Home Additions
Need more space but not sure where to start? Some families come to us convinced they need an addition. Others just know something isn’t working. Either way, we’ll walk your home, look at what you have, and tell you honestly what makes sense — sometimes it’s a smarter layout, and sometimes it really is an addition.
Honestly, the first thing we do when someone calls us about an addition is walk the home and look at what they have. Because a lot of the time, more than you’d expect, there’s space already there that nobody’s using well. A wall comes down. A layout gets reconfigured. A garage bay becomes part of the living space. We’d rather tell you that than build something you don’t need.
But some families genuinely need more square footage. A new baby means a bedroom that doesn’t exist yet. An aging parent moving in means a real suite with privacy. A growing family means a kitchen and mudroom that can hold everything you need. When that’s the case, we build. And we build it so the new part feels like it’s always been there.
Project Cost: $869,937
Timeline: 24 Weeks
This family needed more than a reconfiguration. They wanted a second-floor addition: a proper primary suite, a home office, a nanny suite, and a playroom. We built the full second floor and completely opened the first floor at the same time, creating a new island, an open floor plan, and a home that finally matched the family living in it.
Project Cost: $158,387.06
Timeline: 9 Weeks
The kitchen was disconnected, there was no real mudroom, and kids’ gear had nowhere to go. We extended the kitchen 6 to 8 feet, built a proper mudroom, widened the dining room opening, and added a large island. Fast project, real impact.
“We used Charleene’s Houses for an extensive kitchen redesign and mudroom addition. We could not be happier. Charleene was extremely attentive, honest, and lovely to work with. Will absolutely hire her again.”
Project Cost: $197,163
Timeline: 12 Weeks
This family of six needed more functional space, but a traditional addition wasn’t the right answer. Instead, we repurposed one bay of the garage using an engineered joist system — creating an open-concept kitchen and dining room connected to the sunroom, a walk-in pantry, a dedicated laundry room, and a mudroom. They gained all the space they needed without ever breaking ground outside.
“We absolutely love our home now — using every square inch in a functional way.”
Investment
Every addition package includes: Full space planning, custom blueprints, elevations and 3D renderings, preconstruction video walkthrough, foundation and structural work, framing, roofing tie-in, matching exterior siding, electrical, plumbing and HVAC for the new space, flooring, cabinetry, countertops, tile, fixtures and paint, trade coordination, and permit filing.
Whether you need a second-floor addition, a first-floor extension, or a creative solution that doesn’t require traditional construction, we’ll find the right approach for your home.
You see exactly what you’re getting before a single wall comes down. Full floor plans, 3D renderings, and a video walkthrough of your finished space, all created before construction begins.
Our tradespeople have worked with Charleene’s Houses for 17 to 20 years. They know our standards, they respect our clients, and they show up. That consistency is something you can’t find with a company that’s hiring new crews every season.
We’re a woman-led firm, and we think that matters. We think about the morning school rush, where the backpacks land, and how the kitchen connects to the rest of the house. We design for how families actually live, not how a showroom says they should.
Our clients say it best.
Every project follows our proven four-step process. No surprises, no scope creep, no guesswork.
Discovery Call
We start at your home, discussing your daily routines, lifestyle, and frustrations. We listen deeply, take careful notes, and document your priorities so our design approach genuinely addresses your real-life challenges. This often reveals possibilities you might not have imagined.
Design
We develop custom floorplans, elevations, and 3D renderings based on your ideas, and we revise until the plans align perfectly with your vision. Every material, finish, and layout decision gets made on paper, before construction begins.
See what the design phase includes
Build
We finalize your budget, pull permits, and get to work. Your project manager is on site every day to keep things moving and address any issue that comes up. We keep the space clean and organized throughout, so your home stays livable.
Final Walkthrough
We walk through your renovated space together and take care of any finishing touches. You don’t sign off until everything is exactly right.
It depends on the type and size of the addition. A second-story addition above an existing structure, such as a bedroom, home office, or bonus room, starts at $135,000. A single-story addition with a new foundation, fully integrated into your home for things like an expanded family room, kitchen expansion, or first-floor primary suite, starts at $250,000. A full two-story addition for something like an in-law suite or a major expansion that needs both floors starts at $400,000. We’ll talk honestly about realistic ranges during our very first conversation so you know what you’re looking at before you go any further.
That’s the first thing we figure out together. We’ve solved a lot of “we need more space” problems without ever building an addition — through smarter layouts, wall removals, or repurposing underused space like a garage bay. But some families genuinely need more square footage, and we’ll tell you that too. You can trust us to give you an honest answer.
This is something we take seriously. We look at your existing materials, roofline, windows, and architectural details and design the addition to feel like it belongs. We’re not interested in additions that look like additions.
Absolutely. In fact, it often makes more sense to do it that way. If you’re already living through construction, tackling related spaces at the same time is usually worth considering. We’ll walk through what makes sense for your specific project.
Yes. We file and coordinate all permits required for your addition. We’re familiar with Baltimore County’s permitting process, and we account for that timeline from the very beginning.
We primarily serve northern Baltimore County, including Timonium, Lutherville, Towson, Phoenix, Monkton, Reisterstown, and Owings Mills. If you’re not sure whether we cover your area, please reach out.
Before any construction begins, we develop a full design plan for your space. This includes a floor plan, 3D renderings, and an in-person walkthrough of your proposed design. Once the layout is approved, we guide you through selecting finishes, lighting, hardware, and fixtures.
The design agreement fee starts at $950 and varies depending on the scope of your project. For home additions, an additional $1,800 engineering fee applies. The design fee is separate from your construction investment.
It depends on the scope and the permitting timeline. Baltimore County additions require permits, and we plan for that time upfront. We’ll give you a realistic construction timeline during the design phase, before you sign anything. Our addition projects generally take 16 weeks or more to complete.
Our Services
Your remodel is planned down to every detail upfront, so the build goes smoothly and turns out exactly as you envisioned.
Your entire home is designed and remodeled as one cohesive project, so every space connects and nothing feels out of place.
Your kitchen is redesigned and rebuilt so the space works for the way your family uses it.