A dormer isn’t just about square footage. It’s about staying in the neighborhood your kids grew up in while finally having the space you’ve needed for years. It’s about not swapping your 3% mortgage for a 6.5% one just to get an extra room.
When we add a dormer to your North Merrick home, you’re looking at a real bedroom with actual headroom, natural light that makes the space livable, and a design that doesn’t scream “addition.” Most of our clients are in Cape Cods or ranches where the attic has good bones but terrible functionality. We change that.
The other thing nobody talks about: your home’s value goes up, but you’re not dealing with realtor fees, moving trucks, or finding a house you can actually afford in Nassau County right now. You’re investing in the house you already own, in the place you already want to be.
Ray Coleman Home Improvement has been building dormers and extensions across Nassau County since the early ’80s. We’re not new to Cape Cods, ranches, or the specific code requirements that come with building in North Merrick and the surrounding South Shore towns.
Our BuildZoom score puts us in the top 1% of over 77,000 licensed contractors in New York. We’re fully licensed and insured with a million-dollar policy, and we handle the permit process so you don’t have to figure out what the town wants.
What matters more than rankings is this: we answer the phone. We show up when we say we will. We keep the job site clean. And if something goes wrong—a pipe freezes, a leak shows up—we handle it. That’s been the standard here for four decades, and it’s why clients keep calling us back for their next project.
First, we come out to look at your house. We’re checking your roof structure, your attic framing, and whether your home can handle a shed dormer, a gable dormer, or something custom. Most Cape Cods in North Merrick are good candidates, but we’ll tell you straight if something’s not going to work.
Next, we handle the design and permitting. That means working with an architect if needed, submitting plans to the town, and making sure everything’s approved before we touch your roof. North Merrick has specific zoning rules, and we’ve been through this process enough times to know what flies and what doesn’t.
Once permits are in hand, we start construction. We’ll protect your home with tarps and coverings, open up the roof, frame the dormer, and tie everything into your existing structure. Then comes roofing, siding to match your house, windows, insulation, drywall, and finish work. Most dormer projects take anywhere from 6 to 12 weeks depending on size and scope.
Throughout the job, we’re cleaning up daily and keeping you in the loop. You’ll know what’s happening, when we’ll be there, and what’s next. No disappearing acts.
Ready to get started?
When we build a dormer, you’re getting full structural work—roof framing, load-bearing adjustments, and a design that integrates with your existing roofline. We match your siding, your trim, and your window style so it doesn’t look tacked on.
Most North Merrick homeowners are adding a two-bedroom dormer to a Cape Cod or converting attic space in a ranch into a primary suite or home office. We install proper insulation (this is Long Island—you’ll feel it in the winter if it’s done wrong), run electric and HVAC as needed, and finish the interior so it’s move-in ready.
On the outside, we’re flashing everything correctly to prevent leaks, installing quality roofing that matches the rest of your house, and making sure water management is handled. Dormer leaks are common when the job’s done poorly. We don’t cut corners on the details that matter five years from now.
You’ll also get help navigating the permit process, which in Nassau County can be a headache if you’ve never done it. We pull permits, coordinate inspections, and make sure everything passes so you’re not dealing with the town on your own.
For a typical 250-square-foot dormer in North Merrick, you’re looking at somewhere between $20,000 and $50,000. The average lands around $30,000, but that number moves depending on the size, the complexity, and what’s already happening with your roof structure.
A small shed dormer that adds a bathroom or closet space will be on the lower end. A full two-bedroom dormer with a bathroom, closets, and custom windows will push toward the higher end. If we’re also adding HVAC, moving plumbing, or dealing with structural issues, that affects the price too.
The other factor is your home’s current condition. If your roof is 20 years old and needs replacement anyway, it makes sense to do that work at the same time. If your attic framing needs reinforcement to support the added weight, that’s additional work. We’ll walk through all of this during the estimate so there are no surprises halfway through the job.
Yes. Any dormer or roof extension in North Merrick requires a building permit and usually zoning approval. The Town of Hempstead has specific setback requirements, height restrictions, and design standards you’ll need to meet.
We handle the entire permit process. That includes working with an architect to create plans that meet code, submitting everything to the town, and coordinating inspections during construction. The process typically takes a few weeks, sometimes longer depending on how backed up the building department is.
Skipping permits isn’t worth it. If you ever sell your house, an unpermitted dormer will show up during the home inspection and kill your deal. You’ll end up paying more to fix it after the fact than you would’ve spent doing it right the first time. We make sure everything’s legal and documented so you’re covered down the road.
Most dormer projects take between 6 and 12 weeks from start to finish. Smaller dormers—like a shed dormer adding a single room—can be closer to 6 weeks. Larger projects, like a full second-floor buildout with multiple bedrooms and a bathroom, will be closer to 12 weeks or more.
Weather plays a role, especially in the winter. We can’t leave your roof open during a snowstorm or heavy rain, so we plan around the forecast and use tarps and coverings to protect your home. Permitting also affects the timeline—if the town takes three weeks to approve plans, that’s three weeks before we can start.
Once we’re on site, we work efficiently and keep the job moving. You’re not waiting around wondering when we’ll show up next. We’ll give you a realistic timeline upfront and update you if anything changes. The goal is to get you into your new space as quickly as possible without rushing the work.
That’s the whole point. A good dormer should look like it was always part of your house, not something added 40 years later. We match your siding, roofing, trim, and window style so the addition blends in with your home’s existing architecture.
For Cape Cods in North Merrick, that usually means matching cedar shakes or vinyl siding, coordinating roof shingles, and using windows that fit the style of your home. If you’ve got a colonial or ranch, we’re doing the same thing—making sure the dormer feels like an extension of the original design, not an obvious add-on.
We’ve been working on Long Island homes for over 40 years, so we know what works aesthetically in this area. We’ll also walk you through material options during the planning phase so you can see samples and make decisions before we start building. The end result should be a dormer that increases your home’s curb appeal, not one that makes your neighbors wonder what happened.
Yes. Most of the dormers we build in North Merrick are specifically designed to add a bedroom, bathroom, or both. A two-bedroom dormer with a full bath is one of the most common projects we do for Cape Cod homeowners who need more space but don’t want to move.
Adding a bathroom means running plumbing, which we coordinate as part of the project. We’ll tie into your existing plumbing lines, install proper venting, and make sure everything’s up to code. Same goes for electrical—we’ll run new circuits for outlets, lighting, and any HVAC work that’s needed to heat and cool the new space.
The key is planning it right from the start. We’ll talk through where the bathroom makes sense based on your home’s layout, where plumbing can be routed most efficiently, and how to maximize the usable space. A dormer bedroom with a private bath is a huge selling point if you ever decide to move, and it makes your home a lot more functional in the meantime.
A shed dormer has a single sloped roof that extends out from your existing roofline. It’s the most common type we build in North Merrick because it maximizes interior space and headroom. Shed dormers are great for Cape Cods where you’re trying to turn an attic into a full second floor with multiple rooms.
A gable dormer has a peaked roof, like a little house sitting on top of your main roof. Gable dormers are typically smaller and used to add light, ventilation, or a specific architectural detail. They don’t add as much usable square footage as a shed dormer, but they can be a good fit if you’re just trying to brighten up an attic space or add a small bathroom.
Which one makes sense depends on your home’s structure, your goals, and what the town will approve. Some neighborhoods have design guidelines that favor one style over the other. We’ll walk through your options during the consultation and recommend what’s going to give you the most functional space while fitting your home’s style and your budget.
Local Resources
Useful Links
Other Services we provide in North Merrick
