2024 Home Addition Costs | Montreal vs Toronto

The cost of a sunroom or solarium

A sunroom can be built on piles, a foundation, or a concrete slab. Generally speaking, homeowners tend to get a four-season sunroom on piles because it has a smaller price tag. The cost for this kind of home addition varies between $225 and $310 per square foot.. A sunroom addition needs to be insulated, ventilated, and heated just like the rest of the house or any other kind of home addition. A solarium or three-season sunroom, on the other hand, isn’t necessarily considered to be a home addition. If you choose to get a sunroom addition facing south, consider getting slightly tinted windows to prevent the space’s internal temperature from rising too high in summer months. You will also likely need air conditioning in this new space during the summertime.

In the below example, the Weber family got a four-season sunroom built. It fits nicely with their heritage-style home.

Weber Project – Home Addition

Photo Source: Pinterest

The cost of adding a second storey

A turnkey storey addition can cost anywhere between $225 and $270 per square foot. This is one of the most popular home addition options for many reasons. First, you can expand your living space without taking up more space on your property. Second, it increases your home’s resale value significantly. Though, like any other home addition, you’ll need to check the rules and regulations in your city. You’ll also need to be ready for two to three months of planning and then, depending on how complex the work to be done is, another three months of construction.

Adding a second storey is also a great option for those looking to convert their house into a bi-generational home. That’s exactly what the Gilbert family did! Learn more about their bi-generational home addition project on Reno-Inspiration.

Gilbert Project – Bi-generation Second Storey Home Addition

Photo Source: Pinterest

The cost of adding a garage

Adding a garage not only allows you to add a space dedicated to your workshop or cars, but also more living space above it. The cost of a turnkey garage addition is anywhere between $180 and $215 per square foot.. The Dube family added a garage with extra living space above it; check out their project below!

Dube Project – Home Addition

Photo Source: Pinterest

The cost of adding a basement

Adding a basement to your home is no simple feat. This option is rather pricey; there are a lot of costly steps involved. House lifting costs roughly between $40,000 and $65,000, then the foundation can cost anywhere between $40,000 and $60,000. Finally, you’ll need to add the cost of finishing your basement, which is roughly $50 per square foot, depending on if you want to include a bathroom, kitchen, etc. The overall cost for adding a basement can vary greatly – it can be as low as $150,000 but easily go over $300,000. Of course, if you already have a basement and are looking to expand it or have a crawlspace, costs will vary as underpinning processes will take place.

It’s also important to note that not all houses are ideal for this kind of addition. Homes with wooden structures and lightweight exterior siding are much easier to work with than homes covered in masonry. Sometimes homeowners decide to get a basement put in to create a rental apartment. In such a case, an areaway (i.e., a separate entrance) needs to be included as well as plumbing, electrical, and more. For this kind of project, there are many rules and regulations to follow according to your region’s building code. It’s not as simple as finishing your basement. However, adding a rental space is sure to increase your home’s resale value. Keep in mind that you’ll need to check with your city if such a project is feasible.

The cost to convert your attic

Converting your attic is also a great idea! However, if the roof isn’t at least 7 feet above the base (or floor) of your attic for at least 50% of the space’s surface area, you’ll need to lift it. The cost to do so varies between $30 and $42 per square foot, totaling about $30,000 for an average-sized bungalow. Note that the height mentioned previously needs to be taken into account without including the ceiling and flooring materials. Given that this kind of work touches your home’s overall structure, you’ll need to hire a structural engineer to determine the project’s feasibility.

Attic Conversions

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More home addition costs: Permits and plans

When you start thinking about getting a home addition, you’ll need to check with your city to determine what kind of addition you’re allowed to have, what dimensions are permitted, whether siding options are imposed, and more. In fact, there are urban planning rules that specifically regulate home additions. Many municipalities require you to get your plans done and officially signed by an architect or technologist before even handing over a permit.

Depending on where you live, the cost of a permit can vary based on the kind of home addition you plan on building. On average, a permit is about $240. As for plans, depending on how complex they are, their cost can vary between $2,400 and $3,600 if they’re done by a technologist. If your project requires an architect’s expertise, the plans are likely to cost you anywhere between 7% and 10% of your project’s total value. It’s fairly easy to find permit request information online for most cities, such as Toronto, Mississauga, Pickering, Vaughan, Markham, Montreal, and Laval. Some of them offer online application forms while others require you to go to the urban planning office in person with your plans and home’s deed in hand.

Live in Toronto? Check out our Guide on Toronto Home Additions to learn about the entire process, including the cost of each party involved!

Does doing your home addition yourself save on costs?

Careful! Self-builds are a lot more complex than they seem. In fact, a home addition requires pretty much the same elements as building a new home: electricity, plumbing, insulation, etc. Some of these elements need to be installed by a licensed professional, meaning that you wouldn’t be able to do the work yourself. For instance, you’ll need qualified tradesmen for both electrical and plumbing work.

When hiring sub-contractors, it’s your responsibility to check with the appropriate governing bodies to determine if they’re licensed and reliable. When hiring certain tradesmen, you can be considered their “boss” during the time they work on your project. If that’s the case, you might need to check with certain governing bodies if you’ll need a permit to do so. It’s important to note that, in the eyes of the law, even family and friends helping you can be considered as salaried employees.

When you hire a contractor, they have the right liability insurance policies in case anything ever happens on the worksite. If you opt for a self-build, you’ll also need to get the right insurance. You’ll have a lot of material on hand that isn’t covered for theft or vandalism by standard home insurance. In this case, the tools used are also of greater value than regular tools found in a home, so, you’ll want to ensure that you have the right equipment, too. You’ll also need to consider civil liability in case a third party gets injured.

Essentially, self-builds can seem attractive because of the savings you’ll make in labour hours. However, there are so many details that need to be considered, which will cost you time and require you to be extremely organized.

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