Home Additions Built to Last

What a home addition with ADS covers

Bump-outs, full room additions, second stories, and kitchen or family room extensions. We carry the drawings and the permit, then build the foundation, framing, roof, windows, plumbing, electrical and heating, and the finished interior. The crew that frames the structure is the crew that finishes the inside.

How an addition runs

Zoning check. Before anyone talks about square footage, we check what your lot allows under your village’s rules, including setbacks, lot coverage and height. That sets the size of addition that is possible.

Structural drawings. The foundation, the framing and the connection to your existing house are engineered and drawn.

Permit. We submit the drawings and answer the village’s questions. Nothing is dug until the permit is issued.

Foundation. Footings go below the frost line and are inspected before the foundation work continues.

Framing, roof tie-in, dry-in. The addition is framed, the new roof is tied into the existing one, and windows, sheathing and roofing close it up against the weather. Most of this happens from the outside, so the wall into your house stays in place until late in the job.

Mechanicals and inspections. Plumbing, electrical and heating are run and inspected before insulation and drywall.

Interior and opening. Drywall, flooring, trim and paint, then the opening into the existing house. Final inspection, a walkthrough with you, and your 2-year written workmanship warranty.

Timeline and cost

Most additions take 12 to 20 weeks and cost $80,000 to $250,000. Drawings and permit review come first, and review times vary by village. You get the full schedule in writing before construction starts.

The biggest cost drivers are size, the foundation type (slab, crawlspace or full basement), a second story over the existing house versus building out, the roof tie-in, whether the new space includes a kitchen or bathroom, and how closely the siding, windows and roofline need to match the house.

What to have ready

If you have your plat of survey, it speeds up the zoning check. Tell us about any easements or HOA rules you know of. Plan for equipment access to the yard, and expect part of it to be a work zone for a while.

About our photos

There is no finished addition in our portfolio yet, and we are not going to borrow another builder’s pictures. The structural work behind an addition is on this site, though. You can see a staircase removed and rebuilt in a new spot in Lombard, a wall taken out to open a Lombard kitchen, and a 1,800 sq ft Glen Ellyn basement taken to the shell and rebuilt.

Thinking about adding on? Send the estimate form at the top of this page, and we call or text back within 2 business hours to set up a free visit with Brian on your lot. Get my free estimate