How much does it cost to add a balcony on the ground floor: the necessary documents to legalize the extension, where to go and how to reduce the cost of construction?

Apartments located on the ground floor are not particularly popular, as they often do not have balconies.

For some this does not create problems, but still a balcony is a useful part of the apartment.

There you can store bicycles, unnecessary things, arrange a comfortable living room, or simply hang laundry and breathe fresh air.

But it is possible to solve the problem of the lack of a balcony in an apartment on the first floor. Nowadays, it is a common practice to add additional structures to a house; there are companies specializing in this.

But in addition to investing in materials and work, it is also necessary to legitimize construction in the relevant authorities .

Where to contact?

Since adding a balcony is considered one of the types of redevelopment, it will be necessary to make changes to the apartment’s registration certificate (Article 25.2 of the Housing Code of the Russian Federation).

First you need to contact the city supervisory services: water utility, gas and other utilities, fire supervision, department of architecture.
After which all the necessary documents confirming the possibility of construction are collected.
Then an application is submitted to the district administration; a sample application can be obtained there.
After approval by the project administration, construction can begin.

Required documents

Certificate of ownership of the living space on the territory of which construction will take place.
Plan of the first floor of the house, certificate from the BTI.
Permission from housing and communal services.
Consent in writing from neighbors above, left and right with their signatures.
The prepared project itself.
Permits obtained from public utilities.
Photos of the place where construction is expected to begin.
Permission from the architectural department.

. .

It is also necessary to provide documents confirming the transfer of land to the construction company, and a technical passport of the land.
If you can’t get ownership of it, you can rent it or make a balcony on stilts. Attention! Typically, collecting all documents takes from four months to a year, and the application is reviewed by the administration up to 45 days.

Hanging type

How to make a hanging balcony with your own hands? Most often, construction begins with a metal frame. Such a frame has several main parts, such as: struts, lower dressings, racks, upper dressings and fencing.

Elements such as struts are the basis of the design. In simple words, they determine how wide the balcony will be. They have the shape of a triangle, which on one side is attached to the wall at 90 degrees.

A brace is installed between the ribs of the struts, which strengthens the structure.

As for the remaining parts, they perform the following functions:

The struts are tied with a lower bandage;
Racks are necessary for installing the canopy and fencing;
The upper part of the racks is tied with an upper bandage.

Please note that the height of the fence must be at least one meter.

In order to make a high-quality frame, you will definitely need a welding machine and other special tools.

The loggia is made with your own hands from a corner:

The angle and pipes must be cut into parts whose dimensions are indicated in the project;
We make braces using a 50x50 mm corner. The edge of the strut on top should correspond to the width of the loggia. Most often, the width is 80 cm. The number of such struts is determined by the length of the loggia.

First apply appropriate markings on the wall for all frame fastening elements. The struts are installed according to the markings. Installation is carried out on anchors. After bracing, it is necessary to perform tying.

The beam should be located near the wall and also attached with anchors. For greater stability, additional stiffeners must be installed between the struts. In the future, the floor will be installed on such ribs.

Can they refuse?

When coordinating the project, special circumstances may arise due to which it will not be possible to build a balcony on the ground floor.

Basic rules prohibit its extension if:

Your home is an architectural monument.
The side of the house where construction is supposed to begin faces one of the central streets of the city.
An extension will spoil the appearance of the house or may damage the structure.
The materials from which the balcony will be made or the technique for its construction are outdated and do not comply with accepted modern standards.
During the construction process, it is planned to damage one of the load-bearing walls.
The location of underground communications interferes with construction (they are closer than 2.5 meters).

Construction of a cantilever balcony

In simple words, today it is possible to attach two types of balconies to the wall:

The first type is a suspended structure, which is suspended and attached to the load-bearing wall using special brackets that are attached with anchors. Its advantage is that it is located above the blind area, which will avoid solving various issues with the land.
The second one is on supports. This option can rest either partially or completely on piles, and accordingly it does not put pressure on the load-bearing wall. The advantage is that this option can have different widths.

Also read on our website: Balcony and loggia, what is the difference, options for design solutions

How much does it cost to add a balcony on the first floor?

Typically, the cost of just adding a balcony itself costs residents at least one hundred thousand rubles . It depends, of course, on the materials chosen, the quantity and quality of windows, and the complexity of the design of the project.

In addition, duty payments and those that may be required of you by utility organizations are added to this amount. They are not always ready to give their permission for free.

Also included in the total cost is the cost of developing the project , because an experienced designer who will take into account all possible requirements of the authorities and the location of pipes and cables underground does not work for free.

The condition of the neighboring apartment has worsened

If the extension of the balcony affected the condition of the neighboring apartment (for example, cracks appeared on the adjacent wall due to increased load), then such a balcony must be demolished. Let's look at one such example.

Sh. filed a claim with the district court against G. for an obligation to restore the apartment’s balcony to its previous condition. In support of the claims, he indicated that he is the owner of an adjacent apartment in relation to the defendant’s apartment. Defendant G. arbitrarily increased the size of the balcony adjacent to his apartment, after which cracks appeared in the plaintiff’s apartment on the wall and ceiling in the kitchen shared with the defendant. This creates a threat of collapse of the wall and floor slabs.

From the expert opinion carried out in this case, it follows that the apartments are located on the fifth floor of an apartment building in adjacent entrances and have one common inter-apartment partition, and that the inclined cracks located in the kitchen on the inter-apartment partition and the kitchen floor slab in the plaintiff’s apartment arose as a result increasing the load on the outer wall due to the installation of a balcony structure with increased dimensions in the defendant’s apartment.

The court found that increasing the size of the balcony in the apartment owned by the defendant is essentially a reconstruction of a residential building, which requires obtaining permission from the local government in the field of urban planning. In addition, since the common property of the owners of the premises of an apartment building has been reduced, the consent of all owners of the premises of an apartment building is required to reduce the common property of this building.

Defendant G. did not receive the said permission and consent. In this regard, the district court decided to satisfy the claims and oblige the defendant to bring the apartment balcony to its previous condition (Decision of the Chelyabinsk City Court dated December 27, 2011 in case No. 2-1636/11).

Intermediary services

Often people who want to add a balcony to their home turn to intermediary companies for help. This way it will be much calmer to wait for the upcoming construction, because you will not need to run through various authorities to obtain permits, the company will do everything for you.

In addition, experienced firms usually have their own connections in the relevant organizations , and obtaining permits there will be much easier for them than doing it yourself.

And the skills of the firm’s experienced lawyers will help to quickly legitimize an existing project if there are any reasons for refusal.

The services of such a company can be expensive ( another 60-100 thousand to the total cost ) and you should immediately decide for yourself whether the balcony is worth such costs.
Attention! You need to be careful when choosing an intermediary company and be wary if they offer to prepare all the documents in a couple of weeks. As a rule, this takes at least 4 months. Work only with trusted, experienced companies that have been on the market for similar services for a long time.

The living conditions of other residents are not violated

If a neighbor has arbitrarily erected a balcony to his apartment, the courts may refuse to satisfy the claim for the demolition of the unauthorized balcony, unless the living conditions in the apartment of other residents are violated or it is not established that the defendant has annexed part of the common property, which has led to a decrease in the size of the common property of the owners of the premises in an apartment building and there was a change in the boundaries of the residential premises. The following example illustrates this.

I. filed a lawsuit to recognize the construction as unauthorized and to bring the premises to their original position, indicating that he is the owner of an apartment on the second floor, equipped with a balcony according to the technical passport. Ch., who lives in an apartment on the first floor below him, built a balcony without permission, which violates his rights. In the lawsuit, he asked to oblige Ch. to demolish the said unauthorized building and restore the premises to its previous condition.

The court of first instance satisfied the claims in full.

The panel of judges overturned the court's decision on the following grounds.

The court did not take into account that the right to bring a claim belongs to the local government body (Article 29 of the RF LC), the plaintiff does not have the right to demand the demolition of an unauthorized building (Article 222 of the RF Civil Code).

Since the administration of Vladivostok did not make such demands, other persons may file such a claim in the event of a violation of their rights, freedoms and interests protected by law (Article 3 of the Code of Civil Procedure of the Russian Federation). Then, as when considering claims of a local government body, the court must take into account the provisions of Part 4 of Art. 29 of the Housing Code of the Russian Federation, according to which residential premises can be preserved in a rebuilt and (or) redesigned state, if this does not violate the rights and legitimate interests of citizens or does not create a threat to their life or health.

This provision provides for one of the legal consequences of unauthorized reconstruction or unauthorized redevelopment of residential premises, that is, the legal consequences of unauthorized redevelopment are established in court and the issue of the possibility of its preservation is resolved.

From the circumstances of the case it is not clear that the balcony erected in the defendant’s apartment violates the living conditions in the plaintiff’s apartment and violates his other rights.

No assessment has been given of the fact that when carrying out redevelopment and reconstruction of residential premises, the consent of the owners of the premises of an apartment building is not required, except in the case established by Part 2 of Art. 40 Housing Code of the Russian Federation.

The court did not find that the defendant annexed part of the common property, which led to a decrease in the size of the common property of the owners of premises in an apartment building, and there was a change in the boundaries of the residential premises.

The court's conclusion that the work performed by the defendant poses a threat to the safety of the apartment building and its residents is presumptive in nature and is based on the plaintiff's explanations (Determination of the Primorsky Regional Court dated April 26, 2010 in case No. 33-3497).

Thus, the claim for demolition of the balcony was denied.

Installation of a balcony structure

For your consideration, I offer options for installing balcony structures for the second floor.

Balcony on brackets

The first installation option - a balcony on brackets - is ideal for small balconies.

We prepare a welded or wooden structure from brackets according to the dimensions specified in the project. As a result, be sure to check the dimensions and angles.
We fasten the structure to the wall using anchor bolts or connecting threaded rods. We check the verticality of the installation using a spirit level and a plumb line.
We strengthen the balcony slab or subfloor with brackets.

Tip: 50 mm thick boards are suitable for the subfloor.

We build fences, walls and install window frames.

Source: me-remount.ru

Balcony on supporting pillars

Steps for installing a balcony structure for the 2nd floor.

We mark the ground to install support pillars according to the calculations in the project. We drill or dig holes, compact the bottom and pour crushed stone and make a sand cushion.

Tip: when calculating the depth of the post hole, be guided by the depth of the foundation of your house.

We mark the height of the pillar; it is better to make it a little larger than the stated size and then, if necessary, cut it off.
Having installed the supports in the pit, we connect them together using guy wires, this will make it easier for you to check the calculations. Now you can start pouring concrete.

Tip: concrete is mixed in the following proportions: 2 parts construction sand, 1 part crushed stone with a fraction of 30–40 mm and 1 part M400 cement.

Source: me-remount.ru

Let the concrete mixture dry completely (up to 3 weeks), check the quality of the pour and take control measurements. If necessary, we make trimming in accordance with the project.
We mount and install a balcony slab or a frame made of metal corners; in the second case, we lay a base floor made of boards. Use threaded rods or anchors to secure the structure to the wall.
We build fences and install window frames.

Balcony on interfloor beams

For a balcony of this type, the installation instructions will be as follows.

We disassemble a section of the flooring on the 2nd floor and expose the beam to the required length and width.
We make openings in the load-bearing wall of the house for the “continuation” of beams to come out and in through them, then insert the floor beams into the holes. For maximum structural strength, it is necessary to connect them using channels or studs using metal plates.

Tip: builders recommend welding the nuts to the studs upon completion of the fastening work.

We strengthen the balcony slab or subfloor from boards onto brackets.
We mount the walls and install window frames.

Source: me-remount.ru

Double balcony

Structures on the roofs of outbuildings, porches or as a superstructure on an existing attached balcony are much easier to install.

We check the integrity of the foundation and walls of the extension.
We disassemble the roof.
We replace the rafters according to the expected load and lay the subfloor.
We are completing the fencing and installing window frames.

If after reading you are not afraid of visiting offices and the amount of work, then your efforts will be rewarded with additional square meters. We hope that the article was useful to you. See you again on the pages of our website!

Does a terrace replace a balcony: all the pros and cons

There is an opinion among developers that the presence of a terrace in a house makes the construction of a balcony unnecessary. In fact, although the functional purpose of these rooms differs, they complement each other perfectly.

Terrace	Balcony
Public square, for receiving guests	Private area, for family members only
Dirty floors, street shoes acceptable	Clean space, no street shoes allowed
Easy access, first floor	Nice view, second floor
Shade and coolness	Lots of sun and fresh air

Thus, the combination of a balcony and a terrace, in the form of a single element of building structures, allows you to obtain maximum comfort at a reasonable cost of money.

An example of a large attic balcony Source Enkistroy.ru

The relevance of a balcony in a private house

A modern approach to the construction of a private house involves organizing maximum comfort for reasonable money - part of which is the balcony. Owners of private houses find many uses for it:

as an observation deck with a good landscape, as well as for watching the sunrise and sunset;
as a place to eat;
as a place for passive outdoor recreation: reading, watching movies, etc.
for household and personal needs: drying clothes, smoking, etc.

The simplest frame extension of a balcony above the terrace Source Stroypomochnik.ru

Video description

Why you shouldn’t make balconies and verandas without a canopy

Balcony under a common roof

The most common design option. A terrace is designed on the narrow side of the house, with a balcony located above it. Despite the similarity with a simple frame structure in terms of load-bearing pillars, here it is closed on both sides and has a full roof.

The house, together with the terrace, is built on a common foundation, which allows the structure to be covered with a full roof. In addition, the structural strength of such a structure is much higher than that of an attached one.

The biggest problem here is the huge overhang of the roof, which requires special elaboration of the rafter system, which increases its cost. One of the advantages of this design is the possibility of organizing a balcony and terrace of almost any depth.

Classic balcony under a common roof with a terrace Source Cloudys.ru

General meeting of house owners

According to Article 44 of the Housing Code of the Russian Federation, holding a general meeting of owners is necessary due to the fact that construction work on the installation of a balcony will affect common property (namely, the facade wall of the house). At the same time, it is important to collect at least 2/3 of the votes of the residents of the entire building who agree with the proposed project.

Holding such a meeting legitimately in full compliance with the Housing Code is a very difficult task. Competent specialists of our organization can take upon themselves the organization and holding of the general meeting with the subsequent drawing up of the required minutes.

Attached balcony: work technology, permits, materials

Construction of a balcony on the ground floor will help expand the total footage of the home; usually, balcony structures are built with insulation, so there is a real opportunity to add a small room to the apartment or significantly expand the kitchen.

The process of adding a balcony is not as simple as it might seem

Construction work can be carried out by specialists, but very often the structure is erected with one’s own hands if the owner has construction skills. Attaching a balcony on the 1st floor is not particularly difficult, but sometimes they plan to install structures on the 2nd and even 5th floor.

Technically, it is possible to carry out such work, but it cannot be done without special equipment and professional builders, because the owner does not have permits for installation work at height and there are no other construction permits either. The level of construction work at height is very complex, so specialized organizations should be hired for such work. The balcony on the second floor is also an object that can only be installed by specialists.

Any redevelopment and reconstruction on the facade of a residential building can be carried out only after obtaining permits for construction work, for which there is a special procedure. It is best to proceed with the extension after a series of approvals and permission have been obtained.

Very often, work on the construction of an attached balcony is started without completing the proper documents (there is no permit), therefore, upon completion of the work, legalization of the construction is required.

Design options and costing principles

Now you can safely begin construction. There are not so many options for proven balconies for the second floor; it all depends on your personal wishes and design features.

Not everyone decides to draw up a design for an outdoor space on their own, so if you have planned a small room and not a place for drying clothes, then it is better to turn to specialists. What they can offer you:

install a balcony on a platform fixed to a load-bearing wall,
erect the structure on supports (pillars),
install an extension on the continuation of the beam structure of the interfloor ceilings,
double balcony, addition of a second floor or construction of a balcony room on the outbuilding.

What will builders pay attention to, and what will the project and construction estimate depend on? Firstly, this is the age and condition of the house. Secondly, the thickness and integrity of the load-bearing walls and foundation. Armed with the house design documentation and technical passport, pay attention to what the wall is made of:

brickwork - if it is at least 50 cm, and is solid and intact, like the foundation, then on the 2nd floor you can build any of the above-described balcony structures,
timber - it is important that the size is at least 2022 cm, there is no damage by insects, interfloor ceilings and beams are in perfect condition, and the age of the house does not exceed 20 years and stands firmly on a solid foundation. Only if all of the above points are observed can you think about an extension on supporting pillars or in the form of an outbuilding,
aerated concrete and foam concrete blocks - it is reasonable to consider the option of an extension on supports or in the form of an outbuilding,
expanded clay concrete blocks or walls with a lightweight frame. An extension is possible only with the use of additional supports, pillars and a carefully thought-out load on them.

The functionality of the project is calculated taking into account where the window opening opens. This way, you can immediately calculate where you will have access from the apartment to the new premises. If the yard space allows it, and the residents of the house do not mind, you can consider adding a porch.

Another important factor is the insulation of the balcony. At the construction stage, I strongly recommend that you think about insulation and ventilation, so as not to spend money twice on the work of builders.

Based on the information received, you can draw up an estimate and safely go to the construction site!

Why do you need to legitimize?

And this also counts as a balcony!

In almost all cases, we are not talking about the balcony itself, but about an extension to the house . After all, you will either make a foundation , or install load-bearing columns , or even simply add another room under the guise of a balcony, and even with a basement .

But even if you manage to make just a remote platform, your fate will still not be easier. An illustrative example:

Antonina Volchkova , a resident of Balashikha near Moscow, on the TSG-maniya.ru forum — It is located quite high, but is supported by two brackets resting on the wall.

Everything was fine, but recently the first floor of the house was rented by a store. Its owners are now demanding that we demolish the balcony, as it interferes with vehicle access to the store's service passage. They threaten to sue because... the balcony will supposedly prevent the evacuation of personnel in case of fire"

And such designs are common in the central zone of the Russian Federation

Also, for example, a TV company could have buried its cable along the wall of your house, a neighboring kindergarten could have installed a drainage system, and in general, who knows what utilities are crammed into the ground within a radius of 2.5 meters from your future balcony?

It is this value that determines the maximum possible dimensions of the balcony on the ground floor: 2.5 m from the extreme point of your new building to any utilities or similar structures of your neighbors.

Theoretically, you can request a plan for underground communications from the Moscow Committee for Architecture and Urban Planning. But in practice this means further red tape.