Whole-home remodeling in Buffalo

Unless a lead-based paint inspection shows otherwise, the EPA says to treat paint in homes built before 1978 as if it contains lead.¹⁶ In a Buffalo double that means every window sash, porch rail and stair spindle, inside and out. For homes built before 1978, the EPA advises hiring contractors who use only lead-safe certified renovators.¹⁷

In a Buffalo one- or two-family house, tearing out finishes, trim, carpet, tile, cabinets and countertops as part of permitted or exempt repair work needs no demolition permit, but removing or containing asbestos needs an asbestos abatement permit.¹¹ Beyond flooring, the EPA lists vermiculite attic and wall insulation, roofing and siding shingles, textured paint and patching compounds on walls and ceilings, and hot water and steam pipes wrapped in asbestos blanket or tape among the places asbestos may be found in a home.¹⁸ The EPA advises having an accredited asbestos professional inspect before a remodel that could disturb suspect materials, and not sanding or power-stripping suspect flooring yourself.¹⁹

In Buffalo, work that affects the exterior of a local landmark or a building in a local historic district needs a certificate of appropriateness, no effect or exception first, and building permits for that work aren't issued until the certificate is.¹⁴ The review turns on the outside of the house, so new windows, siding, porches and roofing are what to plan around.

Ask the company early whether your address is in a local district, and allow time in the schedule for the review before ordering windows or siding.

Buffalo requires every one- and two-family property its owner does not live in to register as a rental, even when vacant, schedules those properties for proactive inspection, and a property that fails to qualify for a certificate of rental compliance may not operate as an income property.²⁰ A whole-house renovation is a good time to fix whatever an inspection would flag in the rented flat.

New York's lead rental registry covers rental properties built before 1980 with two or more units in 25 communities of concern, including Buffalo and Cheektowaga in Erie County and Yonkers, Mount Vernon and New Rochelle in Westchester, and requires a lead hazard inspection at least every three years.²¹ Lead hazards found under the registry must be fixed with lead-safe work practices by an EPA-certified contractor, or by an owner trained in lead-safe renovation for repainting.²¹

Both of the next rules are from the national model code, which New York adopts with its own changes for Buffalo and every other city. When alterations, repairs or additions that need a permit are made, the 2021 International Residential Code requires the home to have smoke alarms where a new house would, including in each bedroom, outside each sleeping area and on every story; exterior-only work and plumbing or mechanical work are exempt.²² When branch-circuit wiring is modified, replaced or extended in kitchens, family rooms, dining rooms, living rooms, bedrooms, hallways, laundry areas and similar rooms, the 2021 International Residential Code requires arc-fault (AFCI) protection for that circuit, unless the extension is no more than 6 feet long and adds no outlets or devices.²³

In Buffalo, the nature of the occupancy or use of an existing building cannot be changed without a certificate of occupancy, and an altered building cannot be occupied until one is issued, except for one- and two-family enlargements that add no more than 25 percent of floor area.¹⁵

For very dusty work such as demolition, the EPA describes isolating the work area: sealing it off with no direct access to the occupied rooms, with workers using a separate entrance until cleanup is done.¹⁶ A double makes this easier than most houses: many owners move into the other flat while theirs is gutted.

A simple dust barrier, the EPA says, is 6-mil plastic sheeting taped over doors and other openings, with sheeting also taped over the room's heating, cooling or ventilation registers so dust doesn't spread or get into the ducts.¹⁶

More than one in four adults 65 and older fall each year.²⁴ 34%²⁵ of the city's owner-occupied homes are headed by someone sixty-five or older. In a double, the lower flat is the natural place for a step-free entry and a ground-floor bath. NAHB's Certified Aging-in-Place Specialist (CAPS) credential trains remodelers in home modifications for aging in place.²⁶

Dial the number on this page and a recorded line puts you in touch with one independent company that handles whole-home remodels in the Buffalo area. Which rooms, in what order and for how much is between you and that company.

That company, not you, pays us for the call. There's no charge to you, and we never phone or text you later. How we make money

Do your own check before any contract or deposit. New York State does not license home improvement contractors, but some local governments do, including New York City, the City of Buffalo, and Nassau, Suffolk, Westchester, Putnam and Rockland counties; where a local license is required, the Department of State says to hire only a licensed contractor.²⁷ Check a New York license

If a New York home improvement contract has progress payments, it must list each payment in dollars and cents and the stage of work it pays for, and each payment must bear a reasonable relationship to the work done, materials bought or expenses owed at that point.²⁸ Tie each payment to a stage the city inspector has signed off.