Finishing basement - DOB

I just bought a two family home with an unfunished basement space that I want to finish off and use as a tv/family room. It’s labeled as “storage” on the c of o I believe. A contractor came in and told me that I needed an architect to determine what we can legally do with the space. Is that really the case if we are just looking to sheet rock the basement and use it as a rec room? Is it necessary to go through the DOB for something like this? Thanks

phife00

in Dept. of Buildings (DOB) 12 years and 1 month ago

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charles87 | 12 years and 1 month ago

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not require your permission to do anything in basement depending if you do a bathroom or a kitchen if you’re going to require as it is illegal and they will not let you, I also did in my house that the basement was not finished, use a company that let me finish and now I use it for laundry area and did a little space and now I have a sofa and a TV, good luck with your project this is the company number 718-6992613.

eme1million | 12 years and 1 month ago

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If you intend to use the space informally for your family then you don’t really need to inform the DOB.  And informing the DOB will probably result in you not being able to do what you intend, without a l lot aggravation and money.  There is no permit required for waterproofing and finishing a basement space – i.e. furring out walls and ceilings and installing drywall and a floor.  Utility/boiler rooms generally should already be walled off with either brick walls or double layer 5/8 fire-rated sheet rock and a door rated for that purpose.    If you are adding walls, hallways, bathroom/kitchen etc or trying to create any kind of separate living area, then that is a very different matter.

anotherposter | 12 years and 1 month ago

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If it’s actually a cellar (mostly below grade), the contractor probably means there are limits on what you can do with regard to things like bathrooms and how the mechanicals are walled off (I think you can’t just use regular sheetrock and and wood doors, for example).  If you’re digging down or doing any other structural work (e.g. removing/reducing columns that support beams) you really should get an architect and engineer in.