I’m trying to assess if this is worth it before talking to contractors. I’ve done a lot of DIY remodels and hired out some but never anything of this magnitude. I want to build an addition on top of the garage and connect to the rest of the 2nd floor. Here’s some assumptions I have.
-The slab foundation appears to have same construction as the rest of the house. Let’s assume the footings are good for a second floor
-The joists and walls in the garage do not appear to be structured for a second floor. Will need to reinforce garage walls and add joists.
-This project would coincide with an already planned new roof and HVAC upgrade. So HVAC could be sized for the new square footage
Houses are going for about $275 square foot in our area. This will add about 250 square feet to the house. So if this could be done for $60k or less I won’t lose equity.
- Any success or horror stories with this sort of thing?
- Any one tackle something like this as your own GC?
Or if the addition doesn’t pan out, make a screen covered patio above it?
This is definitely something you need to discuss with a local structural engineer. They will know the local code and how much can be supported. Also these types of garages are typically very bare bones in terms of structure so definitely going to be reinforced to support the roof AND addition. Otherwise it’s going to cave in. Plus you have to take into consideration adding new electrical, plumbing and HVAC ducts.
To get it done right. $60K for something of this magnitude doesn’t seem feasible, but I live in an area with a higher cost of living. So definitely find a good GC in your area and ask them about the deliverables/quotes.
Seems like you’ve put a lot of thought into it already. What’s preventing you for paying for an engineer survey as a next step to answer the feasibility questions/assumptions you have.
I agree with this. Spend a couple bucks to get quotes from engineers and contractors. The “worth it” part will be answered by their quotes, which you set along side comps for houses that are similar to yours with the added space, and what that space allows you to do that you couldn’t do otherwise.
