How does your pricing work?

We provide a fixed-price quote based on your space, materials, and scope of work. That number is locked in before we start — no change orders, no escalations. What we quote is what you pay.

How long does a typical renovation take?

Kitchen renovations typically run 3–5 weeks. Bathrooms are 1–2 weeks. Full apartment gut renovations range from 8–16 weeks depending on scope. We build a detailed timeline before signing and stick to it.

What does locked-in pricing actually mean?

It means your final invoice matches your signed quote, to the dollar. If we encounter unexpected conditions in the walls or floors, that is our problem to solve, not a reason to charge you more.

Do I need to hire a separate designer?

No. We work with dedicated design specialists who guide you through the entire process, from material selection to final layout. You will know exactly what your finished space looks like before a single tool is picked up.

Are you licensed and insured in New York?

Yes. Euro Restoration is fully licensed and insured in New York State, New York City, and New Jersey. We carry full general liability and workers' compensation coverage on every job.

What neighborhoods do you serve?

We work across Manhattan: Upper East Side, Upper West Side, Tribeca, SoHo, West Village, Chelsea, Midtown, Flatiron, and more. We are also fully licensed in New Jersey and serve Jersey City and Hoboken.

Do you serve New Jersey?

Yes. Euro Restoration holds a full contractor's license in New Jersey. We regularly work in Jersey City and Hoboken for apartment and condo renovations. The same standards, the same team.

Co-op Alteration Agreement NYC: What Boards Ask For

A co-op alteration agreement in NYC is a contract between you and your building that sets the rules for your renovation: what you can change, who can do the work, what insurance they carry, what you pay the building, when work can happen and how long it can take. You sign it before any work starts, and the board's architect or engineer reviews your plans before the board approves. Every building writes its own, so the only way to know your rules is to get your building's current agreement from the managing agent.

What an alteration agreement is

Most co-op and condo buildings in Manhattan have a standard alteration agreement drafted by the building's attorney. Every shareholder or unit owner signs it before renovating or combining apartments. It is a binding contract, and the board's architect or engineer uses it as the checklist when reviewing your project.

Some buildings use a short form for small cosmetic jobs and a full agreement for anything that touches plumbing, electrical, walls or structure. If your job is a kitchen, a bathroom or a gut renovation, plan on the full agreement.

What is usually in the agreement

Brick Underground's breakdown of a typical agreement lists these sections, and it matches what we see in Manhattan buildings:

Scope of work you are allowed to do, and work that is restricted or banned outright
Document deadlines and a deadline for finishing the work
Insurance requirements for you and every contractor
Fees and payments to the building, including review fees
Liens and lien waivers
Restricted work such as wet over dry layouts, moving stacks, through wall air conditioners and large soaking or jetted tubs
Contractors you may not hire, in some buildings

Read it before you hire anyone. Attorney C. Jaye Berger told Habitat Magazine about a client who nearly signed without noticing a 60 day completion window. Her own last renovation took four months.

The board approval package

Requirements vary by building, but a kitchen, bathroom or full apartment renovation package in Manhattan usually includes the items below.

Checklist: what to have ready

Item	Who provides it	Notes
Signed alteration agreement	You	Get the current version from the managing agent, not an old copy
Architectural or engineering drawings	NY licensed architect (RA) or engineer (PE)	Required when the work needs a DOB permit; many boards want drawings even when it does not
Scope of work and finish schedule	Contractor and designer	Fixtures, appliances, flooring and where each goes
Electrical load letter	Engineer or electrician	Shows the apartment can carry the new appliances and circuits
Certificates of insurance	Contractor and every subcontractor	Naming the building parties as additional insureds
Contractor licenses	Contractor, plumber, electrician	NYC licenses; proof often attached to the application
Lead safe certification	Contractor	Buildings built before 1978
Review fees and security deposit	You	Amounts set by the building
Schedule	Contractor	Has to fit inside the agreement's completion deadline
DOB permits	Filed by your RA or PE, plumber, electrician	Usually filed after the board signs off on the plans

If you are not sure whether your job needs a DOB permit at all, read our guide on whether you need a permit to renovate your NYC apartment.

Architect or engineer plans

When the work needs a Department of Buildings permit, the plans have to come from a New York licensed architect or engineer. Most kitchen and bathroom renovations fall into that category under DOB's own guidance. The board sends those plans to its own architect or engineer, who reviews them and sends back comments. Your team answers the comments with revisions or more documentation, and the board approves once the comments are closed. Expect to pay for that review. The co-op's architect often bills by the hour, and you pay even if the board asks for changes.

Insurance certificates

The board will want a certificate of insurance from the general contractor and every subcontractor. Habitat Magazine reports that boards typically require the certificate to name the board and the managing agent as additional insureds, and you should make sure your contract names you as an additional insured too. Brick Underground lists liability coverage of $1 million per occurrence and $2 million aggregate as a general standard, plus workers' compensation and disability. Many buildings now ask for more, sometimes with an umbrella policy. Your agreement sets the number.

Licensed trades

Plumbing and electrical work in NYC has to be done by contractors licensed by the Department of Buildings. Licenses from Long Island or New Jersey do not count for work inside New York City. Home improvement contractors also need a license from the Department of Consumer and Worker Protection.

Money you pay the building

Expect some combination of:

Application or processing fee to the managing agent
Review fees for the building's architect, engineer and sometimes attorney
Security deposit held against damage to common areas or unfinished work, returned after final sign off
Inconvenience or elevator fees in some buildings
Per diem charges if you run past the completion deadline

Amounts vary widely. Some buildings charge a flat deposit, some tie it to the size of the job, and Brick Underground notes that some co-ops charge a percentage of construction cost. We do not quote typical numbers because there is no typical building. Ask the managing agent for the fee schedule before you budget.

Write into your contract who pays per diem charges if the job runs late for reasons on the contractor's side. Habitat Magazine's advice from Berger is the same.

Work hours and time limits

NYC law allows construction on weekdays between 7 a.m. and 6 p.m. Work outside those hours needs an after hours authorization from DOB. Your building's hours will almost always be tighter. Many buildings allow noisy work only during a shorter midday window, ban weekend work, and some restrict renovation during certain months of the year.

Shorter hours mean a longer job. When a contractor quotes you a schedule, ask whether it is based on your building's actual hours.

Completion deadlines are common. Some agreements allow as little as 60 days. Longer jobs usually get a longer window, with extensions only by board approval and per diem charges after that. Before you sign, make sure the deadline matches a realistic schedule for your scope, and negotiate an extension clause up front if the agreement has none.

How long approval takes

There is no official timeline. It depends on your building, your managing agent, and how complete your package is. A 2024 Brick Underground article puts typical board approval at a minimum of one or two months. Boards that meet monthly can add weeks if you miss a submission date. Some agreements, more often in condos, set a deadline for the board to respond to your plans. Many co-op agreements set no deadline and leave approval to the board's discretion. Read that clause before you plan a start date.

What slows approval down:

Incomplete packages. Missing insurance certificates or licenses send you back to the start.
Plans that run into a building rule, like moving a bathroom over a neighbor's bedroom. See our post on the wet over dry rule.
Long comment rounds with the building's engineer.
Electrical upgrades that need building level work.

What speeds it up:

Get the agreement and house rules before design starts.
Ask the managing agent which items the board's architect flags most often.
Submit everything at once, in the format the agent asks for.
Order long lead items like cabinets and appliances early so the work clock does not stall once you start.

After approval

Once the board signs off and DOB permits are issued where needed, work can start. The building's super or engineer may inspect during the job. At the end, building management inspects the finished work, you submit any permit sign offs the agreement requires, and the deposit is released.

Our approach

We have worked in Manhattan buildings for more than 25 years, and we are licensed and insured in New York and New Jersey. On a full apartment renovation we build the board package with you, schedule the work around your building's hours, and give you fixed, locked in pricing so the final invoice matches the signed quote.

Talk to us

If you have your building's alteration agreement, send it over and we will tell you what it means for your project. Get your estimate or call (973) 723-4242.