When you say "way higher", are you referencing the "bids" you received
vs. the actual cost in the end?

Can you post some pictures of the before/after? Do you have a website
possibly?

I currently live in a 1980's ranch house with a hip roof (and the roof
is truss). We'd like to maintain the hip roof look with wide overhangs
(kind of Frank Lloyd Wright Prairie Style) with placing a second story
over part of the ranch (set back from all sides - second story would not
line up with outside walls). What we have been unable to determine is
if it's even possible, or if it's just alot of money.

The last builder we talked to (who has done second story additions)
would not even give us a ballpark figure, basically came back with a
different floor plan that added a garage with a room over it, and then
expanded out the first floor. All he would say is that it would be ALOT
of money.... Is alot of money $100K, $200K, $500K????

Anything you can share from your experience would be greatly appreciated.

Cathy


DT wrote:
I can't help with the costs, except to state that they will be *way* higher
than first anticipated :-) I am just finishing up this same type of project on
my house. In my case I only expanded the back third of the house into a two
story portion, although I completely razed the existing hip roof structure on
the remaining part and rebuilt with a much higher pitched gable roof to look
better against the new two story part. So my house now has a split level look.

In addition to all the good comments, I might add one more that may not be
obvious. Your present ceiling joists will not work at all for the floor
structure for the second story. So the entire ceiling structure will have to
come off in addition to the present roof. In other words, for a while you will
be living in a house with just walls, nothing on top but the sky. You could
leave the old ceiling structure in place and add new joists on top, but that
raises the height of everything.