Ridgewood's older homes and walkable neighborhoods are a big part of its appeal. We design and engineer additions, renovations and second stories that keep that character while making the house work for today.
Ridgewood is one of Bergen County's best known villages, with a busy downtown, a train station on the Main Line and neighborhoods such as The Heights, developed between the 1890s and 1930, alongside later areas. Some homes date to the late 1700s and early 1800s, and the village has several properties on the National Register, including the Paramus Reformed Church Historic District.
Older houses bring rewarding projects and real engineering questions: undersized rafters, stone or brick foundations, earlier renovations that removed walls without proper support. Our engineers evaluate what is there first, then design the structure for the addition or renovation alongside the architecture.
Licensed architects and professional engineers on one team, one contract and one set of signed and sealed drawings. See all of our services.
Rear, side and wraparound additions for kitchens, family rooms and primary suites, with the existing house evaluated by our engineers.
New floors over ranches, capes, garages and one story wings, with foundations and framing checked and reinforced as needed.
Whole house and partial renovations, wall removals and open plans, basements and attics, with structure and systems designed in house.
Ground up single family homes and teardown rebuilds, from site planning to sealed construction drawings.
Decks, covered porches, pergolas and garages engineered for footings, ledgers and loads.
Beam replacements, foundation fixes and engineer's letters for homeowners, buyers and insurers.
In New Jersey, most additions and structural renovations need zoning approval from the town before the construction permit, and the construction permit itself is reviewed under the state Uniform Construction Code. When a design needs relief from a setback, coverage or height limit, it goes to the town's land use board for a variance hearing.
Ridgewood lots vary a great deal from neighborhood to neighborhood, so the limits that shape an addition, such as setbacks, coverage and height, need to be checked for your specific zone. We do that before design starts and prepare drawings for a variance hearing when one makes sense.
Properties along the Ho-Ho-Kus Brook and the Saddle River may be in or near flood areas. We confirm flood mapping early so the design meets the right requirements.
However your project is approved, we deliver signed and sealed drawings to you, support you and your contractor through the permit submission and answer the building department's review comments in house. Read how a project moves from consultation to close out on our process page.
Yes. We design new work that respects the original rooflines, proportions and details while bringing structure and systems up to date.
We see it often. Our engineers evaluate the existing structure and design the proper fix as part of the drawings.
Yes. We coordinate directly with your contractor during bidding and construction.
See a fixed design fee in about two minutes, or book a consultation and we will visit your home.