More On Home Additions

Exterior of a DC row home after a third story pop-up addition in Logan Circle, Washington DC.

What We Build

Designed for Your Family

It is usually not one thing. The kids need their own rooms. You need an office that is actually separate from everything else, or maybe you want a bonus room with access to a roof deck to take advantage of your outdoor space, and you simply do not want to move out of your existing neighborhood. So you start thinking about building up.

Adding a floor, also known as a third-story pop-up, is one of the more permanent decisions you can make about a home. It takes skill and expertise across design, engineering, and zoning, and the right approach depends heavily on your neighborhood, the age of your home, and what is contextual to the block you live on. Blue Star’s team of professional designers, project managers, and engineers knows how to do it, and do it well.

Most homeowners also want to know whether it actually pencils out financially. In DC, the answer is almost always yes. Vertical additions in high-demand neighborhoods tend to hold their value in ways that surface-level renovations do not. Whether you are staying for twenty years or thinking about resale, the math usually works.

Talk to Our Team ››

How It Works

What We Think About When Adding A New Story

The details that make or break a home addition are not the ones in the renderings. They are the ones you notice six months after it is done. Does the new floor feel like part of the house or like a hotel room sitting on top of it? Is there enough ceiling height to actually live up there comfortably? Can you hear everything from downstairs?Does the new staircase take up valuable space on the floor below, or was it worked into the plan from the start?

We think about all of it:

  • Structural load and what your existing home can actually support before anything gets drawn
  • Ceiling heights, natural light, and how the new floor connects to what is already there
  • Sound separation between floors, not just drywall
  • The stair placement problem, because it is always a problem in DC rowhomes
  • Zoning, height limits, and historic district requirements that affect what is possible before you fall in love with a plan

DC lots are narrow and the city has opinions about what you can build and how high. We have been working in this city long enough to know where the real constraints are and how to design around them without it showing.

Learn More About Our Process ››

Why Blue Star

The Right Team Makes All the Difference

Adding a floor is not a renovation. It is a structural project that happens to end with beautiful rooms. The architecture and the construction have to be solved together, because the decisions are not separable. Where the load transfers, how the existing walls get reinforced, what the stair placement does to both floors, and how mechanical systems now heat and condition this new space, are not things you figure out in sequence. They have to be worked out by the same team at the same time.

Our team and process focus on Lifestyle Driven Design, Craftsmanship with Architectural Details, and a Transparent Process.

Lifestyle Driven Design

Every household grows differently. We start by understanding how yours actually functions today and where it is headed, then design around that reality. Every layout choice, every stair placement, every room configuration comes from listening to you first.

Craftsmanship & Quality Details

A vertical addition has to look like it was always part of the house. That does not happen by accident. We are deliberate about structural integrity, material continuity, and the architectural details that make a new floor feel like it belongs rather than like it was added on.

A Transparent Process

Adding a floor in the district involves structural engineering, zoning review, and often historic preservation considerations. We walk you through all of it. You will know what your project requires, what the timeline realistically looks like, and exactly what drives the budget from the first conversation forward.

Let’s Figure Out What’s Possible

We do not do high-pressure consultations. They are mostly us asking a lot of questions and being honest about what is realistic for your specific home and budget.

Some clients are ready to move. Others need another few months to think it through. Either way, you leave knowing more than you came in with.

If you are somewhere in the early stages of figuring this out, that is exactly the right time to talk.

Schedule Your Consultation ›

Adding a New Story FAQs

Is my home structurally able to support an additional floor?

Most DC rowhomes can support a second story, but it requires a proper structural assessment before anything gets designed. The existing walls, foundation, and framing all factor in. We evaluate this at the start of every project so the design is grounded in what your home can actually carry.

Do we need to move out while a floor is being added?

In most cases yes, at least for a portion of the project. When the roof comes off and framing begins, the home is not livable. We plan for this in the project schedule and give you a clear picture of timing before work starts.

Will the addition look like it was added later?

Not if we do our job right. The goal is always for the new floor to feel like it was part of the original design. That means matching materials, rooflines, and proportions carefully. Clients regularly tell us guests cannot tell where the original house ends and the addition begins.

How long does it take to add a floor to a home in DC?

It depends on the scope and your neighborhood’s review requirements, but a third-story pop-up typically takes several months of design, engineering, and permitting before construction even begins, followed by 4 to 12 months from the start of construction to completion. Historic district properties usually take longer due to preservation review. We’ll give you a realistic timeline for your specific home early in the process.

Does adding a floor increase my home’s value in DC?

In most cases, yes. Vertical additions in high-demand DC neighborhoods tend to hold their value in ways that surface-level renovations don’t. Whether you’re staying for twenty years or thinking about resale, the math usually works in your favor. We’ll walk through the specifics for your home and neighborhood during the consultation.

We are proud to be PRO MidAtlantic award winners.

Front of PRO REMODELER Magazine with photo of custom design build home from DC.

Thank you to our wonderful clients, exceptional employees, trusted partners and all those who help us produce wonderful work! We’re proud to be a multiple PRO MidAtlantic awards winner again in 2026 – 8 years in a row.

  • Dream
  • Design
  • Build
  • Enjoy

Most DC homes were built for a single floor. At some point, yours may need to do more. Blue Star designs and builds additional floors and home additions that look like they were always part of the plan.

We are based in and serve Washington DC and have been solving exactly this kind of problem for a long time. Not just adding space. Creating something that works.

Happy Clients

Blue Star’s best trait is their attitude. Everyone is unfailing polite, even when things got hard. And when things went wrong, which I fully anticipated would happen, you guys did the right thing every single time.

— Allyson & Dave, Capitol Hill

When you buy from Eric and his team, you can rest assured that they will address problems your inspectors couldn’t see.

— Jimmy, Shaw

The craftsmen used were excellent. We were impressed with their work and attitude and ability to creatively work around issues. The addition seamlessly integrates into the rest of the house and it’s hard to believe that the new spaces haven’t always existed as part of the original home.

— Capitol Hill Homeowners

Blue Star loved the architectural and design challenges I handed them, and each time I came up with a new idea, they were driven to figure out the best way to deliver.

— Cari, Atlas District

I was very pleased with my experience with Blue Star. The reason for the top 5-star rating is three fold- the quality of the work, the prices they obtained for materials and the design elements. I did a large renovation (kitchen, 3 bathrooms, HVAC, plus knocked down some walls) which took about 4 months.

— Kristen, Capitol Hill

Blue Star came in on budget and ahead of a very, very tight and critical schedule. We highly recommend them to anyone considering a renovation.

— Larry, Woodley Park