Brooklyn's housing stock is one of the most demanding renovation environments in New York, and finding a general contractor in Brooklyn who understands it is half the battle. Pre-war rowhouses in Park Slope, Crown Heights, and Bed-Stuy routinely hide cloth wiring, cast iron plumbing stacks, and lead paint behind plaster walls. Moisture intrusion and aging mortar joints deteriorate brownstone facades over time. Landmarks Preservation Commission rules add an approval layer before a Department of Buildings permit can even be filed. Melani General Contractor handles all of it from one location at 343 4th Ave, coordinating every trade under one roof so nothing falls through the cracks between contractors.
Schedule a site walkthrough of your Brooklyn property. We will tell you exactly what permits you need before you spend a dollar.
A general contractor is the single point of accountability on your project. We hold the Home Improvement Contractor (HIC) License, file permits with the NYC Department of Buildings (DOB), hire and manage licensed subcontractors, and make sure every phase of work passes inspection. You deal with one crew, one contract, and one phone number.
That accountability matters more here than almost anywhere else. A gut renovation of a pre-war rowhouse in Bedford-Stuyvesant can surface the hidden systems described above, plus knob-and-tube wiring and galvanized supply lines that corrode from the inside out, before framing even starts. A brownstone exterior project in a landmark district requires Landmarks Preservation Commission approval before the DOB will issue a permit. If your unit is in a co-op, you also need a signed alteration agreement before work begins. We coordinate all of it. If you want to understand what that process looks like in full, read our guide on What Property Owners Need to Know Before Renovating a Historic Home.
The scope we manage through a single contract includes:
About Melani General Contractor
Melani General Contractor is a licensed and insured Brooklyn firm operating out of 343 4th Ave, Park Slope, Brooklyn, NY 11215. We work under our NYC DCWP Home Improvement Contractor license and file every project directly with the DOB as the permit holder of record. Our field teams are led by hands-on project managers who supervise each job daily rather than passing it to a rotating cast of subs. You can verify our HIC license and insurance before you sign anything.
Our general contracting service covers six phases: planning and permits, structural work, electrical and plumbing, interior finishes, exterior restoration, and final inspection. Each phase is handled by our in-house team, so you deal with one point of contact instead of four separate contractors. Whether you own a pre-war rowhouse in Crown Heights or a masonry apartment building in Cobble Hill, this is the full scope of what we deliver as your licensed general contractor in Brooklyn.
Before demolition starts, we distinguish work that requires DOB filings from owner-authorization tasks. Exterior work in Landmarks Preservation Commission-designated districts requires LPC approval before DOB permits can be issued. Beyond Carroll Gardens and Brooklyn Heights, that includes Ditmas Park, Fort Greene, and parts of Prospect Lefferts Gardens. LPC review for a Certificate of No Effect on straightforward work can clear in a few weeks, while projects that go before the full commission for a Certificate of Appropriateness can take several months. We prepare the documentation the LPC expects, including existing-condition photos, dimensioned drawings, material specifications, and product samples for facade elements. If you want to understand what triggers a permit, our guide on Do You Need a Permit to Renovate in NYC? What Homeowners Need to Know covers it in detail.
We handle interior demolition, load-bearing wall removal, and engineered beam installation directly. Any project touching below-grade spaces gets a foundation assessment before work begins, accounting for moisture, settlement, and existing structural conditions.
Our licensed electricians replace deteriorated wiring and upgrade panels to current code. Our plumbers reroute old drainage stacks and bring shared risers into compliance. Both trades are handled by our in-house team through our Electrical Services and Plumbing Services.
We install hardwood flooring, custom tile, cabinetry, and paint. On pre-war buildings, we match ornate lobby millwork profiles to existing details rather than substituting stock trim.
Brownstone facade restoration, sandstone detail repair, roofing systems, and waterproofing membranes sized for moisture protection and aging substrate conditions are all part of our exterior scope. See our full Brownstone Renovation for specifics on facade work.
We walk the completed project with you, close out open items, and secure DOB sign-offs and certificates of occupancy before the project is formally closed. You get paperwork in hand, not promises.
Ready to scope your project? Get a free estimate and a clear phase-by-phase plan before demolition day.
A few of the services Brooklyn property owners ask us about most, each managed by the same in-house team.
We start every project with an on-site visit, not a phone estimate. In a Greenpoint loft or a Flatbush co-op, conditions behind the walls often tell a different story than what you can see from the street. We check for lead paint, deteriorating masonry, outdated wiring, and corroded drainage stacks before we define scope. Everything gets documented in writing so there are no surprises once work begins.
We determine which DOB filings apply to your project and submit permit applications directly. If you are in a co-op or a condo building, we coordinate the alteration agreement with your board or building management. For exterior work in a landmark district, we handle LPC approval before any DOB permit is issued. Licensed subcontractors are scheduled before demolition starts, not after.
We show up every day and keep trades on a coordinated schedule. Whether it is a Gut Renovation or a targeted kitchen and bath update, you have one point of contact throughout. No chasing down separate electricians or plumbers.
We schedule and attend every required DOB inspection, resolve any inspector comments, and hand the project over with all permits closed. You get full documentation in order, not a finished room with open violations. That is how a qualified Home Renovation closes out a job correctly in NYC.
Not every renovation needs a general contractor. But most Brooklyn projects do. Here are five clear signs you are past the point of managing trades yourself.
Electrical, plumbing, and flooring in the same space require strict sequencing. Rough electrical goes in before walls close. Plumbing rough-in happens before tile. A GC enforces that order across every subcontractor on a single timeline. Without one, trades step on each other and schedules collapse.
Structural work, plumbing riser modifications, and building envelope changes legally require a licensed permit holder. In co-op buildings, the alteration agreement names the GC as the responsible party. Our Co-op & Condo Renovation service handles permit filing and board coordination directly.
Many Brooklyn blocks fall inside Landmarks Preservation Commission-designated districts, from Fort Greene to Clinton Hill. Any exterior work requires LPC approval before the DOB will issue permits. Read more in our guide to What Property Owners Need to Know Before Renovating a Historic Home.
Sagging floors, cracked lintels, bowing masonry walls, or evidence of unpermitted work in older rowhouses are not cosmetic problems. They require licensed assessment and coordinated structural repair before any finish work begins.
Owner-managed trade coordination breaks down on schedule, liability, and accountability. A licensed general contractor holds every trade to one timeline and one standard. Call us at (718) 283-4154 to talk through your scope.
Pre-war masonry rowhouses and brick apartment buildings in Bed-Stuy, Dyker Heights, and Park Slope were built between 1880 and 1940. Open the walls on almost any of them and you find lead paint, aging electrical, deteriorated plumbing, and asbestos-containing materials. That is not a surprise, it is the baseline. A licensed general contractor in Brooklyn has to plan for remediation before a single finish trade sets foot on the job.
Brooklyn's aging housing stock adds another layer of complexity. Seasonal humidity, moisture intrusion, and aging building envelopes push water into facades and drive it into basements where deteriorating drainage systems and substrate movement create chronic problems. Improper installation and long-term settlement compound these issues over time. Any project touching the building envelope or below-grade spaces needs a foundation and drainage assessment before work begins, not after a problem appears. Our team handles that assessment as part of the project scope, not as an afterthought. If you are planning a Brownstone Renovation, moisture management and facade integrity are the first things we evaluate.
Regulatory complexity compounds the physical challenges. In Landmarks Preservation Commission-designated districts, LPC approval must come before the DOB issues permits for exterior work. Inside the building, structural, Electrical Services, and plumbing filings each follow separate DOB review tracks. Shared plumbing risers require direct coordination with the building's managing agent before any rough-in work starts. Each of those tracks has its own timeline, and missing a step stalls the whole project.
We hold the Home Improvement Contractor (HIC) License and coordinate every trade in-house. Electrical, plumbing, carpentry, and painting run through one crew and one point of contact, from demolition through final DOB inspection. You never chase down separate subs or wonder who is responsible when something needs fixing. Our team handles Electrical Services and Plumbing Services directly, which matters on pre-war buildings where aging wiring and corroded stacks are still common.
Showing up on time in the NYC contracting market is genuinely rare. Our customers consistently describe our team as responsive and fast, noting that we arrived every day and delivered immediate help whenever questions came up. That track record is why property owners in Williamsburg, Sheepshead Bay, and Sunset Park keep calling us back for the next project.
You get the full project cost in writing before any work starts. No surprise invoices. If you want to understand what drives renovation costs before committing, our guide on How to Budget for a Home Renovation walks through the real numbers. We operate out of 343 4th Ave, Park Slope, Brooklyn, NY 11215, and serve every neighborhood in the borough.
Our general contracting and home renovation work is based in Brooklyn, but we serve property owners across all five boroughs: Brooklyn, the Bronx, Manhattan, Queens, and Staten Island. Wherever your project is, we bring the same permits, knowledge, licensed trades, and direct oversight.
From Williamsburg loft conversions to Sheepshead Bay single-family homes, the range of project types across this borough is wide. We handle all of it as your Home Renovation, coordinating every trade from a single point of contact at 343 4th Ave.
Call us at (718) 283-4154 to find the right starting point for your project.
Yes. New York City requires any contractor performing home improvement work above a minimum value threshold to hold a Home Improvement Contractor (HIC) License issued by the NYC Department of Consumer and Worker Protection (DCWP). Work that also requires NYC Department of Buildings (DOB) permits must be filed by a contractor carrying full liability insurance and listed as the permit holder of record. Hiring an unlicensed contractor puts you at risk of stop-work orders, DOB fines, and unpermitted work that creates liability problems at resale. Our team is fully licensed and insured. You can verify our credentials before signing anything.
Cosmetic work like painting, flooring, and cabinet replacement typically requires no DOB filing. Structural changes, electrical panel upgrades, plumbing rerouting, and any alteration to a building's footprint or use all require DOB permits. If your property sits in a Landmarks Preservation Commission-designated historic district, such as those found in Boerum Hill or Prospect Heights, LPC approval must come before the DOB will issue a permit for exterior work. Some structural drawings also require a licensed architect or engineer stamp before the DOB will accept the filing. We handle all of that coordination directly. Read more about What Property Owners Need to Know Before Renovating a Historic Home.
It depends on scope. A bathroom renovation in a co-op typically runs 3 to 5 weeks once permits are in hand. A full Gut Renovation generally takes 4 to 6 months, accounting for DOB review, structural work, and sequential trade coordination. Pre-war buildings in neighborhoods like Bedford-Stuyvesant and Greenpoint frequently surface unexpected conditions, including outdated wiring, corroded plumbing stacks, and lead paint, that add time. We give you a realistic schedule at the assessment stage, not after demolition starts.
Co-op boards require written approval before any work begins, and the alteration agreement governs permitted scope, required insurance, and allowable work hours. Our team provides the certificate of insurance, license copies, and scope of work descriptions in whatever format the board requests. We coordinate directly with building management on elevator access, common area protection, and building-specific rules so you are not stuck in the middle. See how we approach Co-op & Condo Renovation for the full process.
Kitchen remodel and full gut renovation pricing varies by scope, layout changes, finishes, access, square footage, and existing conditions. You receive a detailed written estimate before any work begins, with any approved changes documented during the project. If you want a broader sense of what to set aside before calling us, our guide on How to Budget for a Home Renovation walks through the key cost drivers.
Yes. We handle residential projects across apartments, brownstones, townhouses, condos, and co-ops, and we take on commercial work including retail buildouts, office renovations, and mixed-use common areas. Commercial DOB filings follow a different review track than residential, and use alterations often require a Certificate of Occupancy change. Our team is experienced with both permit pathways. For commercial projects specifically, see our Commercial Renovation Contractor page.
Ready to start your renovation? Call us at (718) 283-4154 or request an estimate online. Our team visits your property, assesses the full scope, and gives you a written plan before any work begins.
