Coastal weatherboard home with a second-storey architectural overlay, golden-hour Central Coast
Central Coast · Upper-Floor Additions

Add a second storey.
Stay where you love.

Engineer-led upper-floor additions across Terrigal, Wamberal, Avoca, Erina and the wider Coast. Run by Daniel Morgan. Twenty years of homes built on this stretch of coastline.

Book a free on-site consult See the projects

Fixed-price contracts. Fully insured under HBCF. Verifiable on NSW Fair Trading.

NSW Fair Trading Licence [License Pending]
HIA Member Master Builders NSW HBCF Insured Every Project Verify on Fair Trading

Three things every Coast family asks before they sign.

01

Where do we live for nine months?

The honest answer depends on the design. Most upper-floor builds need the family out for the eight to ten weeks the roof is off. Some don't. We work that out at the structural feasibility stage so you know before you sign, not after.

02

Will you still be here when it's finished?

Three thousand four hundred Australian builders went under in the last twelve months. Most had fewer than five staff. Every Elevate project is HBCF-insured before you pay a deposit. If something goes wrong, your money is protected by NSW law, not by a handshake.

03

Can our house actually take a second storey?

Not every house can. The slab, the footings, the existing wall structure all have to carry the new load. We bring an engineer through before we quote, not after. If the answer is no, we tell you on the day. You don't pay for a feasibility we can't deliver on.

What we build

One thing.
Done properly.

We don't pour slabs, build kitchens, or hang granny flats. We build second storeys onto existing single-level Coast homes. That's the entire business. Twenty years of doing one job means we know the shortcuts that work, the ones that don't, and the half-dozen council pathways that get you to keys faster.

I

Full second-storey additions

60 to 120m²

A complete upper level. Master, kids' beds, ensuite, study, balcony where the block allows. Reconfigures the ground floor as part of the design. Most projects in Terrigal, Wamberal and Avoca sit in this category.

II

Partial second storey

40 to 60m²

A targeted upper level. Master suite plus a bed or two, or a parents' retreat above the existing living zones. Useful where the block is tight, the budget is fixed, or the family wants the upgrade without doubling the build.

III

Structural feasibility

No obligation

A walk-through with the engineer. Confirms whether your existing slab and walls can carry an upper floor, what reinforcement is needed, and where the stairs land. Included before any quote. If your house can't take it, you know inside two weeks.

IV

Council pathway management

DA or CDC

Where the design qualifies, we use the Complying Development pathway and skip the DA queue (approvals in three to four weeks instead of three to five months). Where it doesn't, we manage the full DA submission with Central Coast Council. Either way, you don't deal with the planner.

V

BASIX 7-star compliance

Every alteration over $50K

Every alteration over $50,000 needs BASIX certification under NSW law. We design to the current 7-star standard from day one, so the certificate is a formality, not a hold-up.

The honest math

Move, or add a level.
Here are the actual numbers.

The Central Coast median house price is now $1.61M in Terrigal, $1.65M in Wamberal, $1.68M in Avoca. If you're outgrowing your home, the maths between moving and adding up is rarely as obvious as the agent makes it sound. Below: what each option actually costs a Wamberal family upgrading from a 4-bed single-storey to a comparable 5-bed home.

Option A

Move to a comparable 5-bed

Transaction cost
$152,000

Stamp duty $103K + agent 2.2% + conveyancing + removalists

Build cost
$0
Mortgage change
+$450,000

Move from $1.65M home to $2.10M home

Floor area gain
+30 to 50m²

Typical 5-bed upgrade

Time
4 to 6 months

Hunting, sale, then move

What you keep
Cash equity
What you lose
School catchment, neighbours, mature gardens
Total commitment

~$602,000

Transaction cost + extra mortgage. Cash equity is the only thing you keep.

Option B · We do this

Add a second storey to your existing home

Transaction cost
$0
Build cost
From $264,000

Partial. Up to $400,000 for a standard 60 to 80m² level.

Mortgage change
$0 to $400K

Most use equity redraw or a construction loan.

Floor area gain
+60 to 120m²

Full upper level

Time
9 to 14 months

Design to keys

What you keep
School catchment, street, neighbours, yard, mature gardens, view
What you lose
A few months of normal noise
Total commitment

From $264,000

Build cost. No transaction loss. Equity stays in your home.

Stamp duty calculated on a $2.1M residential purchase under current NSW rates. Agent commission assumed at 2.2% on a $1.65M sale price (Wamberal median, May 2026). Build costs reference HIA and Cotality 2025 to 2026 second-storey ranges for the Sydney/Central Coast market. Your figures will differ. Bring them to the consult and we'll work the maths together on your actual block.

Book a feasibility walk-through Ninety minutes. No obligation. No deposit until insurance is in place.
How we work

Four steps from first call to keys in your hand.

Most second-storey projects fail at one of two points: the structural feasibility was guessed instead of engineered, or the council pathway was wrong. We fix both at the start.

01 Day one

On-site consult

Free, no obligation

Daniel walks the home with you. Sees the existing structure, the block, the views, the constraints. You leave with a clear sense of what's possible and what it'll roughly cost. About ninety minutes.

02 Within two weeks

Engineer-led structural feasibility

Free up to this point

A structural engineer assesses the slab, footings, wall framing and roof structure. Confirms whether the existing build can carry an upper level, what reinforcement is needed, and where the stairs work. You get a written feasibility report inside two weeks. If the answer is no, you stop here and pay nothing further.

03 Weeks 3 to 16

Design and fixed-price contract

HBCF in place before deposit

Architectural plans, BASIX certification, structural engineering and council pathway selection. You sign a fixed-price contract before any deposit. HBCF insurance is in place before you transfer a cent.

04 Months 4 to 10

Build

Single point of contact, weekly walk-throughs

Four to six months of construction. Single point of contact (Daniel). Weekly progress walk-throughs. We'll tell you upfront whether you can stay in the home through the structural phase or need to plan accommodation.

Twenty years of homes.
One stretch of coastline.

20

Years building on the Central Coast

From Daniel's first build in 2006 to the most recent Wamberal handover this year.

12

Suburbs served

Terrigal · Wamberal · Avoca · Erina · Erina Heights · Forresters Beach · Bateau Bay · Shelly Beach · North Avoca · Killarney Vale · Tumbi Umbi · Berkeley Vale

100%

Every project HBCF-insured

Insurance certificate in your hand before any deposit clears. Required by NSW law on every job over $20,000.

FAQ

Questions every Coast family asks first.

Six things owners want to know before they sit down with the builder. If yours isn't here, it's the first thing we'll cover at the consult.

How long does an upper-floor addition take, end to end?

Nine to fourteen months, design to keys. About four to six months on the council and design side, then four to six months of construction. The biggest variable is which council pathway your project qualifies for. Where the design fits the Housing Code, we use the Complying Development pathway and approvals come back in three to four weeks. Where it needs a full DA, expect three to five months at Central Coast Council.

Can our family stay in the house while you build?

Sometimes yes, often partially. Most projects need the family out of the home for the eight to ten weeks the roof is off and the upper floor is being framed. Either side of that window, you can usually stay onsite if it suits. We work this out at the structural feasibility stage and put it in writing before you sign.

How do we know our house can actually take a second storey?

A structural engineer assesses your existing slab, footings, wall framing and roof structure. Block-built homes from the 1980s and 90s usually carry the load with reinforcement. Older timber-framed cottages sometimes need new piers or a partial slab upgrade. Either way, you get a written report before any quote. If the engineer says no, we say no.

What does it actually cost?

Partial second storeys (40 to 60m²) start around $264,000. Standard full second storeys (60 to 80m²) sit between $300,000 and $450,000. Full premium upper levels with reconfigured ground floors and architectural detailing run $450,000 to $650,000+. Professional fees (engineer, architect, certifier, BASIX) typically add $40,000 to $90,000 on top. Your actual figure depends on the existing structure, the design, and the finishes. Bring your context to the consult.

Are you HBCF-insured? How do we verify?

Yes. Every project over $20,000 in NSW is required by law to carry HBCF cover before a builder can take a deposit. We provide the certificate before the deposit clears. You can verify our licence and our HBCF status directly on the NSW Fair Trading site (linked in the footer).

Will you take our project on if the plans are already drawn?

Often yes. If you've already engaged an architect or draftsperson and have plans you're happy with, we can quote off them and take the project from there. If the structural assumptions in the existing plans don't stack up against the engineer's assessment, we'll tell you what needs to change before quoting.

The next step

Ready to see what's possible
upstairs?

Book a free on-site consult with Daniel. Ninety minutes, no obligation, no sales pitch. You'll leave with a clear sense of whether your home can take an upper level, roughly what it'll cost, and what the council pathway looks like.

Book a free on-site consult Call Daniel directly [Pending]

Servicing Terrigal, Wamberal, Avoca, Erina and the wider Central Coast. By appointment.