Remodeling in New York City

New York City's guides use citywide Census figures, with Queens and Brooklyn as the borough comparisons, and 38%¹ of the city's homes were built before 1940. Most are apartments in buildings large and small, so a remodel here runs through the Department of Buildings, licensed plumbers and electricians, and often a building's managing agent.

Illustration of a Queens street of prewar brick apartment buildings with fire escapes and street trees. — Illustration

Guides for New York City

Bathroom remodelingMidrange bathroom remodel: $30,376²
Bathroom remodel costs for New York City, what prewar apartment buildings hide behind the tile, trade wages, and when the Department of Buildings needs a permit.
Kitchen remodelingMinor midrange kitchen remodel: $31,419²
What a kitchen remodel costs in New York City, how prewar galley kitchens and gas heat shape the job, and which kitchen work the Department of Buildings exempts.
Whole-home remodelingMajor midrange kitchen remodel: $90,252²
Room-by-room costs for the New York market, when a full renovation needs a new Certificate of Occupancy, and the asbestos and energy code steps before DOB permits.
Accessible bathroomsUniversal design bathroom remodel: $47,052²
What a universal-design bath costs in the New York market, how many city homeowners are past sixty-five, and the city and state programs that help pay for changes.
Basement finishingBasement remodel: $61,417²
What a finished basement costs in the New York market, why the city treats a cellar and a basement differently, and the flood and sewer-backup steps to take first.
Rental conversionsAccessory dwelling unit (new detached build): $192,657²
What an accessory unit costs in the New York market, what the city's new ADU rules allow in one- and two-family homes, and the landlord duties that come with a tenant.

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Sources

U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2020–2024 5-year, table B25034. Released January 29, 2026. New York City, NY.
Zonda / Journal of Light Construction, Cost vs. Value 2025, New York, NY. Released 2025. New York, NY (Cost vs. Value market). Industry source.