HOME ADDITIONS
Expand your St. Petersburg home without giving up the location you love. From extra bedrooms and home offices to full second stories—with transparent pricing and structural expertise that seamlessly blends new construction with your existing home.
Signs You Need a Home Addition
Growing Family Needs
Family too large for the space. No extra bedrooms, more than one kid per room, or need dedicated home office space.
Work-From-Home Reality
People spend more time at home than ever. A dedicated workspace has become essential for productivity and work-life balance.
Love Your Location
Many clients invest in half-million-dollar-plus additions because they love where they live so much that expanding in place is the only option.
Multi-Generational Living
Aging parents or adult children moving back home require private, comfortable spaces within the existing property.
Our Home Addition Process
Timeline
Design Phase
Architect work, plans, and revisions
3-6 months
Permitting
City review for structural additions
2-5 months
Construction
Building, inspections, punch-list
~6 months
Sequence of Work
Light Demolition
Minimal demo to avoid water intrusion during construction
Tie-ins to Existing Structure
Epoxy rebar for masonry, Simpson steel connections for wood framing
Foundation Work
New footings and slab or crawl space
Framing
New walls and roof structure
MEPs Rough-in
Mechanical, electrical, plumbing inside walls
Windows, Doors, Roofing
Often re-roof entire house for seamless integration
Drywall & Finishes
Interior completion and final details
Living Situation
Depends on the scope. If it's an addition plus a kitchen remodel, clients can often stay during the structural phase. Once it gets too dusty or loud, they may need to leave. Rentals are expensive here, so we keep clients comfortable as long as possible.
Home Addition Cost in St. Petersburg
First Floor (No Wet Rooms)
~$200/sq ft
Bedrooms, offices, living spaces without plumbing
First Floor (With Bath/Kitchen)
$250-300/sq ft
Additions including bathrooms or kitchens
Second Story
$300-400+/sq ft
Requires structural retrofitting of existing home
What Drives Costs
- •Foundation: New structural footings for the addition
- •Windows and doors: Significant cost in any addition
- •Roofing: Often requires re-roofing the entire house for seamless integration
- •Wet rooms: Bathrooms and kitchens dramatically increase per-square-foot cost
- •Building up vs. out: Second floors require structural upgrades to existing home
Additional Unexpected Costs
- •Electrical upgrades: May need panel upgrade or new service to handle added load
- •Plumbing extensions: Running new lines from existing systems adds complexity
- •HVAC overhaul: Efficiency standards keep rising; existing systems often can't handle added square footage
How We Prevent Surprises
The goal is to prevent scope creep by nailing down as many numbers as possible before permitting. Costs never go down, only up. Every finish and fixture gets identified upfront. By the time construction starts, we've converted the estimate into a budget with most costs known. Surprises only go up, never down—so we work to eliminate them before breaking ground.
Ready to Discuss Your Home Addition Project?
Get expert guidance and a detailed estimate for expanding your St. Petersburg home.
Planning Your Home Addition
Pre-Permitting Decisions
Identify all costs specifically before permitting begins. The goal is to prevent scope creep by nailing down as many numbers as possible. Surprises only go up, never down.
Architectural matching—ensuring the addition matches the existing home—is handled by the architect and required by the city. The city reviews exterior elevations to verify visual compatibility.
Setback Requirements
Setbacks are dictated by city code and are not negotiable. The architect plots these on the survey before even beginning design:
- •Side setbacks: Often 6-7 feet
- •Front setback: 20-30 feet
- •Rear setback: ~25 feet
Building Up vs. Building Out
We do more first-floor additions because second floors are significantly more expensive. The existing structure usually wasn't built to support additional stories, requiring extensive retrofitting that can nearly double the cost compared to building out.
Permits for Home Additions in St. Petersburg
Additions Are Treated Like New Construction
Everything requires permits and inspections:
- •Foundation inspection
- •Masonry and rebar
- •Electrical rough-in and final
- •Plumbing rough-in and final
- •Framing inspection
- •Roof inspection
- •Window and door installation
- •Insulation inspection
- •Final occupancy
Permit Timeline: Permitting in St. Pete takes 2-5 months for a structural addition.
Special Considerations
The 50% Rule (Flood Zone Properties)
You can only improve a flood-zone property up to 49% of the building's value (excluding land value). This limits how much you can add without triggering full flood compliance upgrades.
When to Add vs. When to Move
Decision factors to consider:
- •How much do you love your location?
- •Land cost: Building on your lot eliminates purchase
- •Transaction and closing costs avoided
- •Tax implications of reassessment
Often, adding on at $400-500/sq ft is cheaper than buying a new home at $700/sq ft in the same neighborhood.
WHY CHOOSE REVOLUTION FOR YOUR HOME ADDITION
What sets us apart from other contractors in St. Petersburg.
IN-HOUSE LABOR
Our skilled craftsmen are Revolution employees, not subcontractors. This means better quality control, accountability, and a team that truly cares about your project.
T&M TRANSPARENCY
Our Time & Materials billing model means you see exactly where every dollar goes. No hidden markups, no surprises—just honest, transparent pricing.
LOCAL EXPERTISE
Deep knowledge of St. Petersburg permits, historic district requirements, and coastal building codes. We navigate local regulations so you don't have to.
TILE & WATERPROOFING
Specialized expertise in wet areas that most contractors lack. Proper waterproofing and tile installation prevent costly failures down the road.
Home Addition Frequently Asked Questions
How long does a home addition take?
Plan for 3-6 months of design, several months of permitting, and roughly 6 months of construction. A significant addition often takes 12-18 months total from first architect meeting to move-in.
How much does a home addition cost per square foot in St. Petersburg?
First-floor additions without wet rooms run about $200/sq ft. Add a bathroom and kitchen, and you're looking at $250-300/sq ft. Second-story additions cost $300-400+/sq ft because existing structures usually need reinforcement to support the additional load.
Can I stay in my home during an addition?
Often yes, especially during the structural phase. If the addition includes a kitchen remodel, you may need to leave once dust and noise become unmanageable. We try to keep clients comfortable as long as possible since rentals here are expensive.
What permits do I need for a home addition?
All of them—additions are treated like new construction. Foundation, framing, electrical, plumbing, roofing, windows, insulation, and final occupancy inspections are all required. Permitting takes 2-5 months in St. Pete.
Is it cheaper to add on or move to a bigger house?
Often adding on is cheaper. At $400-500/sq ft for an addition vs. $700/sq ft for new construction in the same neighborhood, plus avoiding transaction costs, tax reassessment, and the hassle of moving—many clients find expansion makes more financial sense. The deciding factor is usually how much you love your location.
Can I build a second story on my house?
Possibly, but it's expensive. Existing foundations and walls usually weren't designed to support a second floor. The structural retrofitting required can nearly double the cost compared to building out on the first floor.
What's the 50% rule for flood zone properties?
You can only improve a flood-zone property up to 49% of the building's value (excluding land). Exceed that threshold, and you trigger full flood compliance requirements.
How do you ensure the addition matches my existing home?
The architect designs the addition to match your home architecturally, and the city requires exterior elevation drawings that demonstrate visual compatibility. It's part of the permitting review process.
LOVED BY OUR CUSTOMERS
Nothing means more to us than making our clients happy, unless perhaps it is making them so happy they come back to us or refer us to their friends and family!
"We had multiple contractors tell us that our 100-year old bungalow in Old Southeast should be torn down instead of remodeled. Revolution worked with us on an extensive plan to rebuild structural components and remodel the entire house. Now we have the best house in the block!"
"The guys at Revolution have done projects for us in two houses now. They added a master bathroom for us in northeast St Pete and then remodeled every square inch of a 4500-sq. ft house in Pinellas Pt. Through every challenge over two years of construction they have been there pushing our projects forward. We wouldn't use anybody else!"
"Awesome company! I had Revolution Contractors do some work on my house and did an amazing job!!! The guys there are great to work with and very professional and knowledgeable on there work. I am very happy they way there work came out and will be getting more work done on my house from them."
"Find them to be very professional, provide sufficient info for bidding, easy to contact, and most importantly they pay good. All and all NuTrend really enjoys a very productive and lucrative relationship with Revolution Contractors would recommend them and do often"
"On a challenging structural project for an investment property Revolution saw me through all sorts of headaches with the building department and were able to carry off multiple layout changes with gorgeous results. They've done multiple projects for my family as well as my group of closest friends and are now working on my primary residence!"
"Revolution Contractors have helped my family on numerous projects, providing guidance and honesty throughout all projects. The crew is hardworking and reliable. The owners are quick to respond and very honest. Definitely would recommend!"
