Cost to Build a New Brownstone
More of a theoretical question here… if you owned a lot in Brooklyn, how much do you think it would cost to build a brand new Brownstone with modern construction techniques and classic styling?
More of a theoretical question here… if you owned a lot in Brooklyn, how much do you think it would cost to build a brand new Brownstone with modern construction techniques and classic styling?
Depends do you plan on building with the big rubber rat outside your place or not?
The question is interesting, but as others have said, not quite specific enough:
If the intent is to recreate all of the plaster, trim, moldings, floors and details of an original brownstone, with central air, then you are likely looking at $500/SF+ -I think the $2 million number is probably a fair guess.
If you want a sheetrock box with a brownstone exterior, then maybe you could get something up for under $1 million, but it would be a stretch.
There are companies that make authentic looking new Victorian style window, door trim, and moldings. Can’t recall names or costs. And of course you can buy salvage doors, mantles, bathtubs, sinks, stairs, and such.
Oh!!!! The architect whose brand new Greek Revival upstate mansion was recently featured in the NYT estimated $600 a square foot for his (today).
Fedders buildings should all be condemned and torn down.
As a point of reference if costs roughly $100,000 + to re-face a 5 story 25 foot wide brownstone.
Don’t know if that is similar to building from scratch, but if you figure $100k or so for the front, the same for the back… that’s a chunk right there.
For classic moldings, woodwork, etc I’d put it at $2 million.
I don’t know how easy it is to find Brownstone these days or what it would cost. I did hear that a quary reopened in Connecticut (much of the Brooklyn Brownstone came from New Jersey).
Sputnik13…I don’t think you’re that far off, but your low end seems very optimistic….and you’ve got too little for the shell, and too much for the finishes (but they balance out together pretty well.
The devil’s in the details, but as a ballpark number, I’d go with $225 psf…that would cover both construction and design/engineering/filing. This would get you a well designed building w/ above average finishes and fittings.
To go lower than this you’d quickly end up w/ a Fedders building.
To go higher is easy…if you want a professional kitchen w/ all the very best appliances…add $…have to have solid walnut flooring instead of engineered flooring w/ 1/8″ of walnut as the wear surface…add $….do the adjacent buildings need shoring?…add $…etc. You get the idea.
One real question is what exactly does “classic styling” mean to the OP? To really recreate the level of original detail found in classic brownstones would be very expensive.
Think it depends on how high you want it. Probably gets cheaper per floor. I think you’re right on though with the 600-700k low end though since that’s what my house is insured for total coverage, if I remember correctly.
Things to consider: facade costs about 10-15k or so per floor; I’d say it’s a bit less for the foundation and framing but maybe pretty close when you include the facade; the rest is essentially a complete gut reno with kitchens/bathrooms. I bet some people will have a very good estimate of what that costs.
I think your high end is way too high, unless you’re counting things like plaster moldings/ceilings throughout and old style doors/hinges/hardware, mahogany door framing/banisters, etc.