Second opinion on a $74,420 renovation budget for 430 sq ft in New York

[buildTheMoss]

The surprise was not the finish prices but how many different exclusions appeared once I compared the quotes. I am reviewing a preliminary budget of $74,420 for work to 430 sq ft in a small multifamily property in New York. The intended scope includes the kitchen and bathrooms, new flooring and paint, electrical investigation and modest energy improvements; no extension is proposed.

Before treating that figure as reliable, I need to understand sequencing, concealed conditions and costs that contractors have left outside their totals. What contingency would be reasonable at this stage? I would also like a specific list of checks for a surveyor or contractor, particularly around the electrical scope, access, material lead times and responsibility for making good after investigative work.

 

[wren_tools]

With that many exclusions, I would provisionally carry 15–20% until the scopes are comparable, then reduce it only if investigation removes real unknowns. Put every bid into the same trade-by-trade table: demolition, disposal, protection, patching, permits, inspections and final cleanup. A cheaper quote may simply have moved more costs outside the number.

 

[BoldRoom]

Is 430 sq ft the whole building, one unit, or only the area being renovated? Also, will other units remain occupied? Those answers affect access, working hours, protection and sequencing. I’d particularly ask whether bathroom and kitchen plumbing can be reached from below or through another unit, because access damage can become a separate scope.

 

[noor_taxes]

I disagree slightly with choosing a contingency percentage first. A large reserve does not make a vague scope safe; it can just hide weak pricing. Ask for a condition visit focused on where walls or floors will be opened, then see whether limited exploratory openings are sensible. The resulting information should determine both the base budget and contingency.

 

[xavi_flint]

“Electrical checks” needs to become something measurable. Does the quote include only inspection and testing, or also opening walls, replacing circuits, panel work, devices, patching and making good afterward? Ask each bidder what condition would trigger additional work and who prices the wall repair. Otherwise electrical and finishes can each assume the other is responsible.

 

[SimpleWall]

Moisture would be high on my list, especially around bathrooms, kitchen connections, windows and any exterior-facing wall. Ask what signs are visible now, whether readings would be useful, and what happens if damaged backing or subfloor appears after demolition. Also clarify whether drying time or remediation would stop all work or only that room.

 

[RealHorizon]

No extension does not necessarily mean no structural work. Once flooring or bathroom finishes come up, deterioration or movement may still require repair. I’d ask whoever assesses the property to comment on visible cracking, uneven floors, altered framing and previous openings—not to assume they are problems, but to identify anything needing closer investigation before demolition.

 

[hikesAndBirch]

Permit timing and material lead times should sit in the programme, not just in the price. Ask which parts of this exact scope the contractor expects to submit, what cannot begin before approval, and which items must be selected before rough work. Cabinets, fixtures and flooring arriving in the wrong order can leave a tiny site with nowhere to store anything.

 

[SimpleWall]

Hana’s occupancy question also changes the plumbing plan. If another unit controls access to a shutoff, stack or ceiling below, the schedule needs agreed access rather than an assumption. I’d add temporary loss of water, dust separation and daily reinstatement to the scope if residents remain. Those items are often treated as logistics rather than construction, but they still cost money.

 

[bea.fable]

Send all bidders the same short list of questions: what is excluded; what is an allowance; who supplies each item; who handles demolition and disposal; what patching is included; what hidden condition changes the price; what hourly or unit rates apply to extras; and how changes are approved. Request a sequence by trade as well as a total. In 430 sq ft, two trades expecting the same room at once is a practical risk.

 

[SlowYard]

There is a limit to how much investigation is economical before work starts. Exploratory openings can themselves require permission, protection and repair, and they still will not reveal everything. I’d concentrate them where the consequence is largest—wet areas, suspected electrical routes and questionable floors—then keep a clearly controlled reserve rather than trying to eliminate every unknown.

 

[RealHorizon]

Agreed with Maja: targeted investigation, not indiscriminate opening-up. A sensible next sequence is to define the exact renovation area and occupancy constraints, reconcile exclusions, clarify electrical and plumbing access, investigate moisture or movement concerns, then rebuild the budget and programme. Keep contingency separate from allowances so a finish selection does not consume money intended for hidden conditions.