Gut renovations and major updates for Brooklyn brownstones and townhouses — scoped, bid, permitted, built, and closed out with someone on your side the whole way. Run by a townhouse specialist with 22+ years selling these exact buildings.
Renovating a Brooklyn townhouse means juggling an architect, engineers, an expeditor, Department of Buildings and often Landmarks approvals, a general contractor, a dozen trades, and a budget that wants to grow every week. Most owners end up acting as their own project manager — on top of a job and a family — and that's where schedules slip and costs climb.
Brownstone Project takes that role. Every decision is scoped against what the finished house is worth on your block, because the same person managing your renovation has spent two decades selling renovated brownstones. You get a project built for how you live, and one that holds its value when it's time to sell.
A clear scope and a realistic budget before anyone is hired — informed by what the house is worth today, what it will be worth renovated, and which upgrades actually pay back on your block.
Choosing and coordinating the architect, structural and MEP engineers, expeditor, and specialists such as Passive House consultants, so the design matches the scope and the budget.
Competing bids leveled line by line so you're comparing like with like, plus checks on licenses, insurance, and references, and a contract with a clear schedule and payment terms.
Department of Buildings and Landmarks Preservation Commission filings tracked through your architect and expeditor and built into the schedule from day one.
Regular site visits, clear progress updates, change orders reviewed before they're approved, and contractor payments tied to work actually completed.
Punch list, inspections and sign-offs, warranties, and a record of what was done — the documentation that matters when you refinance or sell.
Over-improving burns money; under-improving leaves it on the table. With 22+ years selling Brooklyn townhouses, every scope decision is checked against what buyers actually pay for on your street — even if you never plan to sell. Not sure where to start? A Live It or List It consultation is the first step.
A free consultation at the house to understand the building, your goals, your timeline, and your budget.
A written scope and budget, and the right architect, engineers, and contractors lined up behind it.
Brownstone Project runs the project through closeout, so you get oversight without becoming your own general contractor.
A general contractor builds the job and earns a margin on it. A project manager works for you: scoping the work, getting competing bids, holding contractors to the contract and schedule, and reviewing change orders and payment requests before you pay them.
For most gut renovations and any work that needs Department of Buildings or Landmarks filings, yes. Brownstone Project helps you choose the right architect, engineers, and expeditor, and keeps the whole team working to one plan and one budget.
Yes. A walkthrough before you buy gives you a realistic read on scope and cost, so you know what you're really paying for the house. It's one of the most valuable times to bring in a project manager.
Not at all — most of the brownstone blocks we work on are landmarked. Exterior changes need Landmarks Preservation Commission approval, which is planned into the scope and schedule from the start rather than discovered halfway through.
Fees depend on the size and scope of the project and are set out clearly, in writing, before any work starts. The first consultation is free.
Yes, and a renovation is the best time to do it. Walls and ceilings are already open, so a Passive House or masonry retrofit costs far less than doing it later.
Smaller jobs are welcome too. Kitchens, baths, single floors, and rental units can all be managed, and quick jobs like room painting are handled directly.