Dreaming about a home addition? You are probably thinking about the square footage you can add and what finishes you’d like to include, not whether your house can actually support your dreams.
Ann Arbor is lucky to have beautiful established neighborhoods of older and historic homes. While these properties can be excellent spaces filled with character, they may also have decades of settling, moisture exposure, or previous renovation work. When you are dreaming about a remodel or addition, needed structural home repairs can change where you place an opening or what support is needed, and make a big impact on your budget.
Looking at whether your home can physically support your renovation goals before you plan the renovation can lead to fewer unpleasant (and costly) surprises once the work begins.
Do I Need a Structural Inspection Before a Home Addition in Michigan?
Any substantial addition should include an evaluation of the existing structure. You don’t necessarily need to hire a structural engineer, though. A contractor experienced with structural home repairs can assess your build and weigh it against your renovation goals, then bring in an engineer when needed.
While a structural check should really be a part of any renovation, it’s even more important when
- Your home is older.
- The renovation will add significant load to the home.
- Load-bearing walls may be removed or altered.
- Creating large openings to connect the existing home and the addition.
- The roofline will change.
- There are existing foundation concerns.
An addition can change how your home bears the structural weight. New framing, beams, roofing, and openings need the right support down to the foundation.
If a structural issue is identified during the planning phase, the team can determine the right method for repair or replacement and add it to the design. They can then incorporate the work into your budget and timeline, so you have real numbers to plan around before the work begins.
Can Structural Repairs and a Home Addition Be Done at the Same Time?
In many cases, yes. You don’t always have to put your renovation plans on hold to address needed structural home repairs.
There will be a cost and scheduling impact, though. But the advantage of identifying the necessary work during planning is that you know what the impact will be before construction starts.
What Are the Signs of Structural Problems in an Older Ann Arbor Home?
Homes rarely remain square and level forever, and it’s not always a big deal. What matters is the type of movement and how much it’s progressing.
These are the signs of a structural problem that are definitely worth investigating before you start planning a renovation or addition:
- Large, widening, stair-step, or recurring cracks in foundation walls
- Cracks around doors, windows, or wall-to-ceiling joints that keep returning
- Floors that noticeably slope, sag, or bounce
- Doors or windows that stick or no longer sit square
- Bowing or leaning basement walls
- Gaps between walls, floors, ceilings, or exterior materials
- Damaged, cut, undersized, or altered beams, joists, or posts
- Persistent water intrusion or moisture around the foundation
- Older structural repairs that appear to be failing
- Movement where a previous addition meets the original house
One sticking interior door in a 30-year-old house? Probably not a big deal. A sticking door plus drywall cracks and a sloping floor? It’s time to schedule a structural evaluation.
How Much Does Structural Repair Cost Before a Home Addition?
Structural repair costs vary widely because structural problems can range from mild to severe. The cost of the repair is going to depend on factors such as:
- Foundation stabilization or repair
- Beam or joist reinforcement and replacement
- Framing corrections
- Excavation
- Waterproofing or drainage improvements
- Engineering
- Temporary structural support
- Access to the damaged area
Current national cost data puts typical repairs in these ranges:
- Carpentry framing repairs: $500 to $2,300
- Foundation repairs: $2,225 to $8,133
- Foundation underpinning: $10,000 to $30,000
These figures are just benchmarks, but they can help you start to plan a budget depending on the foundation repairs your home requires. It’s also why early evaluation is a good idea. Once you know the true condition of your home, you can determine the right approach to repair and include the work in your project budget.
Who Do I Hire to Inspect the Structure of My Home Before Remodeling?
For an addition or major remodel, start with a contractor who has experience beyond cosmetic renovation.
The contractor should understand how the proposed design affects the existing foundation and framing and recognize when an engineer is needed.
MBK can incorporate structural changes into the actual build, including demolition, temporary support, foundation or framing repairs, and new construction. We make the condition of the existing structure part of our plans from day one so there are fewer surprises during your build.
Fix the Structure, Build With Confidence
Before you start adding square footage or reconfiguring your Ann Arbor home, find out whether the existing structure can support the plan. A structural evaluation can tell you what’s needed and give you clearer costs before you start planning the rest of the project.
If you are planning an addition or major renovation in Ann Arbor, contact MBK Constructors. We can help you develop a buildable plan that accounts for both your existing structure and the spaces you want to create.
