Ideas for most simple, cost efficient room on flat roof of Brooklyn row house

Ok, so I posted a while back about exploring my basement “dig out” possibility and concluded that it’s just too expensive and way more work than I anticipated.

I’m looking into the option of building the most basic room on the room with only electricity, or maybe solar instead (just to power that room). No plumbing, no fancy roof deck – as basic as possible. It’s just to be used as a studio/workspace. My roof is flat. Many of the exact same houses on this block have done this (in a much more luxurious way than I need) and we hav the FARR. Any possibility with 50k budget?

Now, I know for a fact that my wood beams are in excellent condition because I was told by the architect that did our renovation months ago and by the contractor. I would be willing to have hatch stairs installed (The scissors kind) into the master bedroom below. Plenty of space for it.

Is this a daydream? Or is it even more intensive than a basement dig and reno?

j.e.c2769

in General Discussion 3 years ago

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MDR | 3 years ago

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How about a tent? Would a nice tent work for you?

Lurker | 3 years ago

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It will cost you a fortune in engineering/architecture work, plus the time to do it, and permits process and special inspections and all that. It would be cheaper to pay for surgery to shorten your legs and live with the basement as-is 🙂 lol

jimhillra | 3 years ago

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If you want to do it legally, adding onto the building definitely requires an architect and/or an engineer. Most likely, you cannot just build on top of the roof as the roof structure is typically much weaker than a floor as it was not intended for that much load. Also, keep in mind that the roof is not flat. It slopes to shed water. You’d need to build up to level the floor.

And going back to the stairs, a hatch with pull-down stairs is definitely not legal if the new space is large enough to be habitable (80 sq ft, 8ft ceilings). If it’s not habitable, you may be able to call it an attic, which would have less stringent egress requirements.

j.e.c2769 | 3 years ago

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Thanks for these tips, all. For anyone inspired by this I thought this article was good:https://www.brickunderground.com/improve/building-shed-studio-in-NYC-backyard-brownstone-townhouse-prefab-plans

However, my wife is strongly opposed to this idea as she’s afraid that it’ll really change the feeling of our already small-ish yard. I’m back on the idea of building on the roof via a hatch with scissor stairs. Something convinces me that this will be cheaper than digging out the basement. In regards to jimhillra’s comment about sprinklers we can definitely keep it under 35′. It’s probably about 22′ now.

I guesss I’ve got to figure out how to do this in the most cost effective way. I feel like I’m good at sourcing material, finding a contractor and keeping costs down that way, but certain things are out of my control and that’s the architect fee and structural engineer.

Is it a definite that i need an architect? For me, I personally have no interest in paying one as I’ll work this out with the contractor. I guess for the structural engineer, I’ll have no choice.

Bu t here’s a question I’d really like to understand as it would be a game changer in terms of cost. Is it possible to build directly on top of the roof, assuming you can accurately find the beams? In other words, will I have to rip off the entire roof? Because if that’s the case, it’s going to be too much of a project.

andriywww1990 | 3 years ago

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Lurker, i doubt it can be hardwired. Just a cord to an outlet at the back of the house. My generator is in my shed and i have wondered what would happen if i put outlets in and powered my shed that way. Not that i would want to.

Lurker | 3 years ago

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If you can string electricity across sidewalks to the dining sheds on the streets, I imagine you could run a code-compliant line to a backyard shed, and include space heating options as well.

workisfun | 3 years ago

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Just google “writers shed brooklyn”. A lot of cool designs. Ex – https://www.dezeen.com/2015/11/23/pavilion-for-a-writer-architensions-brooklyn-new-york-usa/

RobertGMarvin

in General Discussion 3 years ago

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But not much in the way of battery run heat for the cold months. Are new wood stoves allowed?

cate | 3 years ago

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Tons of battery powered light options nowadays!

j.e.c2769 | 3 years ago

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Big thanks to those replying. I will definitely check into the sprinkler situation. That would be a major cost. And for the backyard shed, now thats an idea. Might be hard to convince my wife, but I think a compromise is due. I’ll have to explore, but my hunch is that “legally” running electricity back there would not be legal.

colonialrevival | 3 years ago

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I would do what Lurker is suggesting. Should cost you far less than 50k as well.

Lurker | 3 years ago

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Maybe jimhillra can advise, but what if you use your FARR to build an “accessory space” in your backyard unattached to the house. If it’s considered a shed and is less than 120 sq feet, you don’t need permits so long as it stays clear of your property line on all sides.
https://www1.nyc.gov/site/buildings/property-or-business-owner/fences-backyard-sheds.page

jimhillra | 3 years ago

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I would start your budgeting at $450 per sq ft plus 20% – 25% in architectural and engineering fees. You’ll most likely also need access to your neighbors’ roofs, so you may need to budget for attorney fees to broker an access agreement. And here’s a big kicker, if your house is below 35′ tall, and the addition pushes you over 35′ in height, you may need to sprinkler the whole house. And depending upon the height, you may need scaffolding and a sidewalk shed, which would also need to be part of the access agreement.

There are MANY other issues to consider, too many to list here, but because you mention the stairs, I don’t think you’d be able to have hatch stairs as they would need to meet egress requirements.