When the lot is right and the neighborhood is right, adding on often makes more sense than moving. These are the projects where a design-build general contractor earns its keep: the drawings, the foundation, the structure, the roof tie-in, and every trade in sequence, under one contract.
We design and build additions across Loveland, Fort Collins, Berthoud, Windsor, and the rest of Northern Colorado, from a 120 square foot bump-out to a full second story.
Addition scope
- Room and bump-out additions
- Primary suite additions
- Second-story additions
- Sunrooms and four-season rooms
- Structural wall removal and beams
- Foundation, framing, and roof tie-ins
- Electrical service and HVAC upgrades
- Aging-in-place and main-floor living additions
What an addition involves
An addition is a small new house attached to your existing one. It needs a foundation suited to local soils, framing that ties into the existing structure, a roof that sheds water where the two meet, and mechanical systems sized for the added space. It also has to fit the setbacks and lot coverage limits of your zoning.
Because we draw the plans and build them, those questions get answered before the drawings are finished, so the plan you fall for is one that can be permitted and built for the budget.
Up or out
Building out is usually simpler if the lot has room: a new foundation, four walls, and a roof that ties into the existing one. Building up avoids new foundation work but involves the existing structure, the stairs, the roof, and much more disruption inside the house. We price both when the lot allows either.
Expansive soils and foundations
Much of the Front Range sits on expansive clay. A new addition foundation has to match how the existing house was built or be isolated from it, and the soils report decides which. Skipping that step is how additions crack away from the house a few years later. We get the soils information before we design the foundation.
Timeline and cost
Design, engineering, and permitting for an addition typically run two to four months. Construction runs three to six months depending on size and finish. The biggest cost drivers are foundation type, the structural work where new meets old, bathrooms, and whether the furnace, air conditioning, and electrical panel can carry the added load.
How a project runs
- 01
Walkthrough and concept
We look at the space with you, talk through what you want, measure, and flag anything that affects cost or schedule before design starts.
- 02
Design and written price
Our design side draws the plan, we price it as it is drawn, and you get a written scope and price before anything is demolished.
- 03
Permits and build
We submit the permit set, schedule every trade, protect the rest of your home, and keep you posted as the work moves.
- 04
Final walkthrough
We walk the finished work with you, close out inspections, and take care of the punch list before we call it done.
Common questions
Do I need an architect for an addition?
You need permit drawings and, for most additions, structural engineering. Our architectural design side produces the set and coordinates the engineer as part of the design-build process.
Is it cheaper to build up or out?
Building out is usually simpler if the lot has room. Building up avoids new foundation work but involves the existing structure, the roof, and more disruption inside the house.
Can we live in the house during an addition?
Usually yes. Most of the work happens outside the existing walls until the final tie-in, and we schedule that step so the house is open to the new space for as short a time as possible.
How close to the property line can I build?
Each city sets its own setbacks and lot coverage limits, and HOAs can add more. We check zoning for your address before design starts.
Will an addition need a new furnace or electrical panel?
Sometimes. We load-check the existing systems during design and price an upgrade as its own line if the added space exceeds what they can carry.
Where we provide home additions
Standard Building Company is based in Loveland and provides home additions across Northern Colorado, including Loveland, Fort Collins, Greeley, Longmont, Windsor, Berthoud, Johnstown, Timnath, Wellington, and Estes Park.
We also take home additions projects in the mountain towns of Vail, Avon, Aspen, Winter Park, Copper Mountain, and Steamboat Springs.