What does a gut renovation cost in Brooklyn?
Apartments and houses taken back to the studs. The widest range on this site, and the one where a contingency isn't optional.
What actually moves your number
Any calculator that gives you one figure is guessing. These are the things that decide where you land in the range — or outside it.
- How many kitchens and bathrooms you're rebuilding. Those two rooms drive 35–45% of a whole-home budget — a second bathroom moves a project more than 400 extra square feet does.
- Whether you move plumbing. Leaving the kitchen and baths where they are is the single largest lever you control. Relocating them means new lines, structural work and longer approvals — and in a co-op it's frequently refused outright.
- What's behind the walls. In a pre-1960 Brooklyn building expect old wiring, corroded supply lines, uneven floors, and possibly asbestos or lead. Prewar runs 10–20% above a comparable post-war job before anyone picks a finish.
- Your building type. A co-op runs roughly 15–20% above a condo for identical work, and takes several weeks longer, because of board review, restricted hours and building fees.
- Finish level. Builder-grade to high-end is roughly double on the same floor plan — the widest swing on this page, and entirely your decision.
- Whether the layout changes. Removing a wall means an engineer, a stamped drawing and a longer approval. Keeping the plan keeps you in the lower half of every range above.
What this doesn’t include: Construction labour and materials only. Excludes architect and engineer fees, expediter and DOB filing costs, Landmarks fees, board fees, deposits and insurance, asbestos or lead abatement, appliances and furniture, temporary housing, and contingency — budget 10–15% post-war and 15–20% prewar. A gut quote without a contingency line is not an honest quote.
The costs nobody budgets for
These aren’t construction. They’re what the city and your building charge you for permission, and on a permitted job they add up to real money.
- DOB filing fees — 1–3 family house
- $130 base + $2.60 per $1,000 of workA $900,000 rowhouse gut lands around $3,100 all in.
- DOB filing fees — co-op or condo apartment
- $225 base + $10.30 per $1,000 of workFour times the rate of a house. A $300,000 apartment gut lands around $4,500 — more than the rowhouse job three times its size.
- Landmarks (LPC) permit, if you're in a historic district
- $95 for the first $25,000 + $5 per $1,000 aboveRequired whenever the work needs a DOB permit, even if nothing is visible from the street. Usually issued inside ten business days.
- Co-op or condo board — deposit
- Typically 2.5% of the job, refundableScales with the job rather than being a flat fee. Held by the managing agent until sign-off.
- Co-op or condo board — alteration and processing fees
- Around 1% of the job, plus $500–$1,000 in flat feesNot refundable.
- Monthly alteration fee, some buildings
- Up to $1,000 per month work is happeningBilled as additional rent. The line item nobody warns you about — a six-month job is $6,000.
- Architect and expediter
- 8–20% of construction costHigher percentage on smaller jobs. Required for anything structural or plumbing-related in a co-op.
- Asbestos inspection (ACP-5)
- $500–$1,000Required before most permits in older buildings. Abatement, if triggered, is separate and much larger.
The one that surprises everyone: the city charges a house $2.60 per $1,000 of work and an apartment $10.30. So a $900,000 brownstone gut pays lessin DOB filing fees than a $300,000 co-op kitchen three times smaller. It’s in the Administrative Code if you want to check.
Where these numbers come from
Published NYC renovation cost data, federal construction cost indices, city fee schedules read from the Administrative Code, and real co-op alteration agreements. We’d rather show our working than ask you to take our word for it.
- Sweeten — NYC renovation cost guides
- Gordian / RSMeans — Quarterly Construction Cost Insights
- NAHB Eye on Housing — building material price index
These are Brooklyn market ranges, not a Handygrandson price list — what work like this generally costs here, so you know roughly what you’re dealing with before you call anyone. Your number depends on your building, and we can’t know that until we’ve seen it.
How we do gut renovation
Gut Renovation
Apartments and houses taken back to the studs and rebuilt. We've done eight — two single-family homes and six Brooklyn studios.
Kitchen Remodel cost
A real range for a Brooklyn kitchen, from a cosmetic refresh to a full gut — and the things that actually move the number.
Bathroom Renovation cost
The smallest room and the most technical. Here's the range, and why waterproofing is the line item that matters most.
A range is a start. A quote is a number.
Send a few photos and we’ll come back with a real figure — usually within 90 minutes. Free, and no trip fee.
(929) 500-4434