Built for the peninsula
Home additions for Edgemere homes
Edgemere is dominated by one- and two-family detached houses on modest lots, and a large share of them were rebuilt or substantially repaired after Hurricane Sandy. That post-Sandy work usually means the first floor now sits above the FEMA base flood elevation, with the area below treated as flood-resistant or open. Any addition here has to start from that reality: new floor area has to match the elevated structure, and the space beneath an extension cannot quietly become finished living space without triggering FEMA and DOB compliance.
Zoning is the second constraint, and on detached Edgemere lots it tends to favor going up or out modestly rather than sprawling. Lower-density R3 and R4 districts cap how much of the lot you can cover and set front, side, and rear setbacks that protect light and air between houses, while the floor area ratio limits total building size. In practice that means a rear extension or bump-out has to leave the required rear yard intact, a second story has to stay within FAR and height limits, and a detached ADU has to fit inside what lot coverage allows after the main house and required yards are accounted for.
The process reflects both layers. We confirm your flood zone and base flood elevation, check FAR, lot coverage, and setbacks against your actual lot, and file the addition with the Department of Buildings so the elevation, foundation, and egress all read as compliant. For most Edgemere homeowners that translates into a feasible plan within weeks of survey, then a build that keeps the elevated structure watertight while the new space is framed in.
Rear extensions
Push the back of the house into the yard for a larger kitchen or family room, sized to keep the required rear setback and lot coverage in line with R3 and R4 limits.
Second stories
Add a full or partial upper floor for bedrooms and baths, engineered to load onto your elevated post-Sandy structure within FAR and height limits.
Bump-outs
Small cantilevered or foundation extensions that gain a few critical feet for a bath, mudroom, or stair, often the cleanest fit on a tight Edgemere lot.
ADUs
Attached or detached accessory units where lot coverage and setbacks allow, built to current flood and egress standards for extended family or guests.
CITYCOREBUILDERS