Major Additions
– Planning & Success
Embarking on a major home addition is an exciting prospect. Whether you’re expanding to accommodate a growing family, creating a new home office, or adding a great room overlooking the Bay, major additions offer a unique opportunity to reimagine and expand your living space.
Book a ConsultationIt’s a Time of Renewal and Growth .
Imagining what you want, then transforming your vision into reality, is extremely rewarding. While the project can be simple or complex, with careful planning and the right builder, your dream expansion should not be difficult to achieve.
At DeCarli Contractors, we would like to handle any major addition that you have planned. There are, however, other custom home and cottage builders in the southern Georgian Bay area. So we invite you to carry out the process outlined below with us, as well as with other builders before making your choice.
Define Your Concept & Budget
Before diving into a major addition, it’s important to be able to put some parameters around what you want. Let’s say it’s a new great room off the back of your house or cottage. It’s best to have some idea of size, and whether it will exactly reflect the style of your current home, or if it will be a bit of a departure. If you have 9-foot ceilings throughout your home, will your new great room also have 9-foot ceilings, or a cathedral ceiling stretching to the rafters?
Consider the following in thinking about your addition’s size and style:
What are the primary goals of the addition?
Are you expanding to accommodate a growing family, creating a new entertainment space, or adding functionality to your home?
Design inspiration
Can you already visualize your new home's design? If not, collect ideas and inspiration from magazines, websites, and social media. Houzz.ca is a great resource. There, you can create a vision board to visualize your future addition.
Once you have an idea of what you would like, consult a builder like DeCarli Contractors to get an idea of budget, including all aspects of the project: from materials to permits, remedial landscaping and any service expansion required, such as additional heating and cooling requirements. Is your vision realistic, or does it need adjustment?
Having a well-defined concept and budget is a great starting point for your project. This will help you stay on track and make informed decisions.
Screen Potential Builders
Choosing the right builder is, understandably, a central aspect of a successful home addition project. To ensure you’re working with a reputable and capable professional, it’s important to vet potential candidates, which typically requires a conversation.
Experience & Expertise
The number of years that the builder’s company has been in operation will give some indication of their staying power and record of success. So will seeing a portfolio of their work. Every builder has a portfolio handy, and understanding their experience and expertise in handling major additions will give you confidence in their ability to deliver quality results. Do try and get beyond the builder’s ‘showcase’ projects, however. Look at their 4th, 5th and 6th biggest projects–their ‘meat and potatoes’ projects, not just their biggest two. This will help you gauge their true scope and ability.
Budget & Timelines
Many builders will produce a high-level estimate, take a deposit, and begin permitting and construction. But what does that estimate include? Is it comprehensive, containing everything from trim profiles to landscaping, or will there be ‘extras’ along the way?
Beware of the high-level estimate. The oldest trick in the book is to start with a low estimate, then add on over the course of the project. Ask whether your prospective builder submits estimates or fixed-price quotations. Find out what quotes and estimates include and don't include. Is it a guaranteed estimate, assuming that scope of work doesn’t change? You might want to find out about payment schedule (how much of a deposit is needed up front) and how ‘extras’ and changes to the quotation are handled as the project progresses.
Licenses & Insurance
New home builders in Ontario must hold a license from the Home Construction Regulatory Authority (HCRA) and be registered with Tarion Warrantee Corporation. Contractors who do not build new homes do not need anything more than a business license and business liability insurance in order to set up shop as a builder/contractor. While the certification and licensing path for electricians is clear, the same does not hold true for general contractors. You can, however, be reasonably certain that a business registered with Tarion (and therefore certified to build new homes) is capable of successfully executing a major addition.
References & Reviews
Checking references and reading online reviews will give you insights into the builder’s reliability, work ethic and overall client satisfaction. This is an absolutely essential step in choosing a contractor for your major addition. Be sure that reviews, such as Google Reviews, are recent and not years old. The same goes with any reference you talk with. Ask them when the work was completed and be sure to talk with smaller-job customers, not just the owners of builders’ showcase homes.
When you choose DeCarli Contractors, you choose a capable, precise team dedicated to integrity, meeting deadlines and budgets, as well as personalized service. Undertaking a major cottage or home addition in Midland, Penetanguishene, Tiny and Tay Townships, Georgian Bay and Severn Townships can be an exciting, entirely enjoyable experience. Give us the opportunity and we’ll show you how it’s done.
Book a ConsultationProject Management
A builder with a clear project anagement process is more likely to complete your addition on time, keep you up to date with what’s happening, and minimize disruptions. The trades that a builder uses can cause issues as well, so you might ask about their subcontractor relationships. Does your builder take any tradesperson available (and might they have to delay construction in order to find one?) or do they have a trusted stable of trades that they work with on every job?
Municipal & Township Building Permits & Approvals
Ontario building code is consistent across municipalities, so the rules around construction do not change from town to town. What does change is timelines in obtaining permits and what reports and information are required to obtain permits. Also, once a building permit is obtained, the number of inspections required before completion depends on the municipality or township. You’re always best to work with a builder who is intimately acquainted with the local building department, as they will have a better idea of when permits are issued and approvals happen. When inspectors know and respect the builder, permitting and approvals processes tend to be a bit easier.
Warranty & Aftercare
A builder who stands by their work and offers aftercare services demonstrates confidence in their craftsmanship and commitment to client satisfaction. At DeCarli, our fixed-price quotations include an inspection and remediation, if required, six months to a year after each project is complete. We can also provide ongoing aftercare services, such as HVAC maintenance, water softener and purification maintenance, and more.
Our Portfolio
Explore a curated collection of our completed projects, featuring custom homes, cottages, and renovations across a range of styles.
Book a ConsultationReady to find out more?
Whether you are at the conceptual stage or you have plans in hand, DeCarli can help. We would be happy to discuss your project with you.
Please Contact us today