General Contractor in Brooklyn, NY

A brownstone renovation starts with what to keep. Plaster moldings, ceiling medallions, pocket doors, stair rails and original floors can often be repaired and protected while the wiring, plumbing, heating, kitchen and baths are rebuilt around them. Many brownstones carry a patchwork of systems from earlier renovations, and opening the walls is the time to replace them.

Park Slope, Brooklyn Heights, Fort Greene, Clinton Hill, Cobble Hill, Boerum Hill and Prospect Heights all include designated historic districts. There, changes to the facade, stoop or windows, and rear or rooftop additions, typically need Landmarks Preservation Commission approval before DOB permits are issued. Your architect files with LPC and DOB, and we build to the approved drawings.

Brooklyn kitchen and bathroom remodels tend to happen in one of two settings. In a brownstone or row house, the work often includes new supply and drain lines, more electrical capacity for modern appliances and, sometimes, floor framing that needs leveling or reinforcing before tile goes down. In a co-op or condo apartment, kitchens and bathrooms usually stay close to the existing risers, and moving a bathroom over a neighbor's living space is often not allowed.

Either way, we sort out the layout limits and permits before demolition. Once work starts, a kitchen typically takes 3–6 weeks and a bathroom 2–4 weeks, depending on scope and material lead times.

Many Brooklyn row houses are legal two- or three-family homes, and owners often renovate one unit while living in another. We schedule water and power shutoffs and noisy work around the occupied apartments, and keep shared halls and stairs clean and clear.

Adding a unit, combining units or turning a basement into living space changes the building's legal use. That typically requires architect-prepared plans, DOB approval and an updated certificate of occupancy, so we'll tell you at the walkthrough what's realistic before design starts. Albion is licensed for building extensions and new construction up to three-family houses.