Just wanted to put this out there for anyone currently dreaming about adding a sunroom, a second-story extension, or a bump-out to their house. If you get a quote from a contractor that says a project will cost $50,000, do yourself a huge favor and make sure you actually have $100,000 sitting in the bank before you tell them to start digging.
We just finished a 12x20 family room addition on our main level, and the sheer number of hidden costs that popped up along the way was absolutely staggering.
First, when they excavated for the new footings, they found out our old foundation wall was degrading and needed $6,000 worth of emergency structural reinforcement before they could pour new concrete. Then, the city inspectors forced us to upgrade our entire home’s electrical panel to a 200-amp service because the new addition pushed the power load past the old limit. Finally, matching the 20-year-old siding on the rest of the house was completely impossible, so we ended up having to re-side the entire back of the house so it didn’t look completely ridiculous.
Additions are not like remodeling an existing kitchen or bathroom where the boundaries are set. Once you start breaking into the exterior shell of an old house, you are opening up a massive Pandora’s box of unexpected expenses. Plan for the worst budget-wise, or you will end up with a half-finished frame sitting in your yard for months.