Raising My Roof

http://cdn.brownstoner.com/4f19a325b8ef9-.jpg

My 19 x 45 brownstone (not landmarked) has a sloping roof on the street facing side.  On the top floor, the back 30 feet of my house has full height ceilings and a flat roof.  As you walk the last 14 feet toward the front, the roof and ceiling slant and taper down so that the interior rooms have ceilings about 4 feet high at the very front.  I bump my head.  It’s a big loss of space.  A contractor has told me that it would be “prohibitively” expensive to build out a flat roof all the way to the front of the house.  He also told me that I should expect to pay about $150K per floor during a reno, which seems high to me given that my house is not in particularly bad condition.  Are there any parts of this type of roof reno that are unusually difficult.  Anyone done this?  Is this idea crazy?  First post btw, this forum is fantastic.

finallygonnareno

in Construction 13 years and 3 months ago

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jockdeboeraia | 13 years and 3 months ago

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You would need to have the Floor Area Ratio and height restrictions checked. If you want to extend the wall and it is not wide enough to support it from the property line then you will need neighbor approval on both sides or create a beam to carry the offset wall. The dormer is much a less expensive option.

Augustiner | 13 years and 3 months ago

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I had the same situation, but decided to leave it alone because it´s not a priority for me.
My architect proposed to cut in and make a big window with balkony.
The advantage would be that you still keep your top floor invisible from the street and you keep the original look of the facade.

Putnamdenizen | 13 years and 3 months ago

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An architect might be able to answer some of these questions.  There may be height restrictions in front with setback requirements.

brucef | 13 years and 3 months ago

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We are currently in the process of designing a similar project, oriented towards the rear, not front. One of the issues will be the present legal usage of the space, compared to the future usage. 1-2 family versus multifamily will also chnage the rules. It is possible to leave the masonry walls intact and with framing 18″ in from that masonry build up essentially a dormer with a flat almost roof. Any flues would have to be extended appropriately. Alternatively, one can extend the existing masonry walls and bridge the masonry to masonry with light gauge steel joists. Since your house s narrow, this approacj may make more sense, albeit more costly. The actual rough construction expenses aren’t too high, but the “imperial entanglements” will be extensive.

matthewsexterior | 13 years and 3 months ago

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Hello i am a professional roofing contractor Matthews Exterior Group located in Brooklyn NY. This job the way your explaining it shouldnt cost more than 60K. You can visit our website www.MatthewsExterior.com or call the office 718.437.1400\. We specialize in brownstones references available.Thank You

shahnandersen

in Construction 13 years and 3 months ago

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About 2/3 of the frame row houses on my block have had both the front and rear raised (both ends were sloped), probably about 75-100 years ago.  If it was possible then, it should be so now (although the codes have changed as well as the prices).  I’d talk with an architect and get a cost analysis from him/her as well as an idea of the regulatory steps.

bks2f | 13 years and 3 months ago

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HI IM A CONTRACTOR AND THIS TYPE OF WORK SHOULDNT COST NO WHERE NEAR 150K. IVE DON THIS TYPE OF WORK BEFOR. THIS JOB SHOULD COST A RUFF ESTIMATE 40K TO 60K. IF YOU LIKE YOU CAN CONTACT ME AT BKS2FRENO@GMAIL.COM OR 347-279-8083.