Ask the Expert

ANSWER:

Home additions are a great way to add more space to your home without going through the hassle of moving. It’s also the kind of project, however, that tends to involve more than just the people inside the home. Neighbors and legalities that weren’t anticipated can often get involved, so knowing as much as possible before you can start can help make things go more smoothly.

There’s no one easy way to answer this question, because every state, province, city, even street, has its own code of conduct. Your contractor should know and tell you about any restrictions, but to be fully informed you should do some basic research and understand these issues yourself by contacting your local city or municipality building department. They will able to assist you with determining the size of addition allowed for your property size, as well as how far it must be set back from neighbours and your property line.

Knowing these restrictions ahead of time will help to ensure your dream addition can actually be built.

Expert's Bio

Charles Bull manages a design build construction company in Toronto, Canada, spending his days looking into everything from permits to the latest green building methods. With more than 15 years of experience in residential real estate, construction and renovation under his belt, Charles knows the answers to your home renovation queries — or will find them out if he doesn’t!