Bump-outs and room additions
Bump-outs and room additions
A room pushed out from the back or side of the house, built so that from the street it looks like it was always there.
A bump-out is the smallest structural change that gives you a bigger room: a kitchen that grows into the yard, a primary suite behind the garage, a family room off the back. It has its own footings, its own floor and wall framing and a roof tied into yours.
What is included
Footings, floor, walls and roof framing
Windows, doors, siding and trim to match the house
Heating, cooling, wiring and plumbing extended to the new room
Insulation, drywall, paint and flooring
Drawings, engineering and the permit file
What it doesn't cover
Not part of the price unless we write it in
Landscaping and fencing
Replanting, irrigation and fences that the work disturbs are quoted separately.
Furniture and window treatments
Your own to choose. We can set blinds or shades if you have them.
Appliances
We install what you buy. Lead times are yours to watch, and we tell you the date we need them.
Repairs to the old part of the house
Rot or damage found behind a wall we open is written up as a change order.
What changes the cost
What moves the number
We print no figures here, because the cost depends on the house and the lot. These are the things that move it.
The size and shape of the room
Square footage, a bay or a straight wall, the roof over it.
The ground it sits on
Red clay, slope and drainage change the footings. A crawlspace or slab to match the old house changes the floor.
What has to move
A meter, an air conditioner, a gas line or a water spigot on the wall that is going away.
Systems
Whether the existing furnace and air handler can carry the new room, or it needs its own zone.
Finishes
A match to the old siding and trim, flooring through to the old rooms, window sizes.
Setbacks and trees
How close the wall can go to the line, and whether a mature tree has to stay and be protected.
How it goes
From the first visit to the last walkthrough
- 01
Step 1: Walk the lot
We measure the house, mark the wall, look at the grade and the crawlspace or slab, and check setbacks.
- 02
Step 2: Draw the room
Sketches first, then drawings, with the window and door sizes and the roof tie-in.
- 03
Step 3: Permit
We file with the county and the town and answer their questions.
- 04
Step 4: Footings and foundation
Dug, inspected, poured. The room gets its own base.
- 05
Step 5: Frame and close in
Floor, walls and roof, then windows and house wrap, so the weather stays out.
- 06
Step 6: The wall opens
The day the old wall comes out, we protect the floors, hang plastic and keep the rest of the house closed off.
- 07
Step 7: Finish and walk through
Systems, drywall, paint, floors, then a walkthrough with a written list of anything left.
Permits
Permits and rules
Mecklenburg County Code Enforcement issues the building permit for work in Charlotte and in most towns in the county. A bump-out also needs zoning approval, which is the city's or the town's.
Setbacks (how far a wall must stay from the property line), height limits, lot coverage and tree-save rules can all limit where a room can go. We check them at the first visit, before you pay for a design.
If you're in an HOA or a local historic district, the association or the Historic District Commission reviews exterior changes first. We prepare the drawings they ask for. Outside the city on septic, adding a bedroom can need approval from the county health department.
Questions
Common questions
How long does a bump-out take?
Longer than people hope and shorter than a second story. The permit review sets the start, and the weather and the inspection schedule set the pace. We give you a schedule in writing before you sign the build agreement.
Will it match the rest of the house?
That is the point of the drawing stage. We match the roof pitch, the siding and the trim, and show you the elevations before you approve them.
Can I stay in the house?
Yes, in most cases. The dust and noise come with the wall opening, and we protect the floors and close off the work area.
Is a bump-out cheaper than going up?
Per square foot it often is, because there is no new roof over the whole house. On a small lot, where a bump-out needs a variance, it may not be. The comparison for your house says which.
Start with a walk around the house
We'll look, measure and tell you what we see.