Pre-war co-op galleys, post-war condo kitchens, brownstone parlor-floor kitchens, and high-rise condo open-plan layouts — refinishes, full gut renovations, and wall removals across Manhattan. Alteration agreements, DOB filings, gas line permits, and freight logistics handled under our license.
What we build
Full guts to cabinetry refreshes — same cabinetry sequencing, same gas-and-electric rough-in, same finish standard. The scope changes how long it runs; it doesn't change how it gets built.
Down to the studs. New layout, new plumbing, new gas, new electrical, new range-hood venting. Full custom or semi-custom cabinetry, slab countertops, integrated appliances, statement lighting, and tile or stone backsplash.
Cabinets in good shape, but the doors and drawer fronts are dated. Re-door, re-drawer-front, new hardware, new countertops, new backsplash. The carcasses stay; everything visible changes.
Single-element kitchen work. Slab quartz, marble, or solid surface countertops. Hand-laid mosaic or large-format tile backsplash. Templated, fabricated, and installed in a focused window.
Materials & Standards
Kitchens are the most coordination-heavy project we run. Cabinetry lead times, appliance availability, and gas-line permits all have to line up before demo. The material standard is what holds the schedule together.
Custom millwork from partner shops; semi-custom from Rutt, Christopher Peacock, Wood-Mode on the high end. Lead times built into the design phase, never the demo phase. In pre-war Manhattan apartments, custom is typically the right answer — stock cabinets fit walls that aren’t square poorly.
Calacatta, Carrara, statuario, Taj Mahal, soapstone on the natural side. Slab quartz from Caesarstone, Cambria, Silestone on the engineered side. Custom edges (waterfall, mitred, eased, ogee) templated after cabinet install.
Slab continuation, hand-laid mosaic, large-format porcelain, hand-glazed ceramic, natural stone tile. Mitred outside corners on stone. Grout colors confirmed against a wet sample.
Sub-Zero, Wolf, Miele, Thermador, Bosch, Bertazzoni, GE Monogram, JennAir. Stainless and integrated panel-front options across every line. Hood ducting through approved building paths. Warranty registered on every installed unit.
Brizo, Kohler, Waterworks, Rohl, Newport Brass. Brass, bronze, and stainless supply lines pressure-tested before walls close. Statement designer pieces when the brief calls for them.
Process
Same four-step process across every Manhattan kitchen build. Two timelines run in parallel: the alteration agreement, DOB filing (gas line permit when the range is moving), and cabinetry fabrication lead time — typically 6 to 12 weeks pre-build — and the build itself. We coordinate the filings with our NY-licensed trade partners, manage every COI, and close out every inspection.
On site or by video. We measure the existing kitchen, photograph conditions, and walk through layout direction. We confirm building type — pre-war co-op, post-war condo, brownstone, or high-rise — and the wet-over-dry / gas-rule constraints that govern reconfiguration.
Floor plan, cabinetry layout, appliance spec, finish selections in three tiers, and a written line-item proposal. Alteration agreement package filed with the building. DOB construction and gas filings pulled by our expediter where required. Cabinetry order placed early so fabrication runs in parallel with approval.
Lobby and elevator protection in place before tools arrive, dust barriers up before demo. NY-licensed master plumber on every plumbing and gas rough, NY-licensed electrician on every electrical rough. Freight scheduled to building rules for demo, cabinetry, and appliance delivery. Daily clean-down to building standard.
Final punch, deep clean, DOB sign-off (including gas), alteration agreement close-out, and the 2-year written workmanship warranty. Manufacturer warranties on cabinetry, appliances, and fixtures pass through to you.
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.
Two timelines run in parallel. Design and approvals: 6 to 12 weeks for a typical co-op or condo kitchen — alteration agreement review, DOB filing where the scope crosses the threshold, gas line permit if you're moving the range, and contractor onboarding into the building. Build itself: 8 to 12 weeks for a refinish or modest reconfiguration; 10 to 16 weeks for a full gut with custom cabinetry; 14 to 20 weeks if a wall is coming out and a structural beam is going in. Custom cabinetry lead time often dictates the schedule — 8 to 14 weeks from order to delivery.
Often yes — but it depends on whether the wall is load-bearing, what's in it, and what the building allows. Non-load-bearing walls usually come out with a building's standard alteration agreement. Load-bearing walls require a structural engineer, a beam design, and a separate DOB filing for the structural alteration. In pre-war buildings with masonry walls, removal is more involved (and more expensive) than in post-war frame construction. Some buildings simply prohibit wall removal regardless of structure. We check building rules and structure during the consultation.
Sinks and dishwashers can usually move within reason, constrained by the building's wet-over-dry rule (the new sink location typically needs to sit over an existing wet area in the apartment below). Ranges can move if the gas line can be re-run and re-permitted — gas relocation requires a licensed plumber on a DOB gas filing and a gas inspection. Some buildings allow gas relocation; some don't. Some buildings are converting away from gas entirely (induction-only). We check the building's current rule set during design.
Yes — and we recommend it for pre-war buildings. Pre-war walls are rarely plumb, square, or standard dimension. Stock cabinets fit poorly in these spaces, leaving filler strips, gaps at the ceiling, and awkward end conditions. Custom or semi-custom cabinetry built to the actual measured dimensions of the room produces a finished kitchen that looks integrated rather than retrofitted. Lead time on custom is 8 to 14 weeks from order; we order early in the design phase so cabinets land when the build is ready for them.
Pre-war kitchens often have cast iron drain branches, galvanized supply piping, and 60-amp electrical service that's inadequate for a modern kitchen with an induction range, dishwasher, microwave, and disposal. We replace the kitchen branch plumbing during the remodel and bring electrical service up to code with a sub-panel where needed. Service upgrades involve the building's electrical room and sometimes Con Edison; we plan that into the schedule.
Yes. NJ Home Improvement Contractor (HIC) license, NY State licensed master plumber on every plumbing and gas rough (long-term partner — files NYC HIC and DOB permits where required under their license), NY State licensed electrician on every electrical rough (same arrangement), general liability insurance with NY-coverage, and workers' comp on every employee. The COI is filed with the building before work starts; the building's managing agent typically requires it before issuing the alteration agreement.
We coordinate three deliveries that need freight: (1) demolition debris removal (usually phased over multiple freight slots during demo week), (2) cabinetry delivery (often a single large delivery scheduled to the day, with cabinets staged in the unit), and (3) appliance delivery (separate slot, often a few days before final install). Each Manhattan building has its own freight rules; we check before ordering and confirm delivery windows once cabinetry has a confirmed ship date.
Three rough tiers: high-end (fully custom cabinetry, marble slab waterfall island, designer appliance package, professional-grade range, full lighting integration) — significantly higher than market average. Mid-range (semi-custom or quality custom cabinetry, quartz or honed marble counters, premium off-the-shelf appliances) — the most common scope we run. Budget-conscious (well-built but with stock cabinets, durable counters, mid-range appliances) — for renovations focused on function and quality build without the bespoke premium. Manhattan baseline costs run higher than NJ or outer-borough work because of building logistics overhead, COI requirements, and shorter work-hour windows. Specific pricing comes after the consultation.
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.
