A full apartment renovation in NYC typically costs between $250 and $450 per square foot. This places a one-bedroom at 700 sq ft between $175,000 and $315,000. For a simple cosmetic refresh, expect to pay less, about $100-$250 per square foot; for a luxury gut renovation, plan on starting around $500. The plumbing in the walls of your building – how new or old are those pipes? The rules of the game that go with your building – condo, co-op or private home; mixed-use v. residential-only zoning – move the final number more than what tile you choose.
Below you’ll find prices by renovation level and apartment size, the costs most estimates skip, and how long each type of project takes. If you’d rather talk through your own place, request a free walkthrough and we’ll price it with you.
Quick View of Apartment Renovation Cost in NYC
| Renovation level | What it covers | Cost per sq ft | Example: 700 sq ft one-bedroom |
| Cosmetic refresh | Paint, floors, lighting, fixtures and surfaces; kitchen and bath stay where they are | 100–250 | 70,000–175,000 |
| Full renovation | New kitchen and bathroom, updated electrical and plumbing, new floors, same layout | 250–450 | 175,000–315,000 |
| High-end gut renovation | Down to the studs, new systems, layout changes, custom millwork, premium finishes | 500–800 | 350,000–560,000 |
High-end projects with structural changes can cost more than $1,000 per square foot. Two decisions that launch almost any project up this table are moving a kitchen or bath and opening walls in a prewar building. When the plumbing moves, you need drawings, a DOB permit, and usually board sign-off on the new layout, and each step adds fees and weeks.
What an Apartment Renovation Costs by Size
Owners often request one figure for each type of flat. Here are the per-square-foot ranges for common NYC sizes:
| Apartment | Example size | Cosmetic refresh | Full renovation |
| Studio | 450 sq ft | 45,000–112,500 | 112,500–202,500 |
| One-bedroom | 700 sq ft | 70,000–175,000 | 175,000–315,000 |
| Two-bedroom | 1,000 sq ft | 100,000–250,000 | 250,000–450,000 |
Small apartments don’t shrink uniformly. A studio still requires a full kitchen and full bathroom, the two most expensive rooms in any apartment renovation, so it often costs more per square foot than a two-bedroom would. “If your budget is tight for a small place, the kitchen and bath are where the money goes.”
Where the Money Goes in an NYC Apartment Renovation
- kitchen – The kitchen is normally the biggest single line item. Mid-range NYC kitchen remodel: $40,000 to $80,000 High-end gut kitchen: $80,000 to $150,000 Our NYC kitchen remodel cost guide breaks down all the tiers, from a cabinet refresh to a fully custom kitchen.
- Bathroom- Mid-range bathroom remodels cost between $25,000 and $45,000, and luxury bathrooms with steam showers or heated floors cost upwards of $50,000. Fixtures are a smaller part of that cost than waterproofing and old drain lines. For details, see the complete guide to bathroom remodel costs and permits.
- Floors- Walls, paint. These do the job and are cheaper per room. The cost of painting a standard Manhattan apartment ranges from $1,800 to $6,500. Visit our apartment painting cost guide for prices by size and neighbourhood.
- Trim & Built-ins- Prewar apartments frequently need new mouldings that match the originals, and closets or bookcases can add storage to small layouts. Custom millwork is usually the biggest line item on a finish budget, so decide where it really matters early.
- Electrical Service- New electrical service might cost older buildings $15,000 to $30,000 to run a safe modern kitchen and central air. Talk about it at the first walk-through, not after the demolition.
Costs Most NYC Renovation Estimates Leave Out
A contractor’s quote includes construction. These are separate from it and are the biggest surprise to owners:
- Architect or engineer Fee: 10-20% of construction cost if there are any changes to walls, plumbing or layout. Some charge $200-$500 for smaller jobs by the hour.
- Co-op and condo fees: an application or processing fee (between $250 and $2,000), a refundable security deposit ($5,000 to $25,000 or more) and a fee for the building’s own architect to review your plans, often between $1,000 and $2,000.
- Permits and asbestos testing: The city only issues permits after DOB filings are reviewed and most require an asbestos investigation.
- Temporary housing: During a gut renovation, you could be out of your home for 6 to 9 months. Furnished one-bedroom rentals start at $3,000 a month.
- Contingency: 10-20% of construction budget to be set aside. Old buildings hide rotted subfloors, ungrounded wiring and patched pipes no one sees until the walls open.
Why the Same Renovation Costs More in Some Buildings
The cost of apartment renovations in NYC depends more on the type of building than on the ZIP code. In a Manhattan co-op, work is usually limited to weekdays 9am to 5pm, crews must have $1 to $2 million in contractor insurance and generally the service lift needs to be booked. Some buildings only permit big work in the summer. Every rule adds labour hours, and a restricted workday can stretch a 3-month job to 4 or 5 months.
In Queens and Brooklyn, condos and rentals tend to be less regulated, which means less overhead. But older walk-ups have their own surprises: original wiring, galvanised pipes and uneven floors that need to be levelled. We compare the two boros side-by-side in Manhattan vs. Queens kitchen renovation, and the same logic applies to entire apartments.
If you live in a co-op, look at your alteration agreement before you design anything. In our NYC co-op and condo renovation rules guide, we cover what boards approve, what they reject and how long a co-op renovation review typically takes.
How Long Does an Apartment Renovation Take in NYC?
| Project | Design and approvals | Construction |
| Cosmetic refresh | 2–6 weeks | 3–6 weeks |
| Full renovation | 2–4 months | 3–5 months |
| Gut renovation | 2–4 months | 6–9 months |
Many boards only meet once a month, so it usually takes 3 to 8 weeks for a board to review an appeal by itself. You can file the DOB permit at the same time, so get both going as soon as your drawings are ready.
5 Ways to Keep Your Apartment Renovation Budget Under Control
- Keep the kitchen and bathroom where they are- New drain lines require a permit, a longer board review, and possibly a wet-over-dry conflict with the neighbour below. Sometimes you can save five figures by staying put.
- Get the alteration agreement before design – Work hours, insurance minimums, deposits and deadlines all alter your budget and once you sign a contract to find them costs you double.
- Refinish before you replace. Solid cabinets can look new with paint and hardware. Read repaint or replace kitchen cabinets before you price new boxes.
- Open one wall early in an old building. A small exploratory opening shows the wiring and plumbing you’ll inherit. Our guide to remodeling an old NYC home covers what to check first.
- Do the work in one project, not three. Renovating the kitchen, bath and floors all at the same time means one demolition, one permit, one board approval and one set of building fees. Each of those 3 jobs pay three different jobs.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: Is $100,000 enough to renovate an apartment in NYC?
A: Yes for many studio or small 1 bedroom cosmetic refreshes. A remodel including a new kitchen and bathroom typically require even more—$250 to $450 per square foot gets you roughly 220 to 400 sq. ft. for $100,000.
Q: How much does a gut renovation cost per square foot in NYC?
A: Gut renovations start at around $300 per square foot for mid-range finishes, but high-end gut renovations can range from $500 to $800. Projects with structural changes and high-end finishes can cost more than $1,000 a square foot.
Q: Does a co-op renovation cost more than a condo renovation?
A: Usually, yes. For instance, co-ops typically impose make-ready deposits and review fees that are significantly higher; they also require a board approved architect to sign off on any renovations, and they may limit work hours, extending labor time. True, however, condos tend to have less restrictive rules — but each building sets its own.
Q: Do I need a permit to renovate my apartment in NYC?
A: Usually painting, refinishing floors and swapping fixtures in the same spot don’t need a DOB permit. A registered architect or engineer files it . Usually it will involve moving walls , plumbing or electrical , or changing the layout . Either way, your board must approve the work.
Q: Can I live in my apartment during the renovation?
A: Typically yes, a cosmetic refresh or a single room project. When doing a full renovation or gut renovation, most people move out, because the crew turns off water and power at times and dust gets everywhere.
Get a Real Number for Your Apartment
Ranges help you plan, but it’s your building, your layout and what’s behind your walls that sets the real price. Top10 Renovation is an apartment renovation contractor in NYC, handling everything from board packages and DOB filings to the final walkthrough in Queens, Manhattan and Brooklyn. Call us at (929) 331-7831 or request a free estimate and we’ll walk the flat and give you a written number.