Trim Waste

Designing an addition is not as hard as you think. To "Trim Waste", plan your addition in increments of 4 feet.

By planning your addition as close as possible to 4' increments such as 16' x 16' or 24' x 20', you'll save a lot of waste, and also on the expense of debris removal.

Plywood and drywall are 4' wide.

An example of wasteful dimensions would be a 16'6" x 21' addition. The materials used for this job would have constructed an 18' x 24' addition. Also, the price would have included an additional expense to haul away all the scrap that you paid for and could have used.

There are also some common guidelines to help you choose from room sizes appropriate for your original house size and price.

Find our suggestions in the next section, Room Size Tips.