Engineering first
Structural feasibility assessment
Every addition stands on structure that was never designed for it. An engineer's assessment of the existing footings, load-bearing walls and roof framing is the gatekeeper for the whole project: it determines whether the home can take a conventional upper level, needs strengthening first, or suits a lightweight framed approach instead.
Scope
What this covers
Inspection of the existing footings, typically involving test pits at representative points
Identification of load-bearing walls and the paths new loads will follow to the ground
Assessment of slab, brickwork and frame condition, including movement or cracking history
An engineer's report setting out feasible structural strategies for a new level
Early advice on whether underpinning or strengthening would be required and where
Timing
When it's needed
This is the first spend on any addition, before design fees and long before contracts. Homes on reactive clay, homes with a history of cracking, and older cottages with shallow strip footings all need the structural verdict before a single room is sketched.
During construction the home is a live worksite above an occupied dwelling: respect exclusion zones inside your own house, keep children away from the stair void and any exposed structure, and never climb to inspect roof works yourself. Report loose temporary coverings before bad weather, not after.
Quote variables
What shapes the scope
Footing type, depth and condition revealed by investigation
Wall construction (full brick, veneer or timber) and its load capacity
Soil behaviour under the increased loading
Whether a lightweight framed upper level changes the verdict
In NSW, building work of this scale must be performed by a contractor licensed with NSW Fair Trading under a compliant written contract, with home building compensation cover in place for contracts above the insurance threshold before work starts or a deposit is paid. Structural design must come from a suitably qualified engineer. Verify every licence claim against the public registers rather than taking a website's word, including this one.
Addition services
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