North & West Vancouver · Structural Specialty
Home Additions & Second-Storey Additions
Love your home and your street but need more space? An addition adds the room a footprint can't — up, out, or under. Additions are structural work first, which is exactly why they're a natural fit for us: we handle the engineering and load path in-house, not as an afterthought.
Ways to add space
- Up — second-storey additions — the most space for the footprint, and the most structural: the existing foundation and framing usually need assessment and reinforcement to carry the new floor
- Out — main-floor & rear additions — extending the footprint with a new foundation tied into the existing home
- Under — basement & below-grade — excavating and often underpinning to add finished space below
- Over the garage — a room, office, or suite above an existing or new garage
Why additions are structural work first
Every addition adds load, and that load has to travel safely through the structure to the foundation. A second storey especially depends on whether the existing home can carry it — which is why so many additions turn into structural projects the moment they start. Because structural repair and foundations are our specialty, we assess and reinforce the structure properly and keep the project on track, rather than discovering problems mid-build. We handle beams and load-bearing changes in-house too.
Permits, engineering & the process
Additions need a building permit and engineered drawings for the structural elements — we coordinate the engineering and manage the permit process. Our guide to home additions in North Vancouver covers what drives the cost and when you need a permit, and the full permit basics are here too.
Our process
1. Assessment. We look at your home, lot, and how it can carry the addition. 2. Design & engineering. We work with your designer and a structural engineer. 3. Fixed-scope quote. Clear scope and schedule up front. 4. The build. One crew, structure handled in-house, the home protected. 5. Warranty-backed handover.
Thinking about an addition?
Tell us what you need and we'll walk your home — including whether it can carry a second storey — then give you an honest plan and a fixed quote.