How Much Does it Cost to Add a Second Story in Los Angeles?

When most homeowners outgrow their home, they look for a new one. If you love your current house, though, you don't have to leave. You can get a second-story addition that will add extra square footage.

Many homeowners don't want to take on such a huge project. And while it is a comprehensive process, a full second story addition in Los Angeles can not only add a lot of space and extra comfort, it can increase the value of your home significantly — giving you your dream home without requiring you to move.

Below, we help you understand how much it might cost to add a second story Los Angeles.

Quick Answer: How Much Does It Cost to Add a Second Story in Los Angeles?

There’s a rather large spread when it comes to figuring out the cost to add a second story in Los Angeles. Generally speaking, though, the cost could range from about $80,000 all the way to about $800,000, depending on a range of factors, which we’ll discuss in the next section.

You can use some general guides to determine how much your second-story addition might cost, and then adjust that figure based on the specific details of your project, such as square footage, specific location, types of finishes, the rooms you’re adding and more.

Factors that Influence the Cost of a Second Story Addition

As mentioned above, there is a wide range of factors that influence the cost of a second story addition. General factors include your home’s specific location — and ease of access to that location for construction vehicles — materials and labor. 

Some other things that factor into the cost include …

• Square Footage: The larger your second-floor addition, the more expensive it is likely to cost. This may seem obvious, but it’s very important to keep in mind. In Los Angeles, the low-end cost of a second-story addition is likely around $350 per square foot, while the high-end cost could be as much as $700 per square foot. This means that an 800-square-foot addition could range from $280,000 to $560,000, while an 1,100-square-foot addition could range from $385,000 to $770,000.
• Type of Addition: Another major factor is whether it will be a full or partial second story. In other words, is the second story going to cover your entire first floor or only part of it? A partial second story would have a lower cost, around $200,000 to $400,000, while the full second story cost would be much higher.
• Location: The famous saying in real estate is “location, location, location,” and that applies to construction, too. The more prestigious your neighborhood, the higher the cost of construction work, in most cases. You could pay a 10% or even a 20% premium on labor in higher-end areas.
• Rooms: What rooms you are adding also heavily factor into the end price of your addition. Bedrooms and living areas cost less to build since they’re mainly just walls and flooring. Bathrooms and kitchens, meanwhile, tend to cost much more due to the different components. Some bathroom build-outs, for example, might cost $100,000 by itself, and that doesn’t even count the construction cost to get the second floor built.
• Finishes: Higher-end finishes come with a more expensive price tag. If you want to use materials such as marble flooring and natural stone siding, you should plan for higher overall costs. This is often the area where costs can get out of control if you’re not careful. Marble flooring, for instance, could cost roughly three times more than luxury vinyl flooring. In a 500-square-foot room, that could be the difference of $2,500 for luxury vinyl versus $7,500 for marble — and that only counts the cost of materials.

Those are some of the main factors that will influence the cost to add a second story in Los Angeles. Keep in mind that there are other things that will affect the cost of your project, including building permits, whether your foundation needs to be reinforced, what type of staircase you are choosing and its design, how much demolition is involved and if you’ll need to fix and/or add landscaping once the project is done.

Is it Cheaper to Add a Second Story or Build Out?

Second-story additions usually cost less than build outs. From a cost perspective, the advantages of adding a horizontal extension are numerous — you typically don’t need to replace your current roof, it doesn’t require as many modifications to the foundation and there’s often less structural work involved.

Of course, in order to be able to build out, your property would need to have sufficient yard space on which to build. That is the one major advantage to adding a second story — that you can add space without expanding the footprint of your home or needing a lot of yard space.

Ways to Bring Down the Cost of a Second Story Addition in LA

So, how do you get the biggest bang for your buck with a second-story addition? Here are some ways to bring down the cost of your project.

• Materials: Materials are a significant price factor. Consider less expensive materials such as luxury vinyl over marble, for instance. Using recycled or reclaimed materials could also reduce costs significantly. Locally-available materials are also much more affordable than materials that have to be shipped from far-away places.
• Design: Another major opportunity for cost savings is to simplify your design plans. Not only does a more straightforward design cost less in materials, it should cost less for labor as well. Angled or curved walls and intricate ceiling designs take much more time and effort than simple rectangle or square rooms.
• Negotiation: Los Angeles' home renovation and real estate markets are very competitive, and you can use that to your advantage. Get multiple quotes and then use those as leverage to negotiate the price of your job down. 
• Readiness: Along the same lines, you could gain some additional cost savings by being ready to start the job quickly. Some contractors may have open windows in their schedule they’re looking to fill immediately, and might offer you a major discount for signing on the dotted line. 

Benefits to Adding a Second Story to a Home in LA

What you need in a home today may be completely different from what you needed when you bought it. Buying a new home is difficult, though, which is why you should consider adding a second-story addition. It allows you to have pride in where you live, without having to move. Some other benefits include increased home value, extra space, better view and more privacy.

Increase Home Value

Doubling your square footage could result in your home's value doubling as well. The median home listing price being $702 per-square-foot in Los Angeles. A second-story addition of 2,000 square feet would increase the value of your home by roughly $1.4 million, then.

Extra Space

Higher value is, of course, great, but from a practical standpoint, a second-story addition gives you more space in which to live.

It could add additional bedrooms and bathrooms, allowing you to have guests or other family come to stay. You could even add rooms that you don't have now. All of this allows you to enjoy your home more and get the most out of where you live.

Better View

In a region such as Los Angeles, views can be hard to come by, with how tightly-packed-in the homes are. You might not have much of a view at all unless you add a second-story addition.

Doing so can bring even more enjoyment to your home, and give you an entirely new aspect to living.

More Privacy

You can gain immense privacy from a second-story addition. This could include locating a primary suite there, or rooms where your children can go and play.

Building up naturally creates privacy and separately that is hard to get in other ways.

Important Considerations for a Second Story Addition in LA

There's much more that goes into a second-story addition than just design and hiring a contractor. There are plenty of other factors that can increase the cost of the project as well as the time it takes to complete it. Here are some important considerations to keep in mind when planning a section-story addition in Los Angeles.

Los Angeles Zoning Rules

Los Angeles' zoning rules outline what you can and can't build in the city. While there are general zoning rules that apply to the entire city, there might also be specific — and more restrictive — ones that apply to your home’s neighborhood.

Local codes will often include height requirements, which could restrict how high homes are allowed to be. This might throw a wrench in your plans, for instance, if your planned addition would exceed those limits.

There are many other zoning rules that detail all sorts of requirements, from preventing “mansionization” to protecting people’s views to ensuring the building is safe enough to withstand the potential dangers from earthquakes and wildfires.

Securing a Permit 

If you want to construct your second-story addition legally, you’re going to need to secure a permit. There are time and cost considerations to weigh in this aspect of home construction.

From a time perspective, keep in mind that Los Angeles is a very large city, and building departments often have a big backload of permit applications. This should be factored into the overall time of your project.

Permits also cost money. The city of Los Angeles has a website dedicated to calculating permit fees, but a general estimate is that it could cost anywhere from $500 to $3,000 to obtain the necessary permits to build a second-story addition in the city.

Contractor Choice

Choosing the right contractor is perhaps the most important aspect of the success of your second-story addition. It’s important to vet prospective contractors and choose one that has experience, great reviews, is fully licensed and insured, and will do the job right the first time.

When you hire a company such as Avenue Remodeling, you can rest assured knowing that they have your best interests in mind, and will take care of everything from ensuring the project fits local zoning rules and that all required permits are obtained.

Planning Your Second Story Construction

As you’re planning your second story construction, there are some other things that you should keep in mind. Not only will these affect the overall cost of your project but the construction process and timeline to completion as well.

Impact on the First Floor

When you enter a two-story home, everything flows together nicely. The original builder meticulously planned everything, including the home's entrance, the flow between all rooms and staircase access to the second floor.

When you add a second floor after the fact, it can greatly impact the first floor. You can't just add a staircase and be done with it, since that could disrupt the layout and flow of first-floor rooms that already exist. So, when you're taking on a second-floor addition, you should consider the impact on the first floor. You might need a complete redesign of your entire home to properly accommodate the second-floor addition and how everything is going to be used.

If major construction such as moving walls, removing walls and/or adding beams is involved, then the cost of your project is likely to rise — potentially substantially.

Utility Modification 

All rooms you add to the second floor should be climate-controlled, and many will need access to running water. Modification to utilities — such as new electrical, HVAC and plumbing — might be simple jobs, but they could be expensive.

A lot of the cost for utility modification will depend on where all the “bones” of the home are located, and how easy it is to add on. In terms of the HVAC, it’s very likely you’ll need a new and bigger AC unit and furnace to accommodate the extra space — or entirely new and separate units that power the second floor separately from the first.

Foundation Upgrades

Before you can even add a second floor, it’s imperative that your contractor does a comprehensive evaluation of the structural supports and foundation for your existing home. What they’re looking for is whether you can add a second floor safely on the current foundation and structural beams, or whether additions or upgrades would be needed to bear all that extra weight.

If the current foundation can support the weight, then you can move forward with the project. If not, some significant upgrades might be needed. This could include underpinning, which might add weeks and $20,000 or more to the project cost.

Building Materials

While your contractor will be responsible for obtaining all the necessary building materials, it’s still something you should talk to them about. Having these conversations and getting a chance to give your input could help you save money.

Exterior Finish

Not to be overlooked is how the exterior of the second-floor addition will fit in with the rest of your existing home. Even though it will likely be much newer than what’s already there, you certainly want it to fit in seamlessly with your entire home.

How you do that really depends on what’s already there and what look you are going for. The less expensive option would be trying to match the exterior finish of the second floor to the existing first floor. If you're hoping for a different look, you may need to completely reconstruct the entire exterior of your home to ensure cohesion, which would be a much more expensive undertaking.

See Why Los Angeles Trusts Avenue Remodeling for Renovations

There’s a lot to consider when you’re planning a large-scale home renovation project such as a second-story addition in Los Angeles. The most important decision you need to make, though, is choosing a company that you can trust from start to finish.

Avenue Remodeling is the most trusted home remodeling contractor in Los Angeles. We are a full-service remodeling and construction company that can handle a wide range of services, from kitchen and bathroom renovations to full second-story additions.

To learn more or to get started, please contact us today.

FAQs About the Cost of Second Story Additions in LA

How much does it cost to build a 2 story house in Los Angeles?

It can cost anywhere from $200 to $450 per-square-foot to build a two-story house in Los Angeles. This means that if your home is 3,000 square feet, it might cost between $600,000 and $1.35 million.

How much does a 1000 sq ft 2 story addition cost in LA?

A 1000 square-foot two-story addition in LA will generally cost between $350,000 and $750,000.

What is the cheapest way to build a second story?

The cheapest way to build a second story is to build a partial second story addition. This would get you additional space without covering the entirety of the first floor space.

How much does it cost to build a 2 story ADU in Los Angeles?

It generally costs anywhere from $50,000 to $400,000 to build a two-story ADU in Los Angeles. The cost will vary based on its design and the materials you use.

Is it worth building a second story?

It is worth building a second story on your home in LA. Not only does it significantly increase your home’s value, but it adds more living space, privacy and functionality, while also possibly giving you a view.