What extensions covers
An extension increases a property footprint or adds a storey. The technical work concentrates at the junction with the existing building, where new structure has to be tied into old and where the two envelopes have to meet without leaving a water path.
An extension increases a property footprint or adds a storey. The technical work concentrates at the junction with the existing building, where new structure has to be tied into old and where the two envelopes have to meet without leaving a water path.
Extending a property outward or upward, tied into the existing structure and envelope.
Waystar carries out this work on residential and commercial property in Brooklyn and across New York City. Every project starts with a look at the building, and the scope, the materials and the figures are written down before anything begins.
When might you need it?
These are the signs owners usually notice first.
- Needing significantly more space than the footprint allows
- A ground floor that is too small for how it is used
- An opportunity to add a storey within what is permitted
- A previous extension that leaks at the junction
- Wanting to stay in the neighbourhood rather than move
What the work involves
- Feasibility against zoning and the existing structure
- Structural assessment of what the existing building can carry
- Permits and filings identified and progressed
- Foundations and structure formed and tied in
- Envelope closed with the junction detailed against water
- Services extended and the interior completed
How the process works
Test feasibility
Zoning and the existing structure decide what can actually be built.
Design and approve
Drawings developed and taken through the required approvals.
Build and tie in
New structure formed and connected to the existing building.
Close the envelope
The junction is detailed and made watertight before internal work begins.
Complete inside
Services extended, finishes completed and the two parts tied together.
What you get
- Space added without leaving the property
- The junction with the existing building properly detailed
- One team through structure, envelope and finish
What affects the scope
- What the existing structure can carry, particularly for upward extensions
- Ground conditions and foundation depth
- Party wall and neighbouring property considerations
- Approval timescales and any conditions attached
This is a preliminary planning range, not a quote. A property visit is required before any price is confirmed.
Frequently asked questions
Can I build up rather than out?
Sometimes, and it depends on what the existing structure and foundations can carry. That gets assessed before the design is fixed.
Where do extensions usually leak?
At the junction with the existing building, almost always. That detail deserves more attention than any other part of the job.
Do neighbours have to be involved?
Where work affects a party wall or shared structure, yes. It is identified early rather than raised once work starts.
Services often needed alongside this
This service is part of Renovation and Construction.
Related work
