Pros And Cons Of Laying Foundation For Your New Addition

If you're planning to add on to your home, two common methods to choose between are laying a foundation before building, or simply adding a bump-out that's supported by your current foundation. While both of these methods are popular, installing an addition with a foundation can be a very different process and have different results and challenges.

Here are some of the pros and cons of choosing to lay a foundation when constructing your next home addition.

Pro: Allows a larger footprint

A bump-out addition is necessarily limited by how much extra floor space your home's current foundation can support with the help of some clever architectural techniques such as cantilevers. For this reason, a bump-out is likely to be used simply to make a room bigger rather than to add a whole extra room to the house.

Con: Takes more time and money than a bump-out

Installing a foundation can be a long process since it requires excavation, concrete mixing and pouring, and other tasks before the new foundation is ready. All these extra tasks and materials also mean that an addition with a foundation can be more expensive than one that doesn't require this step.

So, if you're on a limited budget or in a time crunch, laying a foundation may not be right for this project.

Pro: Sets you up for future additions

A bump-out addition is pretty self-limiting. But if you install an addition with a foundation, you could always add a bump-out (or another addition with its own foundation) later, or maybe even a second story. So an addition with a foundation can provide more scope for growth, which can be useful if you foresee a need for future additions.

Con: May encroach on setback areas

A bump-out typically only sticks out a few feet along one side of the house, and as such is less likely to add considerably to your home's profile. While you need to be careful not to plan a bump-out in a setback area, keep in mind that a larger addition (such as one that has a full foundation) is more likely at risk of encroaching on the property line, septic, or other setback zones.

As you can see, building an addition with a foundation can be right for some home renovation projects, while others may be better served by a bump-out addition. Your home addition contractors can help you decide which one is best for the project you have in mind.

Contact a company like Cass-A-Bella Construction to learn more about home additions.