The short answer
A standard renovation of a 1,500-square-foot home in the New York metro runs about $78,600 to $196,500 by our cost-adjusted figures, and a gut renovation $117,900 to $294,750. What matters most here is paperwork: in the five boroughs a general contractor needs both a DOB registration and a DCWP home improvement license, and an architect or engineer must file the plans before work starts.
What a remodel costs in New York
The ranges below start from national remodeling data and apply the New York City cost factor of 1.31 published by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. They include labor, materials and the contractor's markup.
| Job | New York (typical range) | US average |
|---|---|---|
| Cosmetic update, 1,500 sq ft home | $29,500–$78,600 | $22,500–$60,000 |
| Standard renovation, 1,500 sq ft home | $78,600–$196,500 | $60,000–$150,000 |
| Gut renovation, 1,500 sq ft home | $117,900–$294,750 | $90,000–$225,000 |
| Kitchen remodel, mid-range, 150 sq ft | $29,500–$49,150 | $22,500–$37,500 |
| Full bathroom remodel, mid-range | $11,800–$36,700 | $9,000–$28,000 |
| Bedroom or living room refresh | $1,950–$13,100 | $1,500–$10,000 |
| Basement or attic finish | $26,200–$98,250 | $20,000–$75,000 |
| Exterior update | $7,850–$26,200 | $6,000–$20,000 |
| Roof replacement, 2,000 sq ft, asphalt | $9,150–$18,350 | $7,000–$14,000 |
Estimates for 2026, including labor and standard parts. New York prices use the metro's construction cost factor of 1.31 (US average = 1.00) from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Area Cost Factors. Your quote depends on access, materials and the condition of the home.
City contractors quote in a similar band. Sweeten's NYC cost per square foot guide puts a full-home renovation at $100 to $200 per square foot, with dry rooms at $30 to $50 and kitchens and baths far higher. In its example, a 700-square-foot one-bedroom costs $50,000 to $70,000 for a non-gut renovation, and a gut renovation can pass $100,000. Structural changes or combining apartments start around $300 per square foot.
Use the calculator for a figure based on your ZIP code and scope. National room-by-room averages are in our home remodeling cost guide.
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Cost calculators for each room
Price the parts of your project for your ZIP code: kitchen, bathroom, flooring, painting, roofing, windows and doors, or open all calculators.
Additions and conversions per square foot
Additions are a house question in this metro: on Long Island, in Westchester, on Staten Island and across northern New Jersey.
| Project | National cost per sq ft | Adjusted for New York (x 1.31) |
|---|---|---|
| Room addition, ground floor | $125 to $250 | $164 to $328 |
| Bump-out of an existing room | $85 to $200 | $111 to $262 |
| Garage conversion | $50 to $200 | $66 to $262 |
| Attic conversion | $50 to $150 | $66 to $197 |
| Second-story addition | $200 to $500 | $262 to $655 |
The national figures come from HomeGuide's home addition cost guide. Going up costs the most because the existing foundation and walls have to carry the new floor, which brings in an engineer. Our guides to designing an addition and structural engineer coordination cover that side.
What the general contractor's share pays for
HomeGuide reports that general contractors usually charge 10% to 20% of construction cost on large jobs. That fee pays for scheduling the trades, buying materials, handling filings, meeting inspectors, carrying insurance and fixing problems between trades. Sweeten notes that New York contractors typically keep a profit margin of 10% to 15%. On a $150,000 remodel, the GC's share would be $15,000 to $30,000 of the total.
What a general contractor does, and who can be one here
A general contractor runs a project that needs several trades: demolition, framing, plumbing, electrical, drywall, tile, cabinets and paint. The GC hires them, puts them in order and answers for the result. The rules for who may act as a GC change across the metro.
New York City: two credentials and a design professional
Inside the five boroughs, DOB issues construction permits for general work only to registered general contractors, who must have a place of business in the city and show their number on trucks, cards and ads (DOB contractor requirements). For a 1-, 2-, 3- or 4-family home, DOB says any alteration also needs a Home Improvement Contractor license from the Department of Consumer and Worker Protection on top of the GC registration.
Three more points matter when you hire:
- Plans come first. DOB says the owner must hire a registered design professional, a licensed architect or professional engineer, to submit plans before a general contractor can do permitted work (DOB owner requirements).
- Trades file separately. Plumbing goes through a Licensed Master Plumber and wiring through a DOB-licensed electrician, each on their own permit.
- Insurance is checked. A DOB-registered contractor must carry general liability insurance of at least $1 million per occurrence, plus workers' compensation and disability coverage, or a waiver if the company has no employees.
DCWP's license covers home improvement jobs over $200, including basements, garages, patios and fences. Licensees post a $20,000 bond or join the city's trust fund, and one person in the company passes an exam (DCWP license checklist).
Long Island and Westchester: county licenses
New York has no statewide home improvement license. The Attorney General lists the places that license contractors: New York City and Nassau, Suffolk, Westchester, Putnam and Rockland counties. Nassau charges $650 for a new home improvement license plus a one-time $50 restitution fund fee. Westchester's application fee is $750 from January 1, 2026, and the county keeps a public registry. Suffolk licenses home improvement contractors along with master plumbers and electricians.
New Jersey: state registration
Across the river, no one may sell or perform residential home improvements without registering with the Division of Consumer Affairs. Registration renews every year, the number must appear on ads, contracts and vehicles, and the contractor must carry at least $500,000 of liability insurance per occurrence. Municipal construction offices will not issue permits to unregistered contractors.
For single-trade work, hire the trade directly, such as a plumber in New York for a repipe or a flooring contractor in New York for new floors.
Do you need a permit?
For almost any real remodel, yes. The question is which office issues it.
New York City Department of Buildings
DOB exempts minor alterations and ordinary repairs such as painting, plastering, new cabinets, fixture replacement and floor resurfacing (DOB permit guide). Anything that changes walls, layout, plumbing, wiring, structure or use goes through an alteration filing in DOB NOW, with plans by an architect or engineer.
A few city rules shape the schedule:
- Filing fees for 1-, 2- and 3-family homes, under the 2022 Administrative Code text, start at a minimum of $130 to $170 depending on the alteration type, plus $2.60 per $1,000 of cost above $5,000. Confirm current figures in DOB NOW, since fee changes have been reported since then.
- A permit lasts at most two years from issuance.
- In a co-op or condo, the board must attest in DOB NOW that it authorized the filing, a step DOB added on February 2, 2026 (service notice).
- In an occupied building, the plans must include a tenant protection plan covering egress, fire safety, dust and noise for the units that stay occupied.
- Before a permit, buildings from before April 1, 1987 need an asbestos assessment filed with the Department of Environmental Protection.
- Interior renovation is allowed on weekdays from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. Work outside those hours needs an After Hours Variance, filed at least three business days ahead.
Landmarks
New York has more than 38,000 landmark properties, most of them in 157 historic districts across all five boroughs (Landmarks Preservation Commission). Interior work that needs a DOB permit but leaves protected features alone gets a Certificate of No Effect, at $50 for the first $25,000 of work plus $3 for each additional $1,000. A rear-yard or rooftop addition needs a Certificate of Appropriateness and a public hearing.
Long Island, Westchester and New Jersey
Outside the city, the New York State Uniform Code applies, enforced by each town, village or city building department with its own fees. In New Jersey, the Uniform Construction Code requires a construction permit for structural, plumbing, mechanical and electrical work. The local enforcing agency must approve or deny a complete application within 20 business days, inspections must happen within three days of a request, and a certificate of occupancy or approval follows the final inspections. New Jersey also lets the owner of a single-family detached home draw their own plans for a house they will live in, with no architect's seal required.
Additions, ADUs and basements
Accessory units in the city
New York City's City of Yes rules, Local Laws 126 and 127 of 2024, allow one accessory dwelling unit on a one- or two-family property, up to 800 square feet of zoning floor area, in an attic, basement, cellar, attachment or backyard building (DOB ADU page). Basement and cellar units are not allowed in the FEMA flood hazard area, the coastal flood risk area or DEP's 10-year rainfall flood risk area. A separate program will let owners legalize basement units that existed before April 20, 2024, in listed community districts, with applications due by April 20, 2029. Our ADU design guide and the New York architecture page cover design and filings.
Flood rules that come with a remodel
Flooding is this metro's version of earthquake risk. Hurricane Sandy damaged or destroyed 346,000 homes in New Jersey and displaced about 150,000 New York City residents in 2012. When the remnants of Ida hit on September 1, 2021, 11 people in New York City drowned in basement apartments.
Building rules follow from that. In flood zones, the city's code treats work costing 50% or more of the building's market value as a substantial improvement, which brings the whole house under flood-resistant construction rules. New York City still designs to FEMA's 2015 preliminary flood maps, which the city says carry a 26% chance of flooding over a 30-year mortgage in the 1% annual chance zone (NYC flood maps). Ask your architect to check the flood zone before you price a basement finish or a large renovation.
Gas, heat and electrification
Local Law 154 bans gas in new buildings and in gut rebuilds filed as new buildings, but it does not affect renovations of existing homes (DOB Local Law 154). If your remodel includes new heating, Con Edison offers air-source heat pump rebates of up to $10,000 for a weatherized single-family home through a participating contractor, and PSEG Long Island pays $4,000 to $7,500 depending on income. The federal heat pump tax credit ended for equipment placed in service after December 31, 2025.
Contracts and payments under state law
New York (city, Long Island and Westchester)
New York's General Business Law covers most home improvements over $500, including work for co-op owners. According to the Attorney General:
- The contract must be in writing, with start and finish dates, a description of the work and materials, the price and the lien law notice.
- You can cancel for any reason until midnight of the third business day after signing.
- Any deposit paid before the job is substantially complete must go into a trust account at a New York bank within five business days, and you must be told where it is held within 10 business days. The contractor may give you a bond instead.
- Progress payments must bear a reasonable relationship to the work done and materials bought.
That deposit rule is a legal duty of the contractor. It does not set a cap on the deposit, so negotiate a small one.
New Jersey
Contracts over $500, and every change to them, must be in writing with the contractor's registration number, a copy of the insurance certificate, start and completion dates and the Division's phone number. You have three business days to cancel, with a full refund within 30 days (NJ compliance checklist). The law bars contractors from demanding final payment before the work is complete, and the state's consumer brief warns against paying more than one third up front. Make the final payment after the final inspection, and ask for a lien waiver.
Our guide to paying a contractor walks through milestone schedules.
How to check a general contractor before you hire
- In the five boroughs, look up both the DCWP license and the DOB registration. You can check DCWP licenses online or through 311.
- On Long Island or in Westchester, check the county license with Nassau or Suffolk Consumer Affairs or Westchester Consumer Protection at (914) 995-2155.
- In New Jersey, confirm the HIC registration with the Division of Consumer Affairs at 1-800-242-5846.
- Ask for the insurance certificate. DOB-registered contractors must carry at least $1 million per occurrence.
- Ask who your architect or engineer will be, and who files with DOB or the town.
- Call three references from similar projects in your area.
Every contractor in the GOLDGCP network passes our six-step vetting: license verification, an insurance check, a background and business check, a portfolio review, client reference calls and onboarding with a quality score.
Is a big remodel worth it at resale?
Additions recover the least. In the 2025 Cost vs. Value report for New York City, a midrange primary suite addition cost $198,696 and recovered 28% at resale, and a basement remodel cost $61,417 and recovered 57.9%. Remodel for how you will live, and treat resale as a bonus.
Areas we cover
GOLDGCP matches homeowners with licensed general contractors across the New York metro:
- Manhattan, Brooklyn, Queens, The Bronx and Staten Island
- Long Island, in Nassau and Suffolk counties
- Westchester
- Newark, Jersey City and Northern New Jersey
Enter your ZIP code to see local prices and the contractors who work on your block.
How GOLDGCP works
- Describe your project online, by phone or on WhatsApp. You see prices for your ZIP code before anyone visits.
- We match you with three vetted, licensed contractors. For projects that need drawings, our in-house architects can prepare the plans for DOB, your town or your New Jersey construction office.
- You compare written bids and choose one.
- You pay in milestones, and you pay each one only after you approve that stage. Schedule, photos and payments sit in the client portal.
Frequently asked questions
How much does a general contractor charge in New York?
Most general contractors charge 10% to 20% of construction cost on large remodels. A standard renovation of a 1,500-square-foot home in the New York metro runs about $78,600 to $196,500 by our figures. Sweeten puts full-home renovations in NYC at $100 to $200 per square foot.
What license does a general contractor need in NYC?
For an alteration to a 1- to 4-family home, DOB requires a General Contractor registration plus a DCWP Home Improvement Contractor license. Plumbing and electrical work need a DOB Licensed Master Plumber and a licensed electrician. On Long Island and in Westchester, a county home improvement license applies.
Do I need an architect to renovate in New York City?
For any work that needs a DOB alteration permit, yes. An architect or professional engineer must file plans before a general contractor can start. Cosmetic work such as painting, new cabinets or floor resurfacing needs no permit or architect, though it must still be done by a DCWP-licensed contractor.
How much can a contractor ask for up front in New York?
New York law sets no percentage cap. Any deposit paid before the job is substantially complete must be held in a trust account at a New York bank within five business days, or the contractor must give you a bond. In New Jersey, the state warns against paying more than one third before work begins.
Can I add an ADU to my house in New York City?
Under the City of Yes rules, one- and two-family properties may add one accessory unit of up to 800 square feet in an attic, basement, cellar, attachment or backyard building. Basement and cellar units are not allowed in mapped flood risk areas, so check your flood zone first.
How long is a DOB permit good for?
A New York City work permit lasts at most two years from the date it is issued, and it can expire sooner if the contractor's insurance lapses. In New Jersey, the local construction office must decide a complete application within 20 business days.
Can I cancel a remodeling contract in New York or New Jersey?
Yes, in both states, until midnight of the third business day after signing. Cancel in writing. In New Jersey, the contractor must refund your money within 30 days of getting the notice. In New York, the right to cancel must be printed in the contract.
How we calculate these prices
GOLDGCP starts from national price ranges for each job, taken from published 2026 cost guides and checked against local price guides where they exist. To get a local price, we multiply the national range by the construction cost factor for the metro from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Area Cost Factors (US average = 1.00). For ZIP codes outside the 50 largest metros, the calculator uses the state's price level from the Bureau of Economic Analysis Regional Price Parities. Ranges include labor and standard materials but not unusual site conditions, so a written quote after an inspection is always the final price.
Sources
- Project Requirements: Contractor Permit and Insurance · NYC Department of Buildings
- Project Requirements: 1- and 2-Family Alterations · NYC Department of Buildings
- Home Improvement Fact Sheet · New York State Attorney General
- Residential Home Improvement Contractor Compliance Checklist · NJ Division of Consumer Affairs
- Uniform Construction Code: General Information · NJ Department of Community Affairs
- Accessory Dwelling Units · NYC Department of Buildings
- Budget Guide to NYC Home Renovation Cost Per Square Foot · Sweeten
- How much does a home addition cost? · HomeGuide
- Area Cost Factors, PAX Newsletter 3.2.1 (2024) · U.S. Army Corps of Engineers
- Regional Price Parities by State · U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis
About this guide
Written by the GOLDGCP editorial team. Prices come from national cost guides adjusted with official construction cost factors for New York; rules and statistics come from the agencies and reports linked in the text. We update this page when prices or codes change.