A free site visit, a check of what your lot allows and a written, line-item price.
Get your free estimateFast, Reliable Home Addition Contractor Across Converse
A home addition in Converse typically costs $180 – $420 per square foot depending on whether you’re adding a sunroom, a second story, or a detached structure on acreage. Most projects we scope in Converse take 8 – 16 weeks from permit to final walkthrough, with county-septic evaluations adding two to three weeks when the original system can’t support the new square footage. We’re Home Addition Contractor specialists who work across Converse weekly, and we know which lots near Gibbs Sprawl Road will trigger a septic review before you ever sign a contract. Call (430) 258-2928 and we’ll walk the property with you, usually within a few days.
The difference between a smooth addition in Converse and one that stalls at inspection usually comes down to the lot itself. Older acreage east of FM 1516 runs on 1970s septic systems that were sized for a three-bedroom brick veneer house, not a 600-square-foot ADU with a second bathroom. Newer subdivisions off Rocket Lane have sewer taps and tighter yards, which changes how we approach foundation and drainage. None of this appears on a generic online quote. It shows up when the county reviews your plan. We scope it before you pay anything.
Key Takeaways:
- Written price before any work starts, including septic evaluation and county permit fees where they apply.
- We build with James Hardie cladding, Tuff Shed structures, and Abodu prefab panels, depending on your lot and budget.
- Background-checked, uniformed crew on every Converse job site.
- 365-Day Done Right Promise on every addition, in writing.
Why Benson ADU San Antonio Is Converse’s Preferred Home Addition Contractor Company
Converse sits in a strange permitting zone. Drive five minutes west and you’re under San Antonio building code. Drive east past FM 1516 and you’re in unincorporated Bexar County, where setbacks, septic rules, and inspection schedules follow a different playbook entirely. Most contractors quote Converse work the same way they quote a city lot, then discover the septic problem after demo starts. We don’t. Troy Eastman runs our Converse scoping, and he’s walked enough lots along Schaefer Road and Toepperwein Road to know exactly which questions to ask before the first number goes on paper.
The Relay Visibility Guarantee shapes every Converse project we take. You get a written price before work starts, a live arrival time the day our crew shows up, photo documentation throughout the build, and a digital invoice you can pay by link. No verbal estimates that shift when the county asks for an aerobic system upgrade. No scope creep billed after the fact. If something isn’t done right within a full year, we make it right. That’s the 365-Day Done Right Promise, stamped on every Converse project file.
We’re part of the Relay Home Co. family, founded 2006, and our Converse work is coordinated from the San Antonio metro office. The crews who build in Converse live in the area and know the difference between a Converse city permit and a Bexar County one. That matters when your addition is 1,200 square feet and the inspector wants to see drainage calculations for a flash flood event.
Sunroom Addition in Converse
A sunroom addition in Converse runs $22,000 – $48,000 for a 200 – 350 square foot room with insulated glass, a mini-split HVAC unit, and slab-on-grade foundation. On acreage lots, the price shifts upward when we need to run power from a detached panel or trench drainage around the new slab. The intense summer sun in Converse means glass selection and roof insulation aren’t optional upgrades; they’re what keeps the room usable in August.
Slab, Glass, and Drainage on Open Lots
Converse gets flash floods that move fast across flat, open ground. A sunroom addition on a large lot needs positive drainage away from the new slab, which often means regrading a wider area than the sunroom footprint itself. We scope this during the initial walk, not after the first storm.
When a Sunroom Makes Sense in Converse
Homeowners in Converse add sunrooms when they want a conditioned space that isn’t a full addition, something between a porch and a room. On older brick veneer homes, a sunroom avoids the structural questions a second story raises. On newer lots, it adds square footage without triggering a septic expansion, as long as no bathroom is included.
Second Story Addition Contractor in Converse
A second story addition in Converse runs $65,000 – $140,000 for 400 – 800 square feet, depending on whether the existing foundation and framing can carry the load without reinforcement. In the 1970s – 1990s brick veneer homes common off Kitty Hawk Road, the slab is usually adequate for a single story only. Adding a second floor means a structural engineer’s stamp, and sometimes steel beams or new footings. We handle that scope as part of the written price, never as a surprise change order.
Foundation Reality on Older Converse Homes
Brick veneer homes from the 1980s on Converse’s east side often have slab foundations designed for the original roofline. Before quoting a second story, we check the slab thickness, existing framing, and roof load path. If reinforcement is needed, you’ll see that line item on the first written estimate, not after the framer finds the problem.
Septic Setbacks and Vertical Additions
A second story in unincorporated Bexar County may stay within the existing building footprint, which often avoids triggering a new septic setback review. That’s a real advantage over horizontal additions on acreage, where a new bedroom or bathroom forces a septic capacity check. We can walk you through which path is cheaper for your specific lot.
Trusted Brands We Service in Converse
We’re authorized to build with Abodu and Tuff Shed structures, and we spec James Hardie cladding on most Converse additions because it holds up to the humid subtropical climate better than vinyl. If you want a prefab panel approach, Abodu cuts on-site framing time significantly. If you want a detached ADU on acreage, Tuff Shed’s structural frames give us a fast, code-compliant starting point. We stock common materials and fasteners for Converse jobs in our metro yard, which means less waiting on long material hauls and fewer delays when a flash flood grinds delivery routes to a halt.
Common Home Addition Contractor Problems We See in Converse Homes
- Septic capacity surprises. A homeowner gets a verbal quote for a 500-square-foot ADU, signs, and then Bexar County flags the original 1970s septic system as undersized. The aerobic upgrade adds $15,000 – $25,000 mid-project. We run the septic evaluation before quoting, so this never lands on you unannounced.
- Grading failures on open lots. Converse’s flat terrain and intense rain events mean water ponds against new foundations if drainage isn’t scoped properly. We regrade and install drainage as part of the foundation plan, not as a fix after the first storm.
- Wrong permitting path. Assuming a Converse city permit applies when the property is actually in unincorporated Bexar County leads to re-submitted plans and inspection delays. Different setback rules, different timelines. We pull the correct permit the first time.
- Long material hauls on rural drives. On acreage lots off Gibbs Sprawl Road or Toepperwein Road, getting a concrete truck or a crane to the build site isn’t the same as a city lot. We coordinate delivery access and staging before the first load arrives.
Pricing for Home Addition Contractor in Converse, TX
Here’s what Converse homeowners should expect, in writing, before committing:
| Project Type | Typical Range in Converse |
|---|---|
| Sunroom addition (200 – 350 sq ft) | $22,000 – $48,000 |
| Second story addition (400 – 800 sq ft) | $65,000 – $140,000 |
| Detached ADU (600 – 1,200 sq ft) | $95,000 – $210,000 |
| Septic evaluation and aerobic upgrade (if required) | $15,000 – $25,000 |
| Grading and drainage scope on large lots | $3,000 – $9,000 |
What moves the price in Converse specifically: septic capacity on older lots, county versus city permitting, foundation reinforcement for second stories, and drainage scope on open ground. We give you one written price that includes everything we can see during the walk, plus a line-by-line breakdown so you know exactly where every dollar goes. Call (430) 258-2928 for a free estimate on your Converse property.
We Also Serve Cities Near Converse
Our crews build in Converse and the surrounding area, including Universal City, Schertz, San Antonio, and Bulverde. If your property sits between jurisdictions or you’re not sure whether it falls under Converse city rules or Bexar County, we’ll verify that before quoting. Learn more about Home Addition Contractor in Converse coverage or call (430) 258-2928 with any questions about your specific lot.
Serving Converse, TX - Our Local Coverage Area
We’re based in the Converse area and know this community well. Use the map below to see our service coverage - if you’re nearby, we can almost certainly help.
FAQs About Home Addition Contractor in Converse
Yes, if your property is on an existing septic system, Bexar County requires an evaluation before any addition that adds a bedroom or bathroom. The original 1970s systems east of FM 1516 often can’t support the extra load, which means an aerobic system upgrade before the ADU is approved. We run this evaluation early in the process so the upgrade cost appears in your first written estimate, not as a mid-project surprise. Call (430) 258-2928 and we’ll check your lot’s septic history.
In unincorporated Bexar County near Converse, detached ADUs typically require 5-foot side setbacks and 10-foot rear setbacks, but the exact numbers shift based on your lot’s plat and any easements. Septic system setbacks, which often run 10 – 25 feet from drain fields, frequently control where the ADU can sit more than the county’s base setbacks. We pull the correct survey and set the building location before you commit.
Grading and drainage typically add $3,000 – $9,000 to a home addition on a large Converse lot, depending on how much ground needs to be re-sloped and whether you need a swale or an underground drain system. Converse’s flat terrain and flash flood events mean any addition that isn’t positively drained will pond against the foundation. We include this scope in the written price, which is why our quotes on acreage often look higher than a generic city-lot estimate, and why they hold up through the first storm.
Usually not. Brick veneer homes from the 1980s in Converse were built with slabs and footings sized for one story, and adding a second floor without a structural evaluation risks cracking, settlement, and a failed inspection. A structural engineer’s stamp is typically required, and reinforcement, if needed, adds $8,000 – $20,000 depending on the foundation’s condition. We include this in the written price after an initial walk, not as a change order later.
We build across all of Converse and the surrounding unincorporated areas within a 30 – 40 minute drive of the San Antonio metro office, including rural lots off Gibbs Sprawl Road, Toepperwein Road, and Schaefer Road. Long gravel drives and tight access are part of what we scope before quoting, because they affect material delivery and equipment staging. Your written price reflects the full job, including that access logistics work, before you sign anything. Call (430) 258-2928 to schedule a free walkthrough of your property.
Written by Troy Eastman, Owner at Benson ADU San Antonio, serving Converse and the surrounding Bexar County area.
