What we build
Co-op, condo, pre-war, single-room, or full combination. The construction standard runs the same on a one-bath scope and a 4-bedroom gut — what changes is the building paperwork. We've run the alteration agreement, DOB filing, and freight elevator playbook often enough that it's now part of the timeline, not a surprise.
1-to-4 bedroom co-ops and condos, demoed to the studs and rebuilt: new layout, new plumbing, new electrical, new finishes. Alteration agreement and DOB filing handled in parallel with design so the build starts on schedule. Family typically relocates for the duration.
Apartments built before roughly 1940 — plaster walls, original hardwood, casement windows, cast-iron drain stacks, steel-frame structural elements behind the plaster. We restore where possible (plaster patch and skim, hardwood sand-and-finish, casement repair) and replace only when restoration is not feasible.
Bathroom-only, kitchen-only, or single-room apartment scopes inside a co-op or condo. Same alteration agreement and DOB requirements as a full gut, on a focused build window.
Two adjacent units combined into one. DOB-permitted structural work to remove the dividing wall (sometimes load-bearing), unified mechanical systems, and a combination-specific alteration agreement.
Materials & Standards
Apartment work runs to the same finish standard as our suburban builds — but it lives behind a layer of building rules. The six standards below hold across every scope, in every NYC building, on every floor.
Plaster walls patched and skim-coated where condition allows, replaced with drywall on the original studs where it doesn’t. Original hardwood sand-and-finish before refinishing. Casement windows restored on the sash before replacement is considered.
Custom millwork from partner shops; semi-custom from Rutt, Christopher Peacock, Wood-Mode on the high end. Lead times built into the design phase so cabinetry arrives the week the demo wraps — never the week before the freight elevator is booked.
Calacatta, Carrara, statuario, Taj Mahal slab. Bookmatched walls, waterfall vanities, and mitred countertop edges templated on site. Slab delivery coordinated with the freight elevator schedule so the stone arrives the day it is set.
Dry-laid mockup before adhesive. Mitred outside corners on natural stone. Hand-laid mosaic feature walls. Schluter or RedGard waterproofing membrane on every wet wall and shower floor — same standard, no exceptions.
Brass and bronze supply lines, pressure-tested before walls close. Trusted licensed plumbers — long-term partners — running rough-in for every bathroom and kitchen on co-op or condo work. Cast-iron drain-stack tie-ins handled cleanly on pre-war stacks.
Heated floors, app-controlled shower valves, pre-wired smart mirrors, integrated audio, motion-sensor niche lighting. Roughed in during framing — never bolted on after tile, never approved as a board change-order mid-build.
Process
Apartment timelines depend on scope, building approvals, and work-hour rules. The four-step process below holds across every scope — co-op, condo, pre-war, or combination — only the durations shift.
On site is best for apartment work — we walk the unit, photograph existing conditions, identify pre-war structural elements, and review what your building handbook requires. Video works for follow-up.
Drawings, finish selections in three tiers, alteration agreement package (drawings, COIs, contractor disclosures, scope narrative), and DOB filing where required. We submit to the managing agent and follow up until written approval lands.
Lobby and corridor protection installed before tools arrive, freight elevator reserved with building staff, dust barriers up before demo. We work inside the building’s permitted hours and on the freight schedule — every day.
Final punch, deep clean, building handover (final walk-through with the super or managing agent where required), and the 2-year written workmanship warranty. Manufacturer warranties on cabinetry, fixtures, and tile pass through to you.
Featured Projects
A few recent builds across Manhattan and Brooklyn. Each links to a full case study with alteration-agreement timeline, materials list, and freight-elevator schedule.
Service Areas
We’re based in Newark, NJ, and we work across the NYC metro from there. Five boroughs, Long Island, Yonkers, and northern New Jersey are all on the standard route.
And 30+ surrounding cities within a 50-mile radius of Newark, NJ
FAQs
Everything we get asked about scope, timeline, materials, and how the work actually runs.
Once approval clears and demo starts, kitchen-only projects start from 2 weeks. Larger gut renovations run on a longer schedule. Timeline depends on scope, building approvals, and work-hour rules.
Most Manhattan and Brooklyn buildings allow construction Monday through Friday, 9 AM to 4 PM. Some allow Saturday morning hours; most don't. Sundays and holidays are off. Hammering, drilling, and demo are restricted to certain windows within those hours in some buildings. We schedule the build around your specific building's rules — we ask for the building handbook on the consultation and plan from there.
Yes. We coordinate freight elevator reservations with the building staff, schedule large-material deliveries (cabinetry, slab stone, appliances) for the freight, protect lobbies and corridors with floor and wall covers, and pay any freight elevator fees the building charges (those are pass-through line items in your contract, not hidden in our number).
Yes — pre-war work is a substantial share of our portfolio. Pre-war apartments come with structural quirks: plaster walls that don't take drywall fasteners cleanly, original cast-iron drain stacks that need careful tie-ins, steel-frame structural elements behind the plaster, and original casement windows that often need restoration rather than replacement. We've handled all of them often enough that they don't slow us down.
Both options exist depending on condition. Plaster in good condition can be patched, skim-coated, and painted; the result is denser and more sound-attenuating than drywall. Plaster that's been damaged by water, has structural cracking, or has been heavily patched already is usually replaced with drywall on the same studs (or new metal-stud framing if the existing studs aren't stable). We test condition during demo and recommend per wall.
Different governance structures. A co-op is owned by a corporation that owns the building; the homeowner owns shares and a proprietary lease. A condo gives the homeowner direct ownership of the unit. Co-ops typically have stricter alteration agreements (more board oversight, longer approval cycles, sometimes board interview requirements). Condos vary widely — some are nearly as strict as co-ops, some are quite light. We confirm the rules for your specific building during the consultation.
Yes. Most NYC buildings require a contractor's certificate of insurance naming the building, the managing agent, and any related entities as additional insureds, with specific liability limits ($1M/$2M is common, $5M required by some high-end buildings). Our certificates are issued by request from the broker and sent directly to your managing agent. We do this multiple times a month — it's standard.
Project intake
Free Consultation
Call to walk through your project, or schedule a free consultation — by video if you can’t be on site, in person if you can. We bring sample materials, a measuring kit, and a written scope back to you within a few business days.
