What does a kitchen remodel cost in Brooklyn?
A real range for a Brooklyn kitchen, from a cosmetic refresh to a full gut — and the things that actually move the number.
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.
- Whether the sink or stove moves — that's plumbing and gas, and it's the single biggest cost decision
- Cabinet choice, which can swing the total more than any other line item
- Whether your electrical panel can carry a modern kitchen, or needs upgrading
- Co-op or condo board requirements: alteration agreement, stamped plans, insurance certificates
- Building access — a fourth-floor walk-up costs more to deliver into than an elevator building
- What's behind the wall once it's open, in a building that's a century old
What this doesn’t include: Appliances are not included — budget $5,000–$10,000 for a mid-range package, more for professional-grade. Also excluded: permit and filing fees, architect's drawings, board application costs, and contingency. Budget 15% contingency on a replacement and 20% on a prewar gut.
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 kitchen remodeling
Kitchen Remodeling
From new cabinets and counters to a full gut — kitchens rebuilt in prewar apartments and row houses, on a schedule you're told up front.
Bathroom Renovation cost
The smallest room and the most technical. Here's the range, and why waterproofing is the line item that matters most.
Backyard Renovation cost
Row-house yards turned into usable rooms — decking, pavers, fencing, drainage. The range, and why access drives it.
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