Free written scope consultation - allowances, timeline, and change-order rules on paper before a single trade is scheduled
CWS Home Additions & ADU: The West Palm Beach Owner’s Guide
A full CWS-compatible home addition or ADU in West Palm Beach runs $45,000 to $130,000 installed, and we stock the materials and crew scheduling to begin your project as soon as permits clear. Homeowners typically call us after the project stalls: the original contractor stopped returning calls, the “finished” addition leaks at the tie-in, or the county flags the work for missing hurricane strapping. We walk the job, document what’s there, put a written number in your hand, and finish it to code.
This is the page for the homeowner who already pulled the trigger on a CWS addition or accessory dwelling unit and now has a failed seam, a sagging ridge, or a permit that never closed. Bradford Remodeling Co West Palm Beach is an independent contractor, not affiliated with CWS. We work on the structure CWS left you and make it right.
Which CWS Models This Applies To
CWS home additions and ADU structures in West Palm Beach generally fall into two categories: stick-built additions tied to the main roofline, and manufactured or panelized ADU shells set on a prepared slab. The compatibility issue that matters at the part level is the tie-in detail. A stick-built addition shares load-bearing points with the existing home: the ledger board, the roof intersection, the foundation dowels. A panelized ADU is a standalone structure, but its weak points show up at the bottom plate anchors, the corner connectors, and the roof strapping. You identify what the original spec called for by pulling the permit documents or looking at the manufacturer plate, usually a stamped metal tag on a corner post or header inside the shell.
The OEM-versus-aftermarket decision on a CWS addition is different from a cabinet hinge or a window sash. You are not swapping a part; you are correcting a structural assembly. OEM CWS components are fine if the original install was sound. When the original install is the problem, the fix is rarely a like-for-like part. It’s a flashed tie-in, a hurricane clip, a properly sized header. We source structural lumber, Simpson Strong-Tie connectors, and anchor hardware that meet Palm Beach County code. Where a specific CWS panel is available and fits the existing shell, we use it. Where it is not, we replace with a code-compliant equivalent and document every spec change in the written quote before work starts.
Styles & brands we work with
Signs Your CWS Home Addition Is Failing
- Water staining at the tie-in seam between old roof and new roof. This is almost always a failed flashing detail, not a shingle problem. Florida rain drives sideways, and a shallow lap at the roof intersection lets water run uphill into the framing.
- Cracks at the drywall corners where the addition meets the original house. Differential settling between the old foundation and the new slab is common in South Florida’s sandy soil. Hairline cracks are cosmetic; cracks wider than 1/8 inch with door drag suggest the footer was undersized for the load.
- A door that stuck fine in January and binds in August. Humidity swings in West Palm Beach move wood framing more than people expect. If the header was not properly sized or the king studs are not fully seated, the opening shifts with the moisture cycle.
- Sagging ridge line or visible deflection at the roof peak. This is a structural red flag in any CWS addition. Look down the ridge with one eye; if it is not a straight line, the collar ties or the rafter connections are underbuilt for the span. In wind zones like Palm Beach County, this is a code violation waiting for a hurricane.
- Gap opening at the exterior wall base, especially on the windward side. The bottom plate has pulled away from the slab or the anchor bolts were either missing or drilled into soft block. Rodents get in, air gets in, and in a storm event the wall loses its hold-down.
See the difference
Before
After
Before
After
Before
AfterReplacement Cost & What’s Included
A CWS home addition or ADU correction in West Palm Beach ranges from $45,000 to $130,000 installed, depending on what failed and how far the repair has to go back into the structure. A straightforward tie-in flashing and drywall repair at the seam runs the low end. A full roof re-strap, header replacement, and foundation correction on a larger addition pushes toward the high end. ADU construction from a bare pad starts at $90,000 and can reach $220,000 for a finished unit with kitchen and bath.
Here’s the pricing line-up in plain numbers:
- Home Addition: $45,000 – $130,000
- ADU Construction: $90,000 – $220,000
- Garage Conversion: $30,000 – $80,000
- Roof Replacement (on addition): $8,000 – $20,000
- Impact Window Installation: $8,000 – $25,000
- Concrete Driveway (new or repair): $4,500 – $12,000
Every quote includes materials, labor, permits, inspections, and a written line-item breakdown before any work starts. If the number changes, you hear about it before the change, not after the invoice. Workmanship is covered by the 365-Day Done Right Promise: if the repair fails within a full year, we return and correct it at no charge.
DIY or Call Us?
You can check the obvious things yourself: run a hose at the tie-in seam and watch where water goes, look down the ridge line for deflection, note whether doors bind by season. You cannot safely fix a structural tie-in, a failed header, or missing hurricane strapping from a ladder with a caulk gun. Correction work on a CWS addition involves cutting back roofing, exposing framing, verifying load paths, and pulling permits. A bad DIY fix here does not leak quietly; it fails during a wind event and takes more of the roof with it.
If the issue is cosmetic, a competent homeowner with flashing tape and a tube of sealant can buy time. If the issue is structural, call a contractor who works in Palm Beach County and knows what the inspector will flag. Then call us at (728) 203-9809. We will walk the job, give you a written number, and tell you plainly if the fix is a weekend or a rebuild.
FAQs
A properly built addition in West Palm Beach should last 40 to 60 years with normal maintenance, but the tie-in details and the moisture barriers are what age first in our climate. The roof flashing, the stucco-to-foundation joint, and any wood near grade typically need attention every 10 to 15 years. A poorly built CWS addition can show structural problems inside the first five. Call (728) 203-9809 for a free structural assessment.
Yes, in most cases the failed assembly can be repaired section by section rather than demolished and rebuilt. A failed tie-in is a flashing and re-roof job, not a new addition. A cracked drywall corner is a drywall and possibly a footer reinforcement, not a removal. The exceptions are untreated termite damage and foundation movement where the slab itself is cracked and sinking. We quote the repair first and only quote replacement when repair will not hold.
Most tie-in and flashing corrections take three to seven working days from start to final inspection, assuming the permit office moves on schedule. Structural corrections that involve header replacement, re-strapping, or foundation work run two to five weeks depending on scope and weather. We include a schedule in the written quote and update you if the inspection timeline shifts. Call (728) 203-9809 and we will give you a straight timeline after the walkthrough.
We stock the common structural hardware: Simpson Strong-Tie hurricane clips, anchor bolts, flashing, treated lumber, and roof tie-downs, all rated for Palm Beach County wind zones. CWS-specific panels and connectors are ordered when needed, usually a five to ten business day lead in West Palm Beach. If the original part is discontinued, we spec a code-compliant equivalent and put that in the written quote before ordering. Call (728) 203-9809 to confirm what is on the truck today.
We also stock and install parts for KraftMaid, Cambria, and Silestone when your addition or ADU includes kitchens, baths, or custom surfaces.
Straight number, full scope, no surprises after the invoice.
Written by Curtis Lane, Owner, Bradford Remodeling Co – West Palm Beach at Bradford Remodeling Co West Palm Beach, serving West Palm Beach and nearby areas.
