Hollis home additions

Most Hollis houses are detached frame homes on individual lots, which is the housing type that gives an addition the most room to work. Because the home is freestanding, a rear extension or a bump-out usually has open side yards and a back yard to expand into rather than a shared party wall, so we can add a larger kitchen, a family room, or a primary suite without rebuilding the whole footprint. The mid-century framing in these homes is straightforward to tie into, which keeps a clean addition predictable.

The real planning happens with the zoning numbers. Most of Hollis sits in lower-density residence districts where floor area ratio (FAR), required front and side setbacks, and maximum lot coverage decide how much you can actually add and where. On a typical detached lot the side yards and rear yard set the envelope, so we check the remaining FAR and the open-space requirements before we commit to a rear bump-out versus going up with a second story. Where the lot is generous, an addition can be filed as a standard enlargement; where it is tight, the design has to stay inside the existing envelope to avoid a variance.

The process runs through the NYC Department of Buildings (DOB). We start with a measured survey and a zoning analysis, prepare filed drawings, pull the permit, and build with the inspections DOB requires along the way, finishing with sign-off. For a detached Hollis home that usually means an Alt-1 or Alt-2 filing depending on whether the use or egress changes, and we coordinate the foundation, framing, and tie-in so the new space matches the old roofline and siding.