How to Add On to Your Kitchen
An addition or a smaller bump-out can get you closer to the kitchen you hope for
A cramped kitchen can make even the most basic cooking and entertaining tasks challenging. If your home’s footprint isn’t quite enough to get the kitchen you crave, it may be time to add on. We caught up with interior designer Summer Thornton to get the scoop on time frames, permits and finding the right pro for the (big) job. Read on for the need-to-know info on whom to hire and how to begin getting the kitchen addition you need.
Whom to hire. An interior designer, kitchen designer, architect or building designer can help see your project through from start to finish, including planning the addition, getting permits, choosing fixtures and finishes, and overseeing installation.
If you are considering adding more than a kitchen (such as a multistory addition) or would like the new addition to blend well with the structure of an older home, you may want to work with both an architect or building designer and an interior designer, as the owners of this space did. A pairing of interior designer and architect can be especially helpful in a larger project, allowing both pros to focus on their particular strengths.
Next we will take a closer look at a range of options to consider with your designer, including small kitchen bump-outs and full kitchen additions.
Find kitchen designers in your area
If you are considering adding more than a kitchen (such as a multistory addition) or would like the new addition to blend well with the structure of an older home, you may want to work with both an architect or building designer and an interior designer, as the owners of this space did. A pairing of interior designer and architect can be especially helpful in a larger project, allowing both pros to focus on their particular strengths.
Next we will take a closer look at a range of options to consider with your designer, including small kitchen bump-outs and full kitchen additions.
Find kitchen designers in your area
Kitchen bump-out. If your kitchen is almost, but not quite, the right size, a bump-out or micro addition may be all you need to make the kitchen work well. In this project, a 5-by-25-foot extension provided room for this kitchen to have an island. Though a bump-out can be smaller than other additions, it’s still a significant construction project and will have many of the same considerations as a larger addition.
Micro Additions: When You Just Want a Little More Room
Micro Additions: When You Just Want a Little More Room
Large kitchen addition. Adding more square feet to the footprint of your home makes the job more complex and more costly. On top of the usual considerations that come with a kitchen remodel within its existing footprint, you also will need to consider the topography of the property around your home, property lines, setbacks and permits, to name a few.
Also remember that the larger the addition, the longer it will take. For example, most of the back of this house was removed, making way for a 645-square-foot addition. “The builders were in the property for about four months doing the structural work before we came in,” says designer Will Healy of Jonathan Williams Kitchens. Speak with your designer to get a realistic picture of the timetable before you begin.
See more of this kitchen addition with a wood-burning stove
Also remember that the larger the addition, the longer it will take. For example, most of the back of this house was removed, making way for a 645-square-foot addition. “The builders were in the property for about four months doing the structural work before we came in,” says designer Will Healy of Jonathan Williams Kitchens. Speak with your designer to get a realistic picture of the timetable before you begin.
See more of this kitchen addition with a wood-burning stove
Structural considerations. Any time you remove a structural wall, whether interior or exterior, your architect or designer will need to replace the load-bearing capacity of the wall.
This may mean incorporating a beam, columns or a combination of the two into your new kitchen design. In this kitchen addition, designer Sophia Shibles used a structural column as the basis for a custom double-sided sideboard dividing the family and breakfast rooms.
See more of this Rhode Island kitchen addition
This may mean incorporating a beam, columns or a combination of the two into your new kitchen design. In this kitchen addition, designer Sophia Shibles used a structural column as the basis for a custom double-sided sideboard dividing the family and breakfast rooms.
See more of this Rhode Island kitchen addition
Cost range. Every project is different and depends on a range of factors, including the quality of materials used, cost of local labor, and size and scope of the project.
Kitchen additions and other home improvement projects costs vary widely throughout the U.S. In many areas, you can expect to be quoted $100,000 and much more for a kitchen addition, including new appliances, counters, cabinetry and flooring. In busy metro areas, that cost can be much higher; in other areas, it may be less. Smaller bump-outs may cost significantly less, depending on the size. Adding a second floor (or luxury materials) will boost the price.
Browsing designers in the Houzz directory and looking at the job cost ranges in their profiles can be a good way to determine the price of a kitchen addition in your area. Even if a range is higher than you planned, you can contact designers you like to see if they are able to work within your budget.
Kitchen additions and other home improvement projects costs vary widely throughout the U.S. In many areas, you can expect to be quoted $100,000 and much more for a kitchen addition, including new appliances, counters, cabinetry and flooring. In busy metro areas, that cost can be much higher; in other areas, it may be less. Smaller bump-outs may cost significantly less, depending on the size. Adding a second floor (or luxury materials) will boost the price.
Browsing designers in the Houzz directory and looking at the job cost ranges in their profiles can be a good way to determine the price of a kitchen addition in your area. Even if a range is higher than you planned, you can contact designers you like to see if they are able to work within your budget.
Typical project length. “The scope of the project really determines how long it will take,” Thornton says. “If it is a simple frame construction addition, it may not take long, but if it is a multistory masonry addition, it could add a couple months to the schedule.” The interior work, Thornton says, can take three to five months, depending on existing conditions and the extent of the work required.
Zoning and permitting requirements can really throw a wrench into your timeline, so it helps to know going in what sort of challenges you’re likely to face in that department. “Here in Chicago,” Thornton says, “if you require a zoning variance, it can take four to six months just to get on the agenda with the city before you can even request your permit, then another one to two months to get the permit and begin work.”
Your Complete Guide to Building Permits
Zoning and permitting requirements can really throw a wrench into your timeline, so it helps to know going in what sort of challenges you’re likely to face in that department. “Here in Chicago,” Thornton says, “if you require a zoning variance, it can take four to six months just to get on the agenda with the city before you can even request your permit, then another one to two months to get the permit and begin work.”
Your Complete Guide to Building Permits
What to look for in a designer. To choose a pro who is a good fit for you and your project, Thornton advises speaking with past clients and asking a few key questions:
- Was the project on schedule?
- Was the project on budget?
- Did the pro make the process simple and easy, or was it stressful?
- Was the pro organized and efficient with the client’s time?
- Is the design aesthetic something you would aspire to have in your own home?
3 Things to Know When Adding On
1. Adding on may (or may not) be the right choice for your space and your budget. “Anytime you modify the size of the home, you should anticipate notably higher costs,” Thornton says. So take a step back and really consider whether adding on is right for you. If you’re not sure, meet with your designer, architect or builder to go over options that don’t involve an addition.
2. Be ready for schedule snafus. Foundation issues, permit delays, out-of-stock products, squabbles with neighbors — there are all sorts of unforeseen issues that can crop up at any stage of the process, even more so with an addition than with an interior-only remodel. And unless the work is happening in a home you haven’t moved into yet, be prepared with a plan for how you will handle living without your kitchen for an extended period of time.
3. It’s better to get it right the first time. Any home addition is a major investment of money and time, so it’s worth ensuring that you’re getting exactly what you want the first time around. Redoing faulty work will only cost more in the long run.
“We get calls all the time from people who hired another professional and are getting subpar service and the client wants us to step in and fix it,” Thornton says. “No different than you would want to hire a great doctor or great lawyer or smart accountant, you should hire the best interior designer you can afford for your project because they know what they’re doing.”
Find designers, architects and contractors in your area
1. Adding on may (or may not) be the right choice for your space and your budget. “Anytime you modify the size of the home, you should anticipate notably higher costs,” Thornton says. So take a step back and really consider whether adding on is right for you. If you’re not sure, meet with your designer, architect or builder to go over options that don’t involve an addition.
2. Be ready for schedule snafus. Foundation issues, permit delays, out-of-stock products, squabbles with neighbors — there are all sorts of unforeseen issues that can crop up at any stage of the process, even more so with an addition than with an interior-only remodel. And unless the work is happening in a home you haven’t moved into yet, be prepared with a plan for how you will handle living without your kitchen for an extended period of time.
3. It’s better to get it right the first time. Any home addition is a major investment of money and time, so it’s worth ensuring that you’re getting exactly what you want the first time around. Redoing faulty work will only cost more in the long run.
“We get calls all the time from people who hired another professional and are getting subpar service and the client wants us to step in and fix it,” Thornton says. “No different than you would want to hire a great doctor or great lawyer or smart accountant, you should hire the best interior designer you can afford for your project because they know what they’re doing.”
Find designers, architects and contractors in your area
Where to Start
Assess your kitchen. Make a wish list of elements for your dream kitchen (big windows, a spacious island). Then read back over your list, noting the things that would make the biggest difference in your life. Circle your top three kitchen goals. Also consider your budget and your ultimate vision for using this space. With your answers to these questions in mind, decide whether you are ready to move forward with a kitchen addition and then begin researching designers.
Kitchen designers: Have you recently expanded a client’s kitchen? Please tell us about it in the Comments.
More
Homeowner’s Workbook: How to Remodel Your Kitchen
Adding On: 10 Ways to Expand Your House Out and Up
Browse kitchen photos and save your favorites
Assess your kitchen. Make a wish list of elements for your dream kitchen (big windows, a spacious island). Then read back over your list, noting the things that would make the biggest difference in your life. Circle your top three kitchen goals. Also consider your budget and your ultimate vision for using this space. With your answers to these questions in mind, decide whether you are ready to move forward with a kitchen addition and then begin researching designers.
Kitchen designers: Have you recently expanded a client’s kitchen? Please tell us about it in the Comments.
More
Homeowner’s Workbook: How to Remodel Your Kitchen
Adding On: 10 Ways to Expand Your House Out and Up
Browse kitchen photos and save your favorites
The kitchen is often the hub of the home, and having a roomy and thoughtfully designed space is at the top of many homeowners’ wish lists.
Do you need a kitchen addition? If you are tired of living with a cramped kitchen that doesn’t function as it should, you can afford to invest in a new space and you plan to stay in your home long enough to enjoy all the work an addition entails, then a kitchen addition may be a good project for you.
A design pro can work with you to design a new kitchen that blends with your home’s overall architecture and that fits your personal style and your life. “Some of the most dramatic transformations happen when you expand the footprint of a home,” says Chicago designer Thornton. “I added a 3-by-15-foot addition on my home that allowed for a completely different layout of the kitchen and was well worth it, even though it wasn’t inexpensive.”