Renovating/permits - how long should we be prepared to wait?
Thanks so much for all your answers. I guess we have to be comfortable with the unknowns if/when we decide to go for it.
2x4
in Construction 13 years and 1 month ago
8
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8 replies
2x4 | 13 years and 1 month ago
Hello Brownstoners – My husband and I are debtating whether to buy an apartment that needs substantial amount of work – new kitchen, new bathroom, non-load bearing wall moved, totally re-painted and all this is complicated by the fact that we have a 9 month old baby, so we absolutely could not live in the apartment when the renovations are happening. How much of a headache is it to undertake the work, and based on your experiences, how much time does it take for permits to come through? The apartment is in a coop so we want to do everything by the book in terms of permits etc, even though it will take longer. I am coming around to the thought that it’s more trouble than it’s worth, even though we would end up with a great apartment, but would love to hear what the community reckons. My worst fear is having to spend months still renting our current place while also having to pay the mortgage on the new place. We have never renovated before. Many thanks!
jbharch | 13 years and 1 month ago
When I process an application for this kind of work it is typically 2-4 months from the date I am retained to obtain the permit approval. This is contingent of course on many factors, which we can discuss if you’d like. jbharch@earthlink.net
mike-the-expeditor | 13 years and 1 month ago
Without looking at your plans I can’t say for certain, but with a architect and an expediter who are familiar with self-certification you could get your plans approved quickly (best case: same day, worst case 1-week) and apply for work permits immediately. If you don’t go the self-certification route you’d be looking at 4-6 weeks for a response from the DOB, and additional time to get the plans revised and approved if there are problems.
If you would like me to review your particular situation, don’t hesitate to contact me (mike@escg-expediting.com) or post a follow-up response to this thread.
Bklnite | 13 years and 1 month ago
I’d suggest that it shouldn’t be your worst fear to pay rent and mortgage for 6 months or whatever it takes (if you can swing it from a cashflow perspective), as long as the cost of the apartment + the work + the rent paid after you close is less than the cost of an already renovated apartment.
m926bk | 13 years and 1 month ago
Agree that approval period for DOB permit is typically 4-6 weeks if architect does not self-certify (which a lot are hestiant to do, because of liabilty). How long you and your architect spend in the design phase and how long the Board (and their architect) takes to review your plans – before you file for a permit – is more of a variable.
reddgroup | 13 years and 1 month ago
Like JBH mentioned, 2-4 months is about how long it would take to get the job approved and permitted, with 3 months being average for a job of that scope. Self-certification is an option – it will get you the permits quickly, but you run the risk of DOB audits and signoff delays after the work is done. That said, if you are in a Co-op building, you may also need to get the Building Board’s approval as well, which can take a few weeks (also – in my experience, co-op board tends to prohibit self-certification on any applications). Typically you can do that simultaneously while filing your application with the Building Department. If you any particular questions, please feel free to contact us. A.Morena amorena@reddgroup.com
dazednconfused2 | 13 years and 1 month ago
For relatively small jobs like this, we often file professional certification. As said above it can be done same day with a building permit sometimes even the same day. This is exactly the kind of job for which professional certification was invented. We do not do self-cert signoffs, so the job does get inspected after significant completion, so the work is seen by the DOB, just not before it’s done. It means we need to be careful not to design any non-compliances, but that’s really not too difficult in a job like this, so it’s not really an added liability.
anotherposter | 13 years and 1 month ago
Getting a place you love can take time and work, but if you get a good architect to help you it goes pretty smoothly. We doing work on our home, which is landmarked so we have that extra step but having an architect who knows the ins and out of landmarks and the DOB has been wonderful. Besides permits, you have to consider the time for lots of things. There is the time to actually get the plans made and drawn. Then you have to choose a contractor (assuming that’s the way you are going) and when work actually starts and how long it takes depends on the contractor’s schedule. A good contractor is worth waiting for, in my opinion.