Sometimes, you just need more space.
Whether you’re moving into a new home or looking to add on to your existing home, adding a bedroom is a great way to expand your living space and feel less cramped, so you can enjoy your home.
The big question is, how much does it cost?
The answer to this question could stop all your plans right in their tracks. It’s a complicated question with no one precise answer that fits everyone.
How Much Does It Cost to Add a Bedroom to a House?
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The answer to this question depends on all the unique factors of your home and your needs. In figuring out how much it will cost to add a bedroom to your home, you’ll want to consider several things:
- Desired square footage
- Location of the addition
- Lot configuration
- Types of building materials
- Cost of labor and hiring a contractor
All of these things will contribute to your overall costs. The current national average for the cost of an addition to a residential home is around $40,000.
Of course, this varies dramatically by addition size, city of location, and the building materials used.
So keep reading, and we’ll break down how all of these factors will influence your overall budget.
Factors Affecting Your Cost
If you’re considering adding a bedroom to your house, you likely already know that it’s not a cheap endeavor!
However, a bedroom living space is a crucial component in any home, and if you lack it, then the extra costs are worth it.
Desired Square Footage
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The desired size of your bedroom addition is probably the most cost-influencing factor within your control as you plan to add on.
The average cost per square foot varies depending on what part of the country you’re in, with cities like San Francisco having some of the highest rates (around $330 per square foot).
It’s essential to research the average price per square foot in your area, as this will give you a much more accurate idea of what your addition will likely cost at a base level.
If you’re unable to estimate based on your exact area, the next best thing is to plan by the national average, which is from $80–$200 per square foot.
Factoring in the average addition cost mentioned above, $40,000, means that your average bedroom addition countrywide for that price amounts to about 225 square feet for your new room.
This is generally a mid-sized bedroom built with standard materials and without any bells or whistles.
Another square-footage factor you’ll want to consider when budgeting is the shape of your bedroom addition. Again, operating with standard shapes and materials will save you money per square foot.
The more corners you add, the more labor and materials must be used per square foot, increasing the price.
So consider how many square feet you want in your new bedroom addition, and don’t forget to factor in any extra shapes or structural changes beyond the standard square-shaped room.
Location of the Addition
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Besides the size of the room, where it’s located in your house can significantly impact your budget. Are you planning to add a room to your house at ground level?
The latter is called “building out” and can be expensive, ranging from $5,000 to $30,000.
It can be worth it since it won’t disturb the rest of your space during the construction process. But it also involves pouring a new foundation and potentially dealing with lot configuration issues or local ordinances.
You can also choose to build up, which means adding a room as an upper-story addition.
This preserves your home’s exterior shape and blueprint but can add more costs for building a staircase or shoring up your foundation for the extra weight.
You can expect to pay around $100–$300 per square foot, plus the cost of a staircase, which could be up to $3,000.
Each of these options has pros and cons. One option to save money is to consider finishing and converting a pre-existing space.
But if this isn’t for you, you might also want to consider adding on above your garage or front porch. Working with that existing framework can cut the traditional room-addition costs by 20%–60%, depending on all the other factors we’re going to discuss.
Lot Configuration
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When planning a bedroom addition, it’s easy to focus on all the details that will go into constructing the room and interior. Many people forget to consider factors that will influence the price from the outside.
Take a look at the plot of land on which your new bedroom will sit. Since you are adding on a new room entirely instead of simply renovating an existing one, your builders will be starting from the ground up.
This means laying a foundation, running electrical and plumbing lines if necessary, and anything else that must be done in new construction.
Your lot configuration could add extra costs to your addition. If the land is sloped, that will need to be graded and leveled before the foundation can be poured, costing up to $3,000 on its own.
If you want to add a bathroom along with the bedroom, plumbing and septic must be taken into consideration as well, all of which is influenced by the land you’re building on.
In addition, don’t forget to check for local ordinances or permits. Some areas require new construction to be a certain distance from existing property lines, and some homeowners’ associations require special materials, colors, and other factors.
So the configuration of your plot of land combined with the area in which you live will also significantly impact the final cost of adding a bedroom to your house.
It’s vital to do research according to your unique situation ahead of time to avoid unpleasant surprises.
Your contractor will likely take care of these details for you, so seeking estimates from multiple sources can help you better understand how your lot configuration will influence your final cost.
Types of Building Materials
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As mentioned before, an addition to your home means starting construction from the ground up all over again.
This includes foundation, framing, insulation, roofing, wiring, and all kinds of construction materials, as well as the aesthetic ones, such as paint and flooring, light fixtures, molding, and so on.
While you can cut costs and save by using basic, standard materials and trying to avoid upgraded materials, cohesion is another extremely important factor to consider.
In one sense, you are starting from scratch. But in another sense, since you are adding to an existing home, you already have a pattern that should be followed if you want your home to feel like a finished, cohesive building when the addition is completed.
If you’ve ever been through the process of building a home, you know just how many choices you have to make during that process.
As many of these choices as possible should be replicated in your addition; you should consider keeping the same:
- Roofing
- Siding or brick
- Type of paint
- Types of flooring
Some corners are alright to cut. If you have different flooring or paint on the walls, it can still complement the existing style of your home without having to match entirely.
Sometimes, a different style of siding can be used to artfully contrast with the overall house. However, it’s a choice that needs to be made intentionally and carefully, not just to save money.
Whatever you do, make sure that you consider your satisfaction several years down the road. If you save a little money in the meantime but hate the style or appearance of your addition consistently afterward, it’s not worth it in the long run.
Cost of Labor and Hiring a Contractor
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Labor is likely to make up the bulk of the final cost of your bedroom addition. This is often unavoidable, as the majority of the labor you will pay for is skilled and necessary for a stable, structurally sound, and safe addition to your home.
However, there may be ways to cut some costs when it comes to labor. Consult with your contractor to see what you can do yourself to save money.
While things like framing and wiring should be left to the professionals, you may be able to contribute by painting, installing more simple flooring, or other aesthetic details.
When it comes to hiring a contractor and getting an accurate final cost that includes labor, it’s very important to get several estimates before you choose who you will hire.
It’s also very important to choose a licensed, credentialed, and reputable builder. This is not a situation in which you want to hire your cousin or do any family friends a favor!
Once you choose a contractor, sit down with them and really go over every detail and expense that must be budgeted.
Once your structural plans are finalized, your skilled contractor will likely know what areas you could have some wiggle room in and what areas are non-negotiable. Work with them, and, when it comes down to it, trust their judgment.
Frequently Asked Questions
Below are a few questions other people have asked about how much it costs to add a bedroom to a house.
How can I find out cost averages for my area?
Often, a quick Google search can yield online generators that take into account your specific area and other factors for giving you a more precise answer than a national average.
What are all the specific costs that go into a room addition?
This will depend on all the unique factors of your home and needs. Check out an itemized lists of costs that you can pull from and add up for a more personalized total.
So, How Much Does It Cost to Add a Bedroom to a House?
When looking into how much it costs to add a bedroom to a house, it’s easy to get overwhelmed.
So many factors can influence the final cost, and it can be hard to know beforehand precisely how much your new room will cost.
However, once you’ve researched and determined a ballpark figure for your construction, make sure to balance the cost of your new space with its value.
Not only will it add value to your home, but you’ll also enjoy it and use it for years to come if it’s built well.