General Contractor in McCandless, PA
Building Contractors United is a general contractor serving McCandless, PA with home additions, whole-home remodels and commercial renovations around McCandless Crossing and the McKnight Road corridor.
Building Contractors United is a general contractor in McCandless, PA, serving the Town of McCandless with home additions, whole-home remodels, commercial renovation around McCandless Crossing, medical office build-outs and the site work that goes with each of them. McCandless is about 25 minutes from our Zelienople office down I-79 and Route 19, squarely inside our core service area. We are a woman-owned general contractor, founded in 2024, fully insured, and led in the field by JT Minarik, who has been building since 2009. Every project carries a 2-year workmanship warranty.
Construction in McCandless
McCandless is a suburb of about 30,000 people in the North Hills, and it is one of the most built-out municipalities we serve. The Town is divided by McKnight Road, which carries the main retail corridor, and by Perry Highway, which runs through the older residential and commercial core. Most homes were built between the 1950s and the 1990s on quarter-acre to half-acre lots, served by the North Allegheny School District. That housing stock is exactly where a home addition contractor in McCandless earns its keep: second-story additions on ranches and split-levels, kitchen expansions, master suite additions, garage additions and whole-home remodels that bring a 1970s floor plan into the present.
The commercial market is anchored by McCandless Crossing, the mixed-use development at McKnight Road and Duncan Avenue, and by the medical cluster around UPMC Passavant hospital. Add La Roche University and the office buildings along McKnight and Babcock Boulevard, and you have steady demand for commercial renovation in McCandless: restaurant and retail build-outs, medical and dental office fit-outs, and office renovations for professional firms. New ground-up commercial work is limited to redevelopment of older sites because very little open commercial land remains.
McCandless is hilly, with ravines feeding Pine Creek and its tributaries and the northern edge sharing a border with North Park. Soils are clay over shale, and many lots slope sharply to the rear. Additions here often need stepped footings, retaining walls and careful drainage. Because the Town is so densely developed, stormwater is tightly regulated and even small projects can trigger a review, which is one reason we bring our own excavation and site work crews rather than subcontracting that piece.
Services we offer in McCandless
Home additions and remodels
If you are searching for a remodeling contractor in McCandless Township, our additions and remodels team handles second-story additions, in-law suites, garage additions, kitchens, baths and whole-home remodels.
Commercial renovation and build-outs
From McCandless Crossing to the Passavant medical corridor, our commercial renovation and tenant build-out crews deliver retail, restaurant, office and medical fit-outs on lease schedules.
Excavation and site work
Our excavation and site work services cover foundation excavation for additions, grading, retaining walls, drainage and the stormwater features McCandless requires.
Design-build
Our design-build process keeps design and pricing together, which matters on tight suburban lots where every foot counts.
Custom homes and new construction
On the Town's remaining infill lots and teardown sites, we build custom homes from foundation through finish.
Commercial construction
For redevelopment pads and new small commercial buildings, see our commercial construction services.
Permits and local requirements
The Town of McCandless Building and Planning Department handles building permits and zoning review, with separate Building and Fire and Zoning divisions. The Town publishes a permit submission guidelines packet, and single-family applications are expected to include a grading plan. Stormwater is where McCandless differs from many neighbors: projects that add 400 square feet or more of new impervious surface must meet the Town's small projects requirements, and projects adding 2,500 square feet or more, or involving significant earth disturbance, are reviewed by the Town Engineer. Some stormwater features also require a recorded operations and maintenance agreement. Plumbing inspections run through the Allegheny County Health Department.
At the county level, the Allegheny County Conservation District reviews erosion and sediment control plans for larger disturbances, and any project disturbing one acre or more needs a PA DEP NPDES permit. We handle these submittals as part of our scope and build the review time into your schedule.
Nearby areas we serve
Planning an addition, a remodel or a commercial build-out in McCandless? Request a free estimate or call (724) 900-4123. We show up when we say we will, we price it honestly, and we stand behind the work for two years.
Common questions
Permits and soils vary by township. We will walk your site and give you a written, itemized estimate.
(724) 900-4123Get a Free EstimateHome addition cost in Pittsburgh depends on the room type, the foundation your lot requires, whether you build up or out, your municipality's permit fees and your finish level. Sunrooms and single bedrooms sit at the low end; kitchens, primary suites and second stories at the high end.
Western Pennsylvania adds three regional factors: clay and shale soil that affects footings and excavation, hillside lots that need more foundation and retaining work, and older homes that often need electrical or plumbing upgrades to tie in. Because cost depends on the site and the scope, BCU gives a free, itemized estimate after seeing the project.
Building out is usually cheaper per square foot than adding a second story. A ground-floor addition needs a new foundation but does not require removing the roof or reinforcing the existing structure.
A second story addition means taking the roof off, having an engineer evaluate and often strengthen the first-floor walls and foundation, and giving up floor space below for a staircase. It also usually means moving out during construction. Building up makes sense when the lot is small, when setbacks block a ground-floor addition, or when you want to keep the yard. Your lot and zoning usually decide the answer.
Yes. Every home addition in Pennsylvania requires a building permit under the Uniform Construction Code, issued by your municipality or its third-party inspection agency. Most additions also need zoning approval for setbacks and lot coverage.
Requirements and fees vary by municipality. Cranberry Township, Pine Township, McCandless, Hampton and Zelienople Borough each have their own fee schedules and review timelines, so review time depends on the municipality and the project. Expect separate electrical, plumbing and mechanical inspections, and possibly a stormwater review if the addition adds significant impervious surface. Your contractor should pull the permits and schedule the inspections.
Yes, excavation is possible in a Pittsburgh winter, but it costs more and some work should wait for warmer weather. Frozen ground is slow to dig and cannot be used as compacted fill until it thaws.
Clearing, demolition and some trenching work fine in winter. Foundation excavation and fill placement are better scheduled for late spring through fall, when the clay soil common to the region is workable and concrete can cure without extensive cold-weather protection. Many owners use the winter to secure permits and finish design so the job can start the day the ground is ready.
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