximity to the river), and I'm told that the narrow width of the house (combined with the fact that it was build in an era when studs were closer together and walls were built with fir rather than pine) will make it easier for the existing structure to support a second level. But really it would require an expert evaluation. Are there companies that specialize in simply evaluating the strength and quality of existing structures? When it comes to the actual construction, I'm planning on working with a builder who specializes in additions (any recommendations anyone has would be great) as opposed to coordinating the whole process myself, but I don't want to put a lot of money up right now or commit to a builder until I've determined that it's actually going to be possible to do what I want with the property. Do I hire a builder now, get them to do the inspection process, or should I coordinate that myself for now, and then hire a builder when I know how I want to proceed?