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Hamlett Renovations ✆ 201-903-7989
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Design-Build Additions

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★ 5.0 · 55 Google reviewsLicensed & insured1-year workmanship warranty
Grow in place

More space without the move

When your home no longer fits your family, an addition is often the smarter move than a new mortgage and a move across town. We add the room you need — and tie it into the house so closely that, from the curb, you can't tell where the original ends and the new begins.

An addition is a bigger undertaking than a remodel: there's foundation, structure, rooflines, and engineering to get right. We handle the design and the permits, and build it weather-tight and to code from footing to finish.

  • ✓ Rear and side additions, second-story additions & dormers
  • ✓ In-law and au-pair suites
  • ✓ Load-bearing wall removal with engineered beams
  • ✓ Foundation and footing work
  • ✓ Roofline tie-ins to the existing structure
  • ✓ Whole-house renovations
The design phase

Design comes first, and it is credited back

An addition is drawn before it is priced. That is its own phase with its own deliverables, under a design agreement that is credited toward construction when you build with us.

  • ✓ A laser-measured survey of the existing house
  • ✓ Scaled drawings and two or more layout options
  • ✓ Rooflines, siding, trim and floor heights matched to the existing house
  • ✓ Interior selections within named allowances
  • ✓ Photorealistic 3D renderings you walk through before committing
  • ✓ A permit set, reviewed and sealed by a licensed New Jersey architect where the work moves structure
  • ✓ A line-item construction price built against the approved drawings
01

Consultation

We look at your home, the site, and what you want the addition to do.

No charge · 60–90 minutes
02

Design & renderings

Measured drawings, structural engineering, layout options and finishes, and photorealistic renderings you walk through before committing.

from $10,000 for additions · credited toward construction
03

Build

Then roof, siding, systems and interiors matched to the rest of the house.

Zoning and permits first, then footings, foundation and framing tied into the existing structure
04

Warranty

We review every detail together once the space is yours.

1-year workmanship warranty

If you decide not to build, the drawings and renderings are yours to keep and you owe nothing further. More on how design-build works

Types of additions

Ways to add the room you need

Every home and lot is different — here are the additions homeowners ask us for most.

Room addition / bump-out

Extend a kitchen, family room, or primary suite out into the yard.

Second-story addition

Build up to add bedrooms and baths without giving up yard space.

In-law / accessory suite

A self-contained suite with its own bath — and kitchenette if needed.

Sunroom / four-season room

A bright, comfortable room you can use through every season.

Garage conversion

Turn an attached garage into living space, or add above it.

Dormer expansion

Open up an attic into usable, full-height rooms with dormers.

Getting it right

What makes an addition seamless

A great addition doesn't look like one — that takes care in the parts most people never see.

Foundation & structure

Proper footings and framing engineered to carry the new space safely.

A seamless tie-in

Rooflines, siding, trim, and floor heights matched so the addition blends in.

Weather-tight & efficient

Insulation, flashing, and systems tied in so the new room is comfortable year-round.

Drawings & code

Permit drawings, sealed by a licensed architect.

Additions, load-bearing changes and second stories need sealed drawings, not a sketch. Permit drawings are produced in-house by our design team and reviewed, revised where needed, and sealed by a licensed New Jersey architect, who carries professional responsibility for the permit set. Structural elements are engineered and stamped where the code requires it. Already have a sealed set from your own architect? We will price it and build from it — that is a plan review rather than a design phase. Everything is designed to the New Jersey Uniform Construction Code (N.J.A.C. 5:23) and its residential subcode, which follows the International Residential Code with New Jersey amendments. Your permit set is complete before we break ground — which is why our jobs don't stall at inspection.

Questions, answered

Home additions FAQ

Do you provide 3D renderings?
Yes. In the design phase we render your addition in photorealistic 3D and refine it with you — so you can see and shape every detail before we build.
How much does a home addition cost?
Additions vary more than almost any other project, so the answer starts with what you're actually building. A small bump-out that extends an existing room is a very different job from a full second-story addition that touches the roof, the foundation load, and sometimes the mechanical systems for the whole house. Type drives the number: a ground-floor family-room addition, a primary-suite addition, a garage conversion, and a second story each carry their own structural and finish costs. Size and finish level then move it up or down from there. Because the range is so wide, we don't throw out a per-square-foot figure that could mislead you. Instead, we visit, look at what's structurally and practically feasible for your home and lot, factor in zoning and setbacks, and give you a clear, itemized quote with a realistic range for your specific project — so the number you're planning around reflects your house, not a generic average.
How long does an addition take?
Most additions run about two to four months of active construction, and it's important to plan for design and permitting time before that clock even starts. An addition is essentially building a small house attached to your existing one, so the up-front phase — design, structural engineering, zoning review, and permit approval — can take several weeks to a few months depending on your town and whether any variances are needed. Once permits are in hand, construction moves through foundation, framing, roofing, exterior tie-in, mechanicals, insulation, and interior finish, each in sequence. A simple bump-out finishes faster; a second story or a large primary-suite addition takes longer, especially when weather affects the exterior phases. We map all of this out and give you a realistic schedule with your quote, including the design and permitting runway, so you have a true end-to-end timeline rather than just the construction window — and we keep you updated against it throughout.
Do you handle design, engineering, and permits?
Yes, and having it coordinated under one roof is one of the biggest advantages of working with us on an addition. We prepare the permit drawings in-house; they're reviewed and sealed by a licensed New Jersey architect. We also coordinate structural engineering, zoning review, permitting and inspections as one process, so you're not the go-between for an architect, an engineer, the town and a builder who all point at each other when something doesn't line up. Structural engineering confirms the new load is carried properly and that the existing structure can support it, and the zoning and setback questions that decide what's allowed on your lot get answered before the design is final. Then we pull the permits and schedule the inspections at each phase, which gives you one point of accountability from the first sketch to the final sign-off.
Will the addition match the rest of my house?
That's the goal on every addition — when it's done right, no one should be able to tell where the original house ends and the new space begins. Achieving that takes deliberate attention to the details that give an addition away when they're ignored. We match rooflines and pitches so the new roof reads as part of the original silhouette, blend siding and match trim profiles so the exterior is seamless, and carry interior floor heights through so you're not stepping up or down into the new room. We also pay attention to window styles, fascia and soffit details, and how the addition ties into the existing structure. On older North Jersey homes, that sometimes means sourcing materials to match what's no longer standard off the shelf. The result is a space that looks like it was always part of the house — adding room and value — rather than an obvious bolt-on that dates the home and works against you at resale.
Can we stay in the house during construction?
Usually, yes — most families stay in their home throughout an addition, and we plan the project specifically to make that possible. Because an addition is largely built onto or alongside your existing structure, we can seal off the work area with dust barriers, keep the construction traffic and debris contained to that zone, and leave the rest of your home clean and livable. The one genuinely disruptive moment is the tie-in, when we connect the new space to the existing house by opening up a wall or roof section. We sequence that carefully — getting the new structure weather-tight first — so the opening is brief and controlled rather than leaving your home exposed. There are exceptions: some projects, like certain second-story additions or work that takes your only kitchen or bathroom offline for an extended stretch, can make staying impractical. If yours is one of those, we'll tell you honestly and up front so you can plan, rather than discovering it mid-build.
Are you licensed and insured?
Yes. Hamlett Renovations is a licensed New Jersey Home Improvement Contractor, NJ HIC #13VH12093400, and fully insured, and every addition we build is backed by a 1-year workmanship warranty. An addition is one of the largest investments a homeowner makes, and it involves structural work that affects the safety and value of your entire house — which is exactly why hiring a properly licensed and insured contractor matters here more than on almost any other project. New Jersey requires home improvement contractors to register with the state, and we'll gladly provide proof of insurance before you sign. Because an addition changes the structure of your home, the design and engineering are permitted and inspected at every phase, giving you an independent record that the work was done to code. The workmanship warranty then stands behind our construction for a full year, so if anything we built isn't performing the way it should, we come back and make it right.
Do I need an architect for a home addition in New Jersey?
You don't need to hire one separately. An addition involves structural change, so the permit set has to be sealed by a licensed design professional. We prepare the permit drawings in-house and a licensed New Jersey architect reviews them, revises where needed, and seals them, carrying professional responsibility for the set. Structural elements are engineered and stamped where the code requires it, and all of that sits inside our contract rather than being your job to arrange.
Do I need a variance to build an addition on my lot?
Only if the addition breaks your town's zoning rules — most often the setback from a property line, the maximum building coverage, or a height limit. Plenty of additions fit inside those limits and go straight to a construction permit with no board involved. We check your lot's setbacks and coverage before the design is final, so you find out whether a variance is in play at the drawing stage rather than after paying for a full set. If one is needed it goes to the town's zoning board, which adds time to the schedule.
How long does it take to get an addition permit in Bergen County?
Plan review typically runs three to eight weeks in the towns we work in, depending on the municipality and how busy its construction office is. That clock starts after the drawings are complete and sealed, which is why we budget design and permitting separately from construction. If a zoning variance is required, the board's hearing calendar goes on top of that and can add a couple of months on its own. Reviews come back fastest when the permit set is complete on first submission, which is the part we control.
Can you remove a load-bearing wall?
Yes. It's routine on additions and open-plan kitchens, and it's engineered rather than judged by eye. A structural engineer sizes the replacement beam and specifies how the load reaches the foundation, which often means new posts and footings below. Those drawings are stamped, the work is permitted, and the framing is inspected before anything is closed up. What varies from house to house is cost and schedule, not whether it can be done.
Where we work

Home additions near you

Based in Wayne, building across Bergen, Passaic, Morris & Essex County.

WayneFranklin LakesWyckoffOaklandRidgewoodHo-Ho-KusGlen RockMidland ParkAllendaleSaddle RiverMahwahParamusNorth HaledonWoodland ParkTotowaLittle Falls
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Thinking about adding on?

Design consultations for Wayne & nearby Bergen, Passaic, Morris & Essex County towns.

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