The average Ferndale house is about 1,150 square feet on a 5,200 square foot lot, and most were built in the 1920s and 30s. That is a lot of good bungalows holding families who need more room. The city's zoning is more workable than it used to be, and its tree rules are the strictest in the area.
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Ferndale's median home dates to 1940, with most stock from the 1920s through the 1940s, Craftsman bungalows, Tudor Revival, Colonial and Queen Anne, wood frame and brick, on lots that are typically 35 to 40 feet wide. It is the smallest average house of any community we work in.
That is exactly why the design work matters more here than almost anywhere. On a narrow lot with a nonconforming side setback, the difference between a project that works and one that stalls is usually a detail in the zoning code rather than anything about the house.
The city rewrote its zoning code in December 2024, and the new version is meaningfully more permissive on height than the old one — which matters a great deal if you are thinking about a second story.
01 - Kitchens
Reworking small bungalow kitchens with new custom cabinetry, built to the same standard as any project we do.
$50,000 – $110,000+
02 - Bathrooms
Working in tight original footprints, with waterproofing and a flood-tested pan on every shower.
$18,000 – $70,000+
03 - Additions
Rear additions and second stories on narrow lots, designed around side setbacks and fire-rating requirements.
$150,000 – $260,000+
04 - Whole-home
Full renovations of 1920s and 30s houses that were built well and are simply too small.
$185,000 – $425,000+
Ranges shown are typical for Ferndale. Full tier-by-tier pricing is on each cost guide.
Under the code adopted December 2024, one-unit dwellings have a maximum height of 30 feet, up from 25 feet under the superseded schedule. That older limit made a full second story very difficult; 30 feet does not. Anyone who was told a few years ago that a second story would not work in Ferndale should ask again. Note that both versions still circulate online, so confirm which applies to your address.
The new code drops the old 35 percent maximum lot coverage in favour of a minimum 25 percent greenspace requirement. It is a different way of constraining the same thing, and it means driveways, patios and paving compete directly with the addition for the same allowance.
The superseded code permitted a three-foot minimum side yard for a second-floor addition over an existing nonconforming structure, provided the construction was fire-resistance rated to the Michigan Residential Code. On Ferndale’s narrow lots that provision is worth a great deal. We confirm with the city whether it carried into the 2024 code before relying on it, but it is the first thing worth asking about on a bungalow with a tight side yard.
Any person or company contracted to remove a tree of eight inches diameter or more on private property must obtain a permit. That means a remodeler clearing a tree for an addition footprint needs a tree permit even where a homeowner removing their own tree might not. Ferndale operates as a zero-loss community: removed trees must be replaced in equal number and size on site, or paid for at $200 per DBH inch.
Construction work is permitted Monday through Saturday, 7:00am to 7:00pm, and is prohibited during Memorial Day, Independence Day and Labor Day weekends. Storage containers and dumpsters need their own permit. On narrow lots with limited frontage, staging is a planning question rather than an afterthought.
Requirements change, and Ferndale adopted a new zoning code in December 2024 that supersedes schedules still published on third-party sites. Confirm current specifics with the City of Ferndale or Community and Economic Development before relying on any of the above.
We build throughout Ferndale and the surrounding communities — Pleasant Ridge, Royal Oak, Huntington Woods and Berkley.
On a 35-foot-wide Ferndale lot with a house already sitting on a nonconforming side setback, whether you can build up is a code question with a specific answer — and the answer changed when the city rewrote its zoning in December 2024. We find that answer before drawing anything.
We would also rather tell you early when an addition is not the right move. Sometimes a bungalow's problem is arrangement rather than square footage, and reworking the existing plan gets you what you want for considerably less.
We don't reface cabinets and we don't paint them, so our smallest Ferndale kitchens start around $45,000. If a cosmetic refresh is what the house needs, a specialist will serve you better and cost you far less.
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2014
Founded in Metro Detroit
Old Woodward
Our office, in Birmingham
100%
In-house design, source & build
Can I add a second story to my bungalow?
More likely than you were told a few years ago. The 2024 zoning code raised the maximum height for one-unit dwellings to 30 feet from 25, which changes the math on a full second story. Whether your specific lot and existing structure work is the next question, and it depends on side setbacks.
My house is close to the property line. Does that stop me building up?
Not necessarily. The previous code allowed a three-foot side yard for a second-floor addition over an existing nonconforming structure where the construction is fire-resistance rated. We confirm with the city whether that provision carried into the current code for your address, it is one of the most valuable rules in Ferndale if it applies.
Do you need a permit to remove a tree in my yard?
Yes. In Ferndale, any contractor removing a tree of eight inches diameter or more on private property needs a permit, and the city is a zero-loss community, the tree gets replaced on site or paid for at $200 per inch of diameter. We handle the permit as part of the project.
Is there a limit on how much of my lot I can build on?
The current code requires a minimum 25 percent greenspace rather than setting a maximum coverage percentage. Practically it means the addition, the driveway and any patio all draw from the same allowance, so they get planned together.
What hours can the crews work?
Monday through Saturday, 7:00am to 7:00pm, with work prohibited over the Memorial Day, Independence Day and Labor Day weekends. We plan the schedule around that rather than discovering it.
Are you licensed and insured in Michigan?
Yes, licensed Michigan residential builder, Lic. 2102213502, fully insured, with our office on Old Woodward in Birmingham.
Planning a renovation in Ferndale?
