The scope
A full second storey added above an existing single-level footprint: two bedrooms, a bathroom, and a new roofline.
Adding a second storey means the existing first floor has to hold up a new one, which is a foundation and framing question before it is anything else. Our structural engineer confirmed the original foundation could take the additional load with local reinforcement at four points rather than a full foundation replacement — the difference between a six-week and a six-month project.
The new roofline was matched to the original pitch so the addition reads as part of the house rather than a box dropped on top of it, which is the detail most additions skip.
