How Much Does It Cost to Add to Your Lehigh Valley Home?

You need more space, but you love your home and neighborhood and the memories you made there. Whether you are creating room for the visiting grandkids, expanding for an ideal layout, updating, or adding missing features, a home addition is a perfect solution to keep your current home feeling like your dream home. Of course, not all home additions are created equally. Choosing the location and type for your remodel, creating a budget, and developing plans to create your Lehigh Valley home addition is a long and intricate process.

Penn Contractors is your Lehigh Valley design and remodeling expert. Our exquisite renovations elevate dated spaces, and our custom homes and additions bring new dreams into reality. We would be honored to be trusted with your home renovation projects. We cannot wait to show you what happens when our talent and expertise meet your vision. 

Why Adding onto Your House is Worth it

Our home additions have inspired jealousy in Lehigh Valley neighborhoods for over 30 years. We have used our experience to hone our artisanship and perfect our processes. Our expert insight into area additions allows us to make a detailed plan and execute it with ease, so you avoid surprises, delays, and unexpected costs.

You Don’t Have to Move, Even During Construction

Many clients select an addition instead of a move because they love their family home, location, or neighborhood. You shouldn’t be locked into a finite number of bedrooms or bathrooms because of your loyalty. An addition can turn your current home into your dream home without much interruption to your everyday life. Penn’s expertise means that you can likely stay in your home while we work.

Increase Your Home’s Value and Appeal at Resale

Your home will sell for more because you added bedrooms, bathrooms, or other features, in addition to the square footage. Adding features will include your home in new searches and draw a wider range of prospective buyers if you decide to resell. The exact ROI on your addition will depend on the elements your include.

Get the Features You Need

Adding living space will change your daily experience. Stop bumping elbows with a new breakfast nook, separate the bickering kids with extra bedrooms, create a comfortable space for visiting family, or create an accessible first-floor owner’s suite with an eye toward the future. Adding the missing elements smooths out the bumps in your everyday routine and paves the way for the future you envision. Check out our remodeling projects portfolio of past favorites and gems for inspiration!

Cost of Popular Home Additions in Lehigh Valley

Understanding the ballpark price of the home addition you have in mind can help you budget and plan. Of course, your Lehigh Valley home contractor will provide a much more precise estimate of the price tag for your project.

• First Floor Bump-Out- A bump-out is a small addition to an area without altering the foundation. Bump-outs are awesome for reading nooks or informal dining spaces. Each structure will tolerate a different degree of extension, but bump-outs are generally limited to about thirteen feet before a more extensive structural change is required. Bump-outs cost as little as $10,000 if you’re only extending a few feet, up to $45,000 for a larger area.
• Second or Third Story Addition- Adding another story to your home dramatically increases your square footage. We’ve discussed the unique construction requirements for adding a second story, so the relatively high price tag is easy to understand. Adding another story to your home costs between $175 and $300 per square foot, or from $200,0000 to $600,000 or more, depending on the size of your new story.
• Sunroom Addition- Sunrooms are perfect places for potted plants and casual conversation. Adding a covered porch costs between $150-$250 per square foot. A fully-enclosed living space runs upwards of $300-$400 per square foot of your addition.
• Owner’s Suite First Floor Addition- Build the luxury suite you deserve. A luxury owner’s suite in Allentown costs $341,911 in 2022, according to Cost Vs. Value regional data. 
• Mudroom Addition- Contain the mess! Stop the shoe sprawl! Adding a mudroom can save you from chaos and clutter. A mudroom runs about $85,000 for a small project and up to $140,000 or more if you include a laundry command center as well.

Is it Cheaper to Add on or Build Up?

It will be cheaper to add on under most circumstances. Any additions most likely will involve HVAC additions and upgrades, permits, and materials. However, the unique costs of building up usually outweigh the costs associated with building out. Building up requires adding a staircase, removing and re-reroofing, and potential updates to the structural support, whereas building out may (but not always) require extending plumbing and foundation. Though both add cost, the construction expertise and labor required to build up is usually more extensive. 

Building up can still be the right call. Vertical space may be the only option if you do not have the lot space for the addition you envision. Some clients also prefer more intimate spaces for their offices and bedrooms and enjoy the privacy afforded by locating them on a second or third story.

Penn Contractors Builds Your Addition to its Fullest Potential

Our decades of area experience in fantastic additions in Allentown, Bethlehem, Easton, and the surrounding Lehigh Valley area make us the ideal choice for your project. We would be honored to discuss how our expertise can benefit your home addition, renovation, or custom home. Fill out a new project request today to connect and tell us about your project.