Bumping out keeps everything on one level, which is great if you want to avoid stairs down the line.
That’s a big one for me—stairs can be a pain, especially if you’re planning to stay in the house long-term. I’ve heard horror stories about foundations not being strong enough for a second story, and the costs just ballooning. Did anyone here actually have to reinforce their foundation when building up? Curious how much that ended up adding to the budget...
I’ve actually got a neighbor who went the “build up” route, and yeah, they had to pour a bunch of extra concrete and reinforce the whole thing. It added like 25% to their original estimate, which was a shock. Did anyone here find bumping out caused any weird issues with property lines or setbacks? That’s my main worry with going out instead of up.
Did anyone here find bumping out caused any weird issues with property lines or setbacks? That’s my main worry with going out instead of up.
We ran into something similar when we did a small bump-out for a mudroom. The city inspector was really particular about the setback—turns out our property line was a couple feet closer than the old survey showed. Had to get a new survey done and ended up trimming a foot off the design. Not a huge deal, but it was a hassle and added a few weeks. If you’re close to the line, double-check those measurements before you get too far in. It’s amazing how those little details can throw a wrench in things.
Had a similar headache with our 1920s place. We wanted to bump out the kitchen, but the original property markers were long gone and the city’s records didn’t match up. Ended up hiring a surveyor, which wasn’t cheap. In hindsight, I kinda wish we’d just gone up instead—less drama with boundaries, though maybe more with structure. Old houses really keep you guessing...
I get the appeal of building up, but honestly, with these old houses, going vertical can open a whole different can of worms. Structural integrity is always a big question—did you ever look into what kind of reinforcement your place would’ve needed? Sometimes the foundation just isn’t up for it, especially with 1920s builds. I’ve seen neighbors spend way more on retrofitting than they expected. Curious if anyone’s actually found “up” to be less hassle in the end...
