Advice on gut renovations in NYC needed

You could start by asking the super who has done work in the building already, and interview from there.

I have contacts for interior designers and painters...

Maybe you could provide a little more info to focus the advice: size of unit, anticipated budget, type of building, level of work desired (very top end, just get us through the next two years before we move, Ikea kitchen or professional, etc.

We asked neighbors who they used and ended up using the same folks - ProTone from New Rochelle.

A gut renovation will require an architect in most cases, if you can find someone good they will also have reliable contractors.. Get references from people you trust and then double check the references. In this business you get what you pay for, don't simply go with the lowest bidder as that can be a recipe for disaster!

brownstoner.com is an excellent resource for your question. even though the people are typically renovating whole brownstones you can easily estimate your costing details and find a lot of generous advice about the pitfalls and the endless permit process.

reno, go to lightandairdesign.com. Just get them to come to your apt. And they can work with what you have. I was very happy.

It's interior design full service. I don't know if they still have the contractor.

I second brownstoner.com as a great resource. I also think hiring an architect is probably the place to start, but if we can have more info about your neighborhood and type of space maybe we can start throwing out names.

ali r.
{downtown broker}

try new york french contracting - the owner does an excellent job for a reasonable price, with references. http://www.newyorkfrench.com/ I used this company and was not disappointed.

try franklinreport.com

it's a duplex. we're looking to do something classic but not traditional on the bottom floor and something more modern (but not the ikea-modern look) on the top floor. it would be a gut reno bc we want to move kitchen and baths and maybe the internal staircase. i think our budget will be in the $500-600k range.

any recommendations for architects would be appreciated. thanks in advance to all for your help!

reno - did you just recommend a home services site and three minutes later post the details of your property?

troll..

for the stairs, you'll need the city's OK. For the rest, you'll need TONS of permits from the building. The stairs permit will take a while. A long while. I don't know about you but my building requires the contractor/architect to have $5M insurance.
There is no way even $600K will cover it.

osiris,
I got in touch with Light and Air Design and got some very unusual and beautiful ideas from them. From her, actually.

eah - lol. i meant to write "tried." my brain's going numb looking at all the architect profiles. it's overwhelming.

i guess i need to readjust my expectations. can you tell i'm not from the city and have never done a reno before?

If possible to keep kitchen and baths in place, I would make every effort to do so. Most buildings will not allow a "wet" area (that is, kitchen and bath) to be move over a previously "dry" area. If it is allowed, you are going to die when you see what it costs to move a kitch or bath. I'd say the moves alone would cost about what your budget is--and then you have the rest of the apartment to do. This also sounds like the better part of a year for construction. Hiring architects, reviewing possible plans, selecting one, getting a contractor, and obtaining the necessary permits and building approval will take many months, too. During this time you'll obviously have to live somewhere else. Is this timing do-able and the year of living elsewhere in the budget? It is one thing to move closets and open up a room or create one. It is quite another to essentially rebuild not just your apartment but the buildling infrastructure.

I would start by interviewing architects the building recommends via the super or other tenants. I'd also prefer to see an architect with a set fee for the project (certain amount for plans, permits and assistance in hiring contractor/reviewing bids, and construction oversight). With a job of this scope, I wouldn't want to get lost in hourly charges without limit. You're going to need a fully licensed architect--not a designer who then hires an engineer to go over the plans; you could go that route, but I think it is asking for problems. I'd want someone who can show experience in your type of job too. Just because they were good at designing a corporate office of renovating a studio doesn't mean they are up to your task. Good luck. Let us know how you do.

If you've never done a reno in the city before, labor costs are going to shock you. Figure you're going to end paying around $80 an hour for the mix of what seems like less skilled work (say, priming walls) and skilled work (laying tile).

My rule of thumb for smaller jobs is that labor is going to be roughly twice the cost of materials -- but I've never done a full gut.

ali r.
{downtown broker}

the permits will shock you if you're moving kitchen/bathroom..also, if you're in a coop you'll have to run the plans by them. often it is not possible to move the kitchen/bathrooms all that much depending on the structure of the building. internal staircase is not a big deal as long as you have the proper handrails and such.

if you like modern but not uber modern..try Smallbone for the kitchen.

We just went through some 'small' renovation work - less than 30K. We initialy used serviceMagic.com and they referred three contractors. We selected the lowest bid as they appeared experienced and honest. Big mistake.
My advice is to use a contractor who is already familiar with the building & has a reputation.
Be your own project manager and be VERY specific in the contract about the work. Describe it in details even if it sounds unnecessary.
Agree on a schedule for updates - and send them in writing.
Take photos every day of the progress made.

"try new york french contracting - the owner does an excellent job for a reasonable price, with references. http://www.newyorkfrench.com/ I used this company and was not disappointed."

I can second this! Not only were they very good, they were actually nice to deal with!

Hi,
I suggest that first you and your husband discuss what you'd like to accomplish and by when. Establish a budget and make a priority list (in case you cannot afford the entire renovation at once).
Selecting an architect will not neccessarily help as not only it might cost more, but you might not really need him/her.
Look at magazines, get ideas, look in showrooms.
You might be able to talk to a contractor who can walk you through what else you need. Check the building's alterations agreement see what they require as far as rulls and regulations and what is allowed and what not.
Try to decide what you want done before you start teh process. It will save you time and money.
You can call GHI Construction Group, Inc. for free advise and check the web site. Thank you , Eran Sinai 212.491.1181 917.656.6650

Spend the money up front for a good architect. Mine broke the fee down to amounts for (1) design, board approval of alterations and bid set of drawings; (2) bid oversight and evaluation, expeditors, city filings; (3) construction oversight. High quality drawings and proper permits/approval/filings will translate to very, very few change orders and thus save you money in the longrun.

I'll echo some previous posts above (kylewest, 93rd, etc.).

Best move I made was hiring a contractor who was already doing work and familiar with my building. Other lessons learned was that I really didn't need/want a "designer", but just needed the "architect" (I know many architects are designers, but not all designers are architects).
I was most surprised at how difficult getting the city permits and approvals are. You absolutely need an expeditor and the architect that I used referred me to one.

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We do provide full range of services from architecture
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