Cinder block basement + adding second floor?

My inspector said that "our" house (soon) might not be a good candidate to add a second floor onto because the basement is cinder block.

He said that a trusted contractor would have to investigate the footings to make sure it could withstand the additional weight.

That kind of changed things for us and although we could build out the first floor too (it's a ranch), it changes our outlook on the whole thing.

I drove by the other day and the next door neighbor, who had a 1 story ranch like us, is putting a second floor on! I really want to talk to the neighbors who had their houses built at the same time to ask about it. But we haven't closed yet and I'm not that bold.

Has anyone had a second floor put on, with a cinder block basement? Were there reinforcements that needed to be done first, and was it extremely costly?

We'll get a professional to tell us later, I just wanted to know your experiences, if any.

Thanks in advance!

Re: Cinder block basement + adding second floor?

hmmm i dont have a cinderblock basement, but i have a high ranch and m house is cinderblock and woodframe. where i live alot of houses are going up all cinderblocks. dont be sh ask our neighbors imm sure they will be helpful

Re: Cinder block basement + adding second floor?

Before we bought our house, the original owners built a 2nd story over their existing house, with a block basement. Lots of house have a cinder block basement and a 2nd story. Each house is different, and it should still be checked out, but as a blanket statement, you can have a two story house with a cinder block basement.

Re: Cinder block basement + adding second floor?

I believe my house has a cinderblock basement and a second story - and an attic on top of that. It was, however, built that way originally, so I'm not sure what sort of reinforcements (if any) were necessary to build it that way.