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One of the most common house framing basics for decades has been using wood for the framing work. However, some framing contractors now suggest using steel frames. Steel is lightweight, resistant to fire, and resistant to moisture, all of which are areas where wood framing could cause problems. However, steel framing is more expensive than wood and limits your ability to insulate the home.

You should avoid drilling or cutting into load-bearing beams because removing material will weaken it and increase the risk of structural damage or even collapse. If you do need to drill into a load-bearing beam, speak with a structural engineer first to discuss where it’s safest to drill and the width and depth of the bit that’s safe to use.

Bump-out additions can add some space to a closet without requiring any significant structural work. This entails pushing back the existing rear or side of the closet, simply moving the wall into either an adjacent room or unused space. For ground-floor closets, this could even be extended to the exterior of the home, but that has its own complications. Bump-outs are a good discussion to have with your contractor if you’re just looking to increase the space a little—not renovate the entire closet space.

The best way to calculate framing costs is by basing your costs on the square footage of your home. On average, framing your home could cost anywhere between $7 and $16 per square foot. 

To ensure you don’t go over budget, base your estimates on the higher end of the price range. If you know you’re going to use high-end materials or require a custom or complex build, you might even want to tack on an additional 5% of your budget.