Looking to add a 2nd story to our house, where do we start? (attorney)

[jrinco11]

Hi everyone,

We are interested in adding a 2nd story to our 1950's single story rancher (6.5' underground basement) just south of baltimore and were hoping to get some advice on where to start?

We've had a few general contractors come out and give us rough quotes, but they haven't impressed us with their ideas of how we'd build it up. Either their ideas have been building straight up the entire 1st floor and keep the same roof line, or only building up the long rectangular section of our L shaped floorplan. We've driven through a few neighborhoods around us and haven't been able to find any homes with our floor plan that are two story.

Would we be best to find an architect to give us ideas/draw up some plans and then we'd take those to a builder/contractor? Or would we be better to start with talking to someone different?

thanks in advance for any suggestions!

[MidValleyDad]

Getting an architect might be a good idea depending on how good you are at sketching out your current floorplan to scale (graph paper or online) and figuring what you want to do. Things like where are the stairs to the second floor going to be, where will the bathrooms (where is there already water and sewage on the first floor) be , etc. You will also need to make sure that the structure of your house will handle the extra weight, are any current walls load bearing, do you have trusses or a somewhat useable attic already, etc.

Do you want to change the exterior look of the house or just push the roof up to add more room? All that comes into play.

[MrRational]

Originally Posted by jrinco11

We are interested in adding a 2nd story to our 1950's single story rancher...

Stop now.

Removing the roof to add the structure needed to support a second level then putting a roof on again?
In nearly every instance going out costs MUCH less than going up.

Would we be best to find an architect to give us ideas...

Of course. And cost estimates to do what you want as well.

[/quote]...draw up some plans and then we'd take those to a builder/contractor? [/quote]
When the time comes to deal with contractors you want a complete set of plans for them to bid off of.

[davecj]

You want an architect to draft, engineer to draw and an attorney to get it approved if there is a zoning issue.