Attic Remodeling

Most of our attic work falls into three scopes. A basic finish on an attic with acceptable ceiling height and existing egress — insulation, drywall, flooring, trim, one HVAC extension. A dormer addition that adds a shed or gable dormer to gain headroom, a legal bedroom window, and usable floor area beyond the kneewall. And a full primary-suite attic conversion that combines insulation, dormer additions, a new staircase, a full bath, and all finishes.

What’s included in a Knutson attic conversion

• Structural and feasibility review — can the existing floor joists carry living loads, is the rafter system adequate for finished ceilings, is there room for a code-compliant stair
• Insulation strategy — closed-cell spray foam at the roof deck for most 1920s homes, or a vented rafter assembly where it works, with proper ice-dam protection at the eaves
• Dormer additions — gable or shed dormers sized to the floor plan, matched to the existing roof
• Egress — code-compliant egress window or dormer opening for every bedroom
• Staircase — widening, re-running, or fully relocating the stair to meet code for a third finished level
• HVAC and electrical — dedicated supply and return runs, new circuits sized for attic heat loads, potentially a mini-split head for shoulder-season comfort
• Plumbing — supply, drain, and vent runs for a new bath, tied into the existing stack where feasible
• Full finishes — drywall, flooring, trim, paint, cabinetry, lighting, and built-ins under the kneewalls

Our attic remodeling process

1. Consultation and feasibility — we measure ridge-to-floor heights, check existing floor framing, look at stair geometry, evaluate where a bath drain can tie in, and check dormer potential from outside.
2. Design — typically five to ten weeks. Layout, structural plan, envelope plan, and finish selections.
3. Fixed-price contract — every line priced before demo, including realistic allowances for structural reinforcement where needed.
4. Build — typically eight to fourteen weeks on site, longer with dormer additions. Dedicated project manager, staged inspections, and weather protection on any dormer cuts.
5. Final walkthrough and warranty — full punch, workmanship warranty, and a one-winter moisture check on the insulation assembly.

Why Twin Cities homeowners choose Knutson for attic work

Attic conversions are unforgiving on two specific issues: insulation and ice dams. A Minnesota attic that is finished with the wrong insulation assembly — for example, cellulose blown against a roof deck that is not properly air-sealed — will produce ice dams on the first cold January, melt water will find the drywall, and the homeowner will be refinishing the ceiling in March. We detail the roof assembly, eave, and bath fan exhausts correctly the first time, because tearing out a finished attic ceiling to fix insulation is the most expensive lesson in home remodeling.

The second reason homeowners come to us is that story-and-a-halfs have very real structural and geometric constraints, and solving them takes experience, not software. Where does the stair go so it lands correctly on the main floor. How tall can the kneewall be before the room feels squeezed. Where does the bath fit so the drain lands in a wall, not the middle of the ceiling below. Our designer has planned hundreds of these, and the first meeting usually ends with a better layout than the one the homeowner brought in.

Attic remodel cost and timeline

Attic budgets in the Twin Cities depend mostly on whether dormers are involved, whether a bath is in scope, and whether the stair has to move. As a working guide: a basic attic finish with acceptable headroom, existing stair, insulation, and full finishes runs $65,000 to $120,000. A finished attic with a shed or gable dormer and a full bath lands in the $130,000 to $225,000 range. A full primary-suite attic conversion with multiple dormers, relocated stair, full bath, and custom built-ins runs $215,000 to $375,000+.

Design takes five to ten weeks, longer if a zoning variance is needed for a dormer exceeding height or setback rules. On-site build is typically eight to fourteen weeks. What most often adds weeks: structural engineering that finds the existing floor joists undersized for living loads (requiring sistering or a beam retrofit), dormer permitting in historic districts, and weather delays when the roof has to open up during a Minnesota winter.

Our Twin Cities service area

Knutson remodels attics throughout the Twin Cities metro. City-level pages cover Minneapolis and Saint Paul, which is where the vast majority of our attic work happens because it is where the story-and-a-half housing stock lives. We also do attic work in older first-ring suburbs — Edina, Saint Louis Park, Roseville — and in the lake cottages in Minnetonka and White Bear Lake where the original owner added a second floor over time.

Attic projects vary by house type. A 1920s south Minneapolis story-and-a-half typically has tight ridge height at the center, shallow kneewalls, and a chimney running up through the middle — design usually centers on a shed dormer to one side and custom built-ins into the kneewalls. A 1940s Highland Park cape cod often has enough ridge height for a real primary suite but needs an egress-compliant dormer for any bedroom. A pre-war northeast Minneapolis duplex attic with a steep roof is frequently the best candidate for a generous master bath because the volume is already there.

Ready to plan your attic remodel?

Request a consultation and we will measure ridge height, check the existing floor framing, look at dormer potential, and tell you what your attic can realistically become. You will leave the first meeting with a clear read on whether the attic is worth remodeling and what a responsible scope looks like for your house.