Home Renovations and Extensions on the Kapiti Coast
The bigger jobs: extensions, second storeys, structural alterations and whole-house renovations, planned properly, consented, and run by a Licensed Building Practitioner so the house keeps working while it changes.
Renovations That Fit the House You Have
Most people on the Kapiti Coast who want a different house do not want a different address. They like the street, the beach at the end of it and the neighbours; what they have outgrown is the layout, the number of bedrooms, or a 1970s floor plan that puts the kitchen in a cupboard at the back. That is the work JMC Builders does under this heading: the extension that adds a living room or two bedrooms, the second storey that doubles the floor area on a small section, the structural alteration that takes out the walls between the kitchen, dining and lounge, and the whole-house renovation that does all of it at once and reclads the outside while the scaffold is up.
It is a different job from a new build and in some ways a harder one, because the existing house has to be understood before it can be changed. Which walls are carrying the roof; what the framing behind the linings looks like after forty years; whether the foundations will take another storey; how the new roof meets the old one so that it never leaks. Jamie Corrigan has been doing this work on the coast since 2003, and the first site visit is mostly spent finding those answers so the quote is built on what is there rather than on what everyone hopes is there.
What a Renovation or Extension With JMC Involves
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Look, talk, and a quote
Jamie comes to the house, walks through what you want with you, checks what can be checked - the roof space, the subfloor, the framing where it is visible - and tells you straight away what will need a consent, an engineer or a designer. Then an itemised quote, or a budget range if the drawings do not exist yet.
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Design, engineering and consent
An extension, a second storey or a structural alteration needs drawings, usually an engineer's design for the beams and foundations, and a building consent from Kapiti Coast District Council or Horowhenua District Council. JMC works with local designers and engineers, manages the application, and gives you a written contract - the law requires one for residential work of $30,000 or more including GST, and the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment explains why contracts are valuable for a homeowner in plain terms.
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Planning the job around your life
Before anything is opened up, the sequence is worked out so the house stays liveable: which rooms are out of action and for how long, where the kitchen goes in the meantime, what is closed off from dust, and when the roof is off if it has to come off. Jamie will try to accommodate every client's situation, so families can stay put while renovation is being done.
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Foundations, framing and roof
New piles or slab for the extension, the framing tied into the existing structure, the new roof framed and joined into the old, and the house weathertight again as quickly as the job allows. This is restricted building work and Jamie, as the licence holder, does or supervises it.
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Cladding, joinery, services and linings
The new walls clad to match or to contrast with the old, windows and doors in, the plumber and electrician through, insulation, linings and stopping, then the fit-out: kitchen, bathroom, stairs, flooring, doors and trim, painting.
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Inspections, sign-off and handover
Council inspections at each stage, the final inspection and the code compliance certificate, and a walk through the finished job with Jamie.
Contact Us
To talk about a renovation, an extension or a second storey in Pukerua Bay, Paekakariki, Raumati, Paraparaumu, Waikanae, Peka Peka, Te Horo, Otaki or Levin, ring Jamie on 021 052 4447 or send the details through the form below. The age of the house and a couple of phone photos of the rooms you want to change will make the first conversation a much more useful one.
Extensions We Have Built
Two Renovations, In the Owners' Words
After purchasing a very neglected house, we commenced a slow renovation with Jamie Corrigan as the builder. We had intended to just complete the reno one task at a time, however a major structural problem was exposed and instantly a major project was underway, without a plan. To his credit Jamie rose to the challenge evolving a workable plan, providing: sound workmanship; regular communication; thoughtful problem solving (and there were many), and; a house to be proud of. I have no hesitation endorsing Jamie as a reliable, approachable builder.
Jamie has worked for us on several projects in the past 12 years. His workmanship is exemplary and he uses his imagination to get around tricky situations which aptly describes our place - old, on the sand dune, almost inaccessible. He makes good use of his knowledge of the craft and of the range of materials on offer, particularly in these covid days when imports are limited. He also seems able to attract good workers who are easily motivated.
Renovation and Extension Questions
Can we live in the house while the work is done?
Usually, and the job is planned around it: rooms closed off from dust, a temporary kitchen, and the noisiest and most disruptive stages grouped together. Where the roof comes off for a second storey, Jamie will be honest that a fortnight somewhere else is worth it.
Does an extension need a building consent?
Yes. Any addition to the floor area, any new storey and any structural alteration needs a consent from the council, and the work has to be done or supervised by a Licensed Building Practitioner. JMC handles the application, the inspections and the code compliance certificate as part of the job.
Do you do kitchens and bathrooms?
As part of a bigger job, yes - most whole-house renovations and many extensions include a new kitchen or bathroom, and the ones in our photographs were built that way. A kitchen or bathroom on its own is not the work JMC sets up for; the bigger jobs are.
What if you find rot or other problems once the walls are open?
You are told the same day, shown what was found, and given a price for fixing it before it is fixed. Older Kapiti houses often have some, and the quote will say what has been allowed for and what has not.
Is it cheaper to renovate or to rebuild?
It depends on how much of the house is sound. A good structure with a bad layout is worth renovating; a house with failed cladding, a poor foundation and a layout nobody wants is often better replaced. Jamie will tell you which he thinks yours is, and why, after the first visit.
Other Work We Do
One builder for the bigger jobs: new homes, renovations and extensions, and reclads, anywhere from Pukerua Bay to Levin.
New Builds
Architectural and custom new homes from the first site visit to handover: foundations, framing, cladding, joinery and the finish, with the consent, the engineer and the other trades organised by Jamie. Read more
Recladding
Full reclads of plaster and weatherboard homes: the old cladding off, the framing checked and repaired, a new cavity-based cladding system on, and the consent signed off. Read moreTalk to Jamie About Your Project
Tell us what you have in mind and roughly where the house or the section is. Jamie will come and have a look, talk it through with you, and provide a quote - no obligation, anywhere from Pukerua Bay to Levin.
021 052 4447- Working the whole Kapiti Coast and north to Levin
- Licensed Building Practitioner (Carpentry)
- Building on the Kapiti Coast since 2003
- jcorrigan.builder@gmail.com
Plans help, and so do photos. If you have drawings, even a sketch, attach them to an email after you send this and Jamie can give you a much more useful first answer.