Second-story additions
Second-story additions
A new floor over a one-story house, for families who want rooms and not a bigger lot.
A second story is a structure question first. The walls, footings and framing of the house you have must carry a floor they weren't built for. We open the attic and the crawlspace and have an engineer look before we draw rooms.
What is included
An engineer's review of the existing walls and footings
New floor framing, walls and roof
A stair, with its landing and headroom worked out in the drawings
A second heating and cooling system, if the old one can't carry the new floor
Drawings, engineering and the permit file
What it doesn't cover
Not part of the price unless we write it in
Moving out
Many families move out while the roof is open. Where we can phase the work to keep you in, we say so in the plan; lodging is yours to arrange.
Landscaping
Scaffold and a crane or lift will cross the yard. Repair of what they disturb is quoted separately.
Repairs to the old ground floor
A ceiling that comes down for the new floor framing is rebuilt. Repairs to what we find above it are written up as a change order.
Fencing and driveway
If delivery trucks need a gate or a wider drive, that is added to the plan.
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.
What the structure needs
New footings, steel or doubled framing in the old walls. A brick veneer can complicate it.
The stair
Where it can go, what it takes from the floor below and the headroom it needs.
The roof
A new roof over the whole house, with the tie-in at the walls we keep.
Systems
A second heating and cooling system, ducts through the old floor, a wiring panel that can carry more.
Weather and the time the house is open
How much we can close in a day, and what we leave covered overnight.
Zoning height
The limit on how tall the house can be in your neighborhood.
How it goes
From the first visit to the last walkthrough
- 01
Step 1: Look in the attic and crawlspace
We find the framing, the footings, the ducts and the wiring that the new floor will sit on.
- 02
Step 2: Engineer's review
An engineer confirms what the existing structure can carry and what has to be added.
- 03
Step 3: Draw the floor and the stair
Rooms, windows, the stair and the roofline, with the old and the new shown together.
- 04
Step 4: Permit
Building permit and zoning, filed by us. Height limits are checked first.
- 05
Step 5: Reinforce, then open the roof
New footings or steel go in before the roof comes off, and the roof stays open as short a time as we can make it.
- 06
Step 6: Frame, close in and run systems
Floor, walls, roof, then windows, wiring, plumbing and ducts.
- 07
Step 7: Finish and walk through
Drywall, paint, floors and a walkthrough with a written list.
Permits
Permits and rules
Mecklenburg County Code Enforcement issues the building permit, and an engineer's sealed drawings are normally part of the file for a second floor. Zoning limits the height of the house in each neighborhood, so we check that first.
If you are in an HOA or a local historic district, the association or the Historic District Commission reviews exterior changes, and a taller house is an exterior change.
Houses built before 1978 may have lead paint under the finishes. The EPA's renovation rule applies when we disturb it, and our certification is on the credentials page.
Questions
Common questions
Can my brick ranch take a second story?
Sometimes. Some need new footings, some need steel at the walls, and a few can't take a floor without cost that makes a bump-out or a move the better answer. We tell you after the engineer looks.
Do we have to move out?
Often for part of it. The roof is off and the stair is cut in. We lay out in the plan how long, and what you can stay for.
Will the house still match its neighbors?
We draw the street view with the old and new rooflines, so you can judge before you sign.
How long will the roof be open?
As short as we can make it, and not longer than a forecast we trust. We close in as we go and cover what we leave.
Start with a walk around the house
We'll look, measure and tell you what we see.