How it works
How an addition goes, step by step
The same five steps on every job, whether it's a bump-out or a second story.
- 01
Step 1: 1. Site visit
We walk the house and the lot, take measurements and photos and ask what the room is for. An hour or two, with a tape measure, no sales pitch. It doesn't commit you to anything.
- 02
Step 2: 2. Survey and sketch
We draw what exists and show two or three layouts on paper. You mark them up, and we revise until one feels right.
- 03
Step 3: 3. Plans and permit
Construction drawings and any engineering, then the permit application. This is often the longest step, and the permit office sets its pace.
- 04
Step 4: 4. Build
A superintendent runs your site every working day. You get a text with photos each afternoon, and a call before anything changes.
- 05
Step 5: 5. Inspections and walk-through
We book every inspection. At the end you walk the finished work with a written list, and the last payment waits for it.
Week one on site
What happens when we show up
The first week isn't framing. It's protecting your house and the lot, so the rest of the build can be quiet and tidy.
In week one
Tree and root protection fencing
A dumpster and a place for materials, agreed with you
Temporary power and a clear path to the work
Dust barriers inside, where we'll cut into the house
A note to your neighbors with the superintendent's number
Who calls whom
Who you hear from
Before the build
Adrienne and Aditi: layouts, scope, permit and price.
During the build
Belisario: daily on site, a text each afternoon and a call before any change.
After the build
Adrienne walks the finished work with you and stays your contact for the warranty.
Questions
About the process
How long does it take, and when can you start?
Drawings and permit review often take longer than the build, and the permit office sets that pace, not us. We tell you where your project sits in our calendar at the site visit, and again when the drawings are done.
What happens if you find something behind the wall?
We stop, photograph it and tell you the same day. If fixing it changes the cost or the schedule, you get a change order that shows what we found, what we propose and what it adds. Nothing proceeds until you sign it.
How do change orders work?
A change is a one-page document with the new scope, the cost and the effect on the schedule. You can say no. If you change your mind about a finish after it is ordered, the change order includes what the supplier charges to cancel.
Who will be in my home, and who is my contact?
A named superintendent runs your site every working day, and you have his number. Our own carpenters do the framing and finish work. Trades such as electrical, plumbing and heating are done by licensed firms we have worked with for years; they are named in your contract.
Can we live in the house during the work?
For a rear or side addition, usually yes: the new space is built outside the old one and we connect at the end. For a second story or a whole-house remodel, many families move out for some of the build. We plan that with you at the start, with the schedule in front of us.
Start with the site visit
An hour with a tape measure, and a straight answer about what your house and lot allow.