Home repair and renovation in Brooklyn

Brooklyn's housing runs from 1850s brownstones to glass towers finished in the last decade, and the work changes block by block. In Park Slope, Bed-Stuy, Crown Heights and Fort Greene, it's crumbling stoops, tired parlor floors and plumbing older than anyone in the house. Downtown and along the waterfront, it's co-op and condo apartments with building rules about who can work and when.

We do kitchen and bathroom renovation, masonry, painting and flooring, electrical and plumbing work, and ongoing maintenance for Brooklyn owners, from brownstone families to small landlords in Flatbush and Bushwick. We tell you early when a job needs city filings or board sign-off, so it doesn't stall halfway. Estimates are free, and our crews speak English, Spanish, Bengali, Hindi and Urdu.

Brownstones and rowhouses

A typical brownstone has a garden level, a parlor floor up the stoop, and two or three floors above, often split into an owner's duplex and one or two rentals. Many still have plaster walls and ceilings, plaster crown moldings, pocket doors, wood shutters and narrow-plank floors. Renovating one well means keeping what is worth keeping and upgrading what is hidden behind it.

We repair and skim-coat plaster rather than gutting it by default, refinish original floors where the wood allows, and open walls only where wiring, pipes or structure require it. On parlor floors that means protecting moldings and mantels throughout the job. On garden levels, which are often damp, it means dealing with the moisture first, before any new finishes go in.

Rowhouses in Bay Ridge, Sunset Park, Bensonhurst and Midwood are more often brick or limestone, with less ornament but the same shared party walls. Work on a party wall, a shared roof line or a common chimney can affect your neighbor, so we look at both sides of the problem before we quote.

Stoops, brownstone facades and brick repointing

Brownstone is a soft sandstone that flakes and peels away in layers as water gets behind the surface and freezes. Stoops take the worst of it: treads crack, front edges break off, and railings rust where they enter the stone. We patch and rebuild brownstone with tinted restoration mortar shaped to the original profile, and reset or replace loose treads and railings.

Brick houses and the rear walls of brownstones need repointing every few decades. The new mortar should be softer than the brick, because hard cement mortar can trap water and crack older, softer bricks. We rake out failed joints and repoint with a mix suited to the wall, paying attention to parapets, copings and chimneys, where leaks usually start.

As the owner, you are also responsible for the sidewalk in front of the house. NYC DOT can issue a violation for cracked or raised flags, and those often come up when a house is sold or refinanced. We repair sidewalks and areaway steps along with stoop work, so it's done in one visit.

Historic districts and Landmarks permits

Large parts of Brooklyn are in historic districts, including Park Slope, Brooklyn Heights, Fort Greene, Clinton Hill, Cobble Hill, Prospect Heights and much of Bedford-Stuyvesant. In a historic district, most exterior work needs a permit from the Landmarks Preservation Commission before it starts. That covers windows, doors, stoops, cornices, masonry cleaning and repointing, and rooftop additions, even when the repair matches what is there.

The first step is to check whether your building is in a district, which you can do on the LPC's online map. Simpler like-for-like repairs are often handled at staff level, while bigger changes take longer. We can provide material samples, photos and a written scope of work for your application, and we schedule exterior work after the approval, not before it. Interior work can matter too: when a job in a landmarked building needs a Department of Buildings permit, expect the Commission to be part of that review.

Old plumbing, and co-ops and condos in newer buildings

Many brownstones still have some of their original plumbing: cast-iron stacks, galvanized supply lines, and drains reworked piece by piece over a century. Low pressure on the top floor, slow drains and stained ceilings under bathrooms are the usual signs. We replace failing sections with new supply and waste lines, often as part of a bathroom renovation so the walls only open once.

Brooklyn also has thousands of co-op and condo apartments, from prewar buildings on Ocean Parkway and Eastern Parkway to towers in Downtown Brooklyn, Williamsburg and along the waterfront. Those buildings typically require an alteration agreement, board or managing agent approval, a certificate of insurance naming the building, and work limited to set weekday hours. We go through the building's package with you before scheduling and plan the job around its rules.

Neighborhoods we serve in Brooklyn

Park Slope, Brooklyn Heights, Cobble Hill, Carroll Gardens, Boerum Hill, Fort Greene, Clinton Hill, Prospect Heights, Crown Heights, Bedford-Stuyvesant, Bushwick, Williamsburg, Greenpoint, Downtown Brooklyn, DUMBO, Flatbush, Ditmas Park, Midwood, Kensington, Windsor Terrace, Sunset Park, Bay Ridge, Bensonhurst, East New York, Canarsie

Masonry & brownstone repair in Brooklyn — Stoop rebuilding, brownstone patching, brick repointing and sidewalk repair for Brooklyn rowhouses.

Kitchen & bathroom renovation in Brooklyn — Brownstone kitchens on the parlor or garden floor, and co-op and condo bathrooms planned around building rules.

Plumbing & electrical in Brooklyn — Replacing old cast-iron and galvanized lines and updating wiring in brownstones and prewar apartments.

Painting & flooring in Brooklyn — Plaster repair, skim coating and painting, plus refinishing original floors in older Brooklyn homes.

Landlord maintenance in Brooklyn — For owners renting out brownstone floors or small buildings: one number for tenants, repairs, turnovers and help with HPD violations.

Free estimate in Brooklyn — Call or text 929-400-9900 to book a free estimate, and tell us if your house is in a historic district.

Do I need Landmarks approval to repair my stoop or repoint my brownstone?

If your building is in a historic district or is an individual landmark, most exterior work needs a Landmarks Preservation Commission permit, including repairs that match what is already there. Check the LPC's map first. Like-for-like repairs are usually quicker to approve than changes. We can supply material samples, photos and a written scope for your application.

Should I restore or replace the plaster walls in my brownstone?

Usually restore. Plaster that is cracked but still firmly attached can be patched and skim-coated with less mess and cost than demolition, and it keeps the moldings intact. Plaster that is loose, water-damaged or pulling away from the lath may need to come down in sections. We check the walls during the estimate and show you which areas are which.

My co-op needs an alteration agreement. Can you help?

Yes. We read the building's alteration package with you, supply the scope of work, schedule and contractor details the board asks for, and plan around its approved work hours and elevator or delivery rules. Bigger jobs, like moving plumbing or removing walls, may also need an architect and a Department of Buildings filing, and we'll tell you early if yours does.

Who pays for a broken sidewalk in front of my Brooklyn house?

The property owner. In New York City the adjacent owner is responsible for keeping the sidewalk in good repair, and NYC DOT can issue a violation if it is cracked, raised or broken. We repair and replace sidewalk flags, often alongside stoop or areaway work, so the front of the house is finished in one visit.

Do you work with landlords who rent out brownstone apartments?

Yes. Many Brooklyn owners live on one floor and rent the others. Our home maintenance plans give your tenants one number for repairs, and we handle emergencies, turnovers, inspections and seasonal work, with photos after every visit. If you have open HPD violations, we fix the conditions and document the repairs so you can certify the corrections.