The cost to convert a garage to an ADU varies widely depending on many factors, from its size to the features you want to include.
Home Addition Cost in Charlotte [2025 Data]
Normal Range: $21,638 - $68,501
A home addition costs an average of $43,170 in Charlotte, North Carolina. Depending on the location, size, type, and materials, most homeowners spend between $21,638 and $68,501.
How we get this data
Ursula Page / Adobe Stock Photography
Ursula Page / Adobe Stock Photography
Highlights
The most critical cost factors are the square footage you’re looking to add and whether you’re building out or adding above the first story.
The average property in Charlotte is 0.26 acres, so most homeowners will have room to build out and save money rather than build up.
Charlotte sees intense summers, so upgrading to exterior materials like metal roofing and insulation behind your siding can help improve energy efficiency and indoor comfort.
A home addition will add an average of between 2% and 5% to your home value in Charlotte, making it a good investment long-term.
Adding a home addition in Charlotte costs an average of $43,170, and most residents pay somewhere between $21,638 and $68,501. The square footage you’re adding and the type of home addition you choose are the biggest factors, with smaller bumpouts costing significantly less than larger second-story additions or dormers. Most plots in Charlotte are large enough to accommodate a bumpout, which helps keep average costs down.
Home Addition Cost Factors
Some homeowners in Charlotte, North Carolina, pay as little as $11,000 for a home addition, while others pay as much as $159,000. Where your total falls within that range will depend on many factors, like the size and type of home addition, the quality of the materials you choose, and what type of room you’re adding. Site prep and permits will play smaller roles in your pricing.
Size
Home additions cost between $60 and $200 per square foot if you’re building out and between $250 and $450 per square foot if you’re building up. The cost to add a 10x10 room to a house costs an average of about $12,000 if you build out and around $35,000 if you build up.
Price Notice
Remember that if you add square footage to your home, the cost of your homeowners insurance will increase accordingly. Before you embark on this project, speak to your insurance company about expected costs.
In some cities where smaller property sizes restrict build-out potential, building up is the only option, and the average cost of adding onto your home will be much higher. The average property size in Charlotte is 0.25 acres or a little over 11,000 square feet, and the average home size is just under 1,800 square feet.
Most Charlotte residents will have plenty of room to build out and save money without cutting too much into their yard space. This is one reason why the average cost of a home addition in the area is below the national average.
| Size (Sq. Ft.) | Building Out | Building Up |
|---|---|---|
| 60 | $4,000–$10,000 | $15,200–$25,350 |
| 80 | $5,400–$13,500 | $20,200–$33,800 |
| 100 | $6,750–$16,900 | $25,350–$42,250 |
| 150 | $10,000–$25,350 | $38,000–$63,400 |
| 200 | $13,500–$33,800 | $50,700–$84,500 |
| 300 | $20,200–$50,700 | $76,000–$126,750 |
| 400 | $27,000–$67,600 | $101,400–$169,000 |
Your total also depends on the complexity of the room and its finishes. For example, adding a bathroom will often cost more than a bedroom since it requires additional plumbing and electrical work.
Materials
As you can imagine, it takes many kinds of building materials to complete a custom home addition. Material prices vary widely, so your price could push closer to $68,501 if you choose luxury or high-end materials at each step of the way. In more expensive neighborhoods, like Eastover and Myers Park, choosing top-of-the-line materials may be a better option to conform to the neighborhood, in which case prices could climb to $159,000.
Interior building materials will play a major role in your home addition pricing, but they’re mostly based on personal preference and individual budget. On the exterior of your home addition, you should be a bit more selective based on the local climate in Charlotte. You ideally want materials that will stand up to the above-average rainfall in the city, and materials that will keep your new addition well insulated from the intense summer heat.
The tables below should provide a good idea of how different exterior materials that work well in the area can affect your pricing.
Foundation Materials Cost:
| Foundation Material | Cost per Sq. Ft. | Pros | Cons |
|---|---|---|---|
| Crawl space | $6–$18 | Space for utilities | Expensive excavation |
| Slab | $5–$16 | More affordable | No underhome area |
Insulation Materials Cost:
| Insulation Material | Cost per Sq. Ft. | Pros | Cons |
|---|---|---|---|
| Blown-in | $0.60–$2.30 | High R-value | For unfinished space |
| Fiberglass batts | $0.30–$0.40 | DIY-friendly | Lower R-value |
| Rigid foam | $0.25–$0.50 | Good insulation | Hard to install |
Roofing Materials Cost:
| Roofing Material | Cost per Sq. Ft. | Pros | Cons |
|---|---|---|---|
| Asphalt shingles | $1–$4 | Most affordable | Hotter in summer |
| Clay/concrete tile | $3–$13 | Protects from heat | Very heavy |
| Metal | $4–$16 | Reflects sunlight | Expensive |
Siding Materials Cost:
| Siding Material | Cost per Sq. Ft. | Pros | Cons |
|---|---|---|---|
| Brick | $10–$20 | Insulates well | Expensive |
| Fiber cement | $5–$14 | Can add insulation | Costly |
| Stone | $7–$30 | Home value | Most expensive |
| Stucco | $7–$9 | Insulates well | Absorbs water |
| Vinyl | $3–$12 | Most affordable | Minimal insulation |
Window Frame Materials Cost:
| Window Frame Material | Cost | Pros | Cons |
|---|---|---|---|
| Aluminum | $75–$400 each | Most affordable | Poor insulation |
| Composite | $300–$1,200 each | Good insulation | Expensive |
| Fiberglass | $500–$1,500 each | Best insulation | Most expensive |
| Vinyl | $100–$900 each | Best value | Can warp in heat |
| Wood | $150–$1,300 each | Traditional look | Prone to rot |
Type
The cost to add on a room varies based on the type of home addition you choose and the size of the room you’re building. Rooms like kitchens and bathrooms require plumbing work that a bedroom doesn’t, while an unfinished attic home addition may not require electrical or HVAC work that a bedroom needs. The cost per square foot for your home addition will vary based on utilities and the finishes required for how you plan on using the extra square footage.
| Addition Type | Average Cost |
|---|---|
| Bumpout | $8,500–$36,600 |
| Detached garage | $16,300–$28,600 |
| Dormer | $5,100–$21,300 |
| In-law suite | $21,300–$225,300 |
| Second-story | $85,000–$212,500 |
| Sunroom | $18,700–$63,800 |
Site Prep
On average, site prep for a home addition costs between $1,500 and $5,000. You may not need any site prep in some cases, while other home addition projects may require grading land, demolishing concrete patios, removing trees, and other work that can add to your total.
The average property size in Charlotte is far larger than the national average, so most homeowners can save money by building out rather than building up. This will mean higher site preparation costs, on average, but you’ll still spend far less than you would on the alternative of adding a second-story home addition.
Most homes in Charlotte don’t have basements, as the frost line is shallow, and excavating isn’t necessary to protect utility lines. This does help keep site prep costs a bit lower, as most additions won’t require large-scale excavation.
Permits
The City of Charlotte requires building permits for all major renovations, remodels, and construction, so you’ll always need permits for a home addition project. The city charges permit fees based on the total cost of construction. Given the average cost of a home addition in Charlotte, you’ll pay a base fee of $59.70 plus $12.19 for every $1,000 worth of work beyond the first $3,000. That puts average permit costs at $559.49.
Permit fees can be much higher or lower, so ask your home addition contractor to estimate your total so that you can budget accurately.
Home Addition Pro Costs
Hiring a home builder in Charlotte to handle your home addition is expensive, as labor alone accounts for between 40% and 60% of your total. Given the average home addition cost in Charlotte, that means you’ll pay labor fees averaging between $17,300 and $25,900. The cost of living in Charlotte is close to 4% higher than the national average, so per-hour costs for labor will be a bit higher than they would in most other cities.
You should also account for sales tax if you want the most accurate budget possible. The sales tax rate in Charlotte is 7.25%, including city and state taxes, which means taxes will add an average of $3,129.83 to your total.
Does a Home Addition Increase Property Value?
Yes, a home addition will increase your property value, and adding square footage to your living space is one of the best things you can do in terms of bumping up your home’s worth. A home addition provides an average return on investment (ROI) of between 20% and 50%, which means the average project in Charlotte will add between $8,600 and $21,600 to your property value. That’s an overall value bump of between 2% and 5%, given real estate prices in the city.
How Angi Gets Its Cost Data
Home is the most important place on earth, which is why Angi has helped more than 150 million homeowners transform their houses into homes they adore. To help homeowners with their next project, Angi provides readers with the most accurate cost data and upholds strict editorial standards. We survey real Angi customers about their project costs to develop the pricing data you see, so you can make the best decisions for you and your home. We pair this data with research from reputable sources, including the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, academic journals, market studies, and interviews with industry experts—all to ensure our prices reflect real-world projects.
Want to help us improve our cost data? Send us a recent project quote to [email protected]. Quotes and personal information will not be shared publicly.
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