How much does a gut renovation cost in Park Slope?

Current Brooklyn renovation guides put a full gut renovation of a Park Slope brownstone at roughly $400-$800 per square foot, with high-end or landmarked work running past $800-$1,000. On top of construction, budget about $35,000-$60,000 in soft costs (architect, engineer, and DOB filings) and a 10-15% contingency. An older house that needs all-new mechanical, electrical, and plumbing sits at the upper end. Always get a line-item scope in writing before you sign.

Do I need a licensed contractor to renovate in NYC?

Yes, and a full renovation can involve two. Any home-improvement work over $200 on a 1-4 family home requires a Home Improvement Contractor (HIC) license from NYC's DCWP: the consumer-protection license, tied to a public complaint record, that governs your contract. Permitted structural work also requires a separate DOB General Contractor registration to be the party of record on the building permits. The HIC is the one a homeowner verifies for recourse, and hiring without it can void that protection.

What's the difference between a DCWP Home Improvement Contractor license and a DOB General Contractor registration?

They come from two different city agencies and do different jobs. The Home Improvement Contractor (HIC) license, from the Department of Consumer and Worker Protection (DCWP), is the consumer-protection credential. It covers the financial contract for renovating an existing home and carries a public complaint and disciplinary record. The General Contractor registration, from the Department of Buildings (DOB), lets a contractor be the registered party on construction permits and build new one-to-three-family homes. A brownstone gut renovation usually needs both, plus separately-licensed Master Plumbers and Electricians for the trade work. We verify the HIC because it's the license tied to your consumer recourse, and the one NYC publishes in a searchable public registry.

How do I verify a contractor's HIC license?

Look the business up in NYC's public license records. The DCWP license search (and the NYC Open Data 'Issued Licenses' dataset behind it) lists every Home Improvement Contractor by name and number, with the current status and expiration date. Confirm the license reads 'Active' and that the name matches the exact business you're hiring, not a similarly-named company. Every contractor on this list was checked this way, and the address shown for each comes from that same license record.

Do I need permits to renovate a Park Slope brownstone?

Usually, yes. Structural work, plumbing, electrical, new layouts, and additions all require NYC Department of Buildings permits, pulled by a licensed professional. Much of Park Slope also sits in a landmarked historic district, so exterior changes (facade, windows, roofline, or a rear extension visible from the street) can need Landmarks Preservation Commission approval on top of DOB permits. A contractor who knows the local filing and landmark process saves weeks, so build that review time into the schedule.

What should I ask a contractor before hiring?

Five questions: Do you hold a current NYC HIC license, and what's the number? Do you carry general liability and workers' comp insurance? Will you pull the DOB (and, if needed, Landmarks) permits for this work? Have you done Park Slope brownstone renovation specifically? And can I see a line-item estimate and a recent client reference? Honest answers, plus a written contract and a payment schedule tied to milestones, separate a real licensed GC from a risky handshake deal.

What's the difference between a general contractor and a design-build firm?

A general contractor executes construction: they manage the trades and build to a set of plans, usually drawn by an outside architect. A design-build firm folds design and construction under one roof, handling the drawings and the build together. Design-build can be smoother on a full renovation because one team owns the whole project; a traditional GC paired with an independent architect gives you separation and a second set of eyes. Among the picks here, Scordio offers design-build, while Dineen, Sunrise, and JBJ build to your architect's plans.

GUIDE · UPDATED MAY 2026 · RE-VERIFIED QUARTERLY

The best general contractors in Park Slope, by what you need

By Victor S. · Founding editor of The Park SloperUpdated May 22, 2026 · ~1,900 words · 8 min read

A renovation is the most expensive hire most of us make in Park Slope. A full gut, a careful brownstone restoration, structural work below grade, and a high-end architect-led build are very different scopes, and the right general contractor depends on which one you have.

Four picks, one per scenario. Each one a currently-active NYC Home Improvement Contractor (HIC), the consumer-protection license the city requires for any residential renovation over $200.

Best for brownstone restoration and custom woodwork

Dineen Construction

$$$ · brownstone restoration · custom millwork

A Park Slope brownstone specialist on 9th Street, in business since the 1980s. Dineen leans into restoration rather than gut-and-replace: custom woodworking and cabinetry, plaster, period detail, plus the plumbing, HVAC, and exterior work (siding, windows) a wood-frame or masonry townhouse needs. If your priority is preserving and repairing original character, this is the lane.

Skip if: You want a fast, budget kitchen refresh or a sleek modern build-out. Dineen's strength is careful period restoration, which is neither the cheapest nor the quickest path.

Address: 389 9th St, Brooklyn, NY 11215
Phone: (718) 965-2364
Web: www.dineenconstruction.com

Local · Park SlopeBrownstone specialistHIC license active

Best for full gut renovations, kitchens, and baths

Sunrise Renovation

$$$ · gut renovations · kitchens & baths

The pick when the job is a full gut: down to the studs, a new kitchen and bath, a reworked floor plan. Sunrise is the one out-of-neighborhood name on this list, a Flushing firm a Park Slope homeowner brought in for a full gut and recommended on Park Slope Parents. It earns the slot because a full gut is the scenario the picks above don't squarely own, and because its NYC Home Improvement Contractor license is currently active. As with any gut, get the line-item scope in writing before you sign.

Skip if: You want a Park-Slope-based contractor you can walk to, or you only need a single-room refresh. Sunrise is Queens-based and travels for the work, and a full-gut crew is overkill for a small update.

Address: 4650 157th St, Flushing, NY 11355
Phone: (718) 961-8143
Web: www.sunriserenovationny.com

Queens-basedHIC license activePark Slope Parents pick

Best for structural, concrete, and foundation work

JBJ Renovations

$$$ · structural, concrete & additions

A third-generation Brooklyn contractor (licensed as JBJ Concrete Renovations) based in Red Hook, JBJ is the pick when the job is structural: foundations, concrete, underpinning, framing, and additions, alongside full interior and exterior renovations. If your project starts below grade (a cellar dig-out, a rear extension, shoring up a settling brownstone), this is the structural-first specialist.

Skip if: You only need a cosmetic refresh or a single-room update. JBJ's edge is heavy structural and concrete scope; a small finish job underuses them.

Address: 98 Van Dyke St, Brooklyn, NY 11231
Phone: (718) 625-7638
Web: www.jbjrenovations.com

HIC license activeBrownstoner listingBBB accredited

Best for high-end design-build and new construction

Scordio Construction

$$$$ · high-end design-build · new construction

The premium, architect-friendly end of this list. Scordio, on 4th Avenue since 1983, does high-end custom renovations, historic restorations, and ground-up new construction: the kind of work that pairs with an outside architect and a project-managed budget. An A+ BBB rating going back to 1989 and a 5.0 Houzz profile back up the high-end positioning.

Skip if: You're price-sensitive or doing a modest single-room renovation. Scordio is built for high-end, fully-managed projects, and the budget reflects that.

Address: 560 4th Ave, Brooklyn, NY 11215
Phone: (718) 369-0500
Web: scordio.com

HIC license activeBBB A+ accreditedHouzz 5.0

Plumber	Best for	Cost & availability	Verified by
Dineen Construction	Best for brownstone restoration and custom woodwork	$$$ · brownstone restoration · custom millwork	HIC license active
Sunrise Renovation	Best for full gut renovations, kitchens, and baths	$$$ · gut renovations · kitchens & baths	HIC license active
JBJ Renovations	Best for structural, concrete, and foundation work	$$$ · structural, concrete & additions	HIC license active
Scordio Construction	Best for high-end design-build and new construction	$$$$ · high-end design-build · new construction	HIC license active

In short: Dineen for careful brownstone restoration, Sunrise for a full gut renovation, JBJ for structural and concrete work, Scordio for high-end architect-led design-build.

What does it cost to renovate a brownstone in Park Slope?

Renovation budgets in Park Slope are driven by square footage, the age of the systems, and whether the work touches the landmarked exterior. Current Brooklyn cost guides put the ranges here:

Scope	Typical Park Slope range
Full gut renovation	~$400-$800 per sq ft
High-end or landmarked gut	$800-$1,000+ per sq ft
Rear extension / addition	~$700-$750 per sq ft
Soft costs (architect, engineer, DOB filings)	$35,000-$60,000+
Recommended contingency	10-15% of budget

An older brownstone that needs all-new mechanical, electrical, and plumbing lands at the upper end of the per-square-foot range, because MEP can account for a quarter to a third of the whole budget. Park Slope's landmarked status adds review time, and sometimes cost, to anything that changes the exterior. Treat any number a contractor gives before a site visit as a placeholder. The real figure comes from a line-item scope.

Frequently asked questions

How much does a gut renovation cost in Park Slope?: Current Brooklyn renovation guides put a full gut renovation of a Park Slope brownstone at roughly $400-$800 per square foot, with high-end or landmarked work running past $800-$1,000. On top of construction, budget about $35,000-$60,000 in soft costs (architect, engineer, and DOB filings) and a 10-15% contingency. An older house that needs all-new mechanical, electrical, and plumbing sits at the upper end. Always get a line-item scope in writing before you sign.
Do I need a licensed contractor to renovate in NYC?: Yes, and a full renovation can involve two. Any home-improvement work over $200 on a 1-4 family home requires a Home Improvement Contractor (HIC) license from NYC's DCWP: the consumer-protection license, tied to a public complaint record, that governs your contract. Permitted structural work also requires a separate DOB General Contractor registration to be the party of record on the building permits. The HIC is the one a homeowner verifies for recourse, and hiring without it can void that protection.
What's the difference between a DCWP Home Improvement Contractor license and a DOB General Contractor registration?: They come from two different city agencies and do different jobs. The Home Improvement Contractor (HIC) license, from the Department of Consumer and Worker Protection (DCWP), is the consumer-protection credential. It covers the financial contract for renovating an existing home and carries a public complaint and disciplinary record. The General Contractor registration, from the Department of Buildings (DOB), lets a contractor be the registered party on construction permits and build new one-to-three-family homes. A brownstone gut renovation usually needs both, plus separately-licensed Master Plumbers and Electricians for the trade work. We verify the HIC because it's the license tied to your consumer recourse, and the one NYC publishes in a searchable public registry.
How do I verify a contractor's HIC license?: Look the business up in NYC's public license records. The DCWP license search (and the NYC Open Data 'Issued Licenses' dataset behind it) lists every Home Improvement Contractor by name and number, with the current status and expiration date. Confirm the license reads 'Active' and that the name matches the exact business you're hiring, not a similarly-named company. Every contractor on this list was checked this way, and the address shown for each comes from that same license record.
Do I need permits to renovate a Park Slope brownstone?: Usually, yes. Structural work, plumbing, electrical, new layouts, and additions all require NYC Department of Buildings permits, pulled by a licensed professional. Much of Park Slope also sits in a landmarked historic district, so exterior changes (facade, windows, roofline, or a rear extension visible from the street) can need Landmarks Preservation Commission approval on top of DOB permits. A contractor who knows the local filing and landmark process saves weeks, so build that review time into the schedule.
What should I ask a contractor before hiring?: Five questions: Do you hold a current NYC HIC license, and what's the number? Do you carry general liability and workers' comp insurance? Will you pull the DOB (and, if needed, Landmarks) permits for this work? Have you done Park Slope brownstone renovation specifically? And can I see a line-item estimate and a recent client reference? Honest answers, plus a written contract and a payment schedule tied to milestones, separate a real licensed GC from a risky handshake deal.
What's the difference between a general contractor and a design-build firm?: A general contractor executes construction: they manage the trades and build to a set of plans, usually drawn by an outside architect. A design-build firm folds design and construction under one roof, handling the drawings and the build together. Design-build can be smoother on a full renovation because one team owns the whole project; a traditional GC paired with an independent architect gives you separation and a second set of eyes. Among the picks here, Scordio offers design-build, while Dineen, Sunrise, and JBJ build to your architect's plans.

How do you verify a contractor's HIC license?

First, a quick map of the credentials, because "contractor license" can mean a few things in NYC. The DCWP Home Improvement Contractor (HIC) license is the consumer one. It governs the renovation contract and is what you check for recourse. A separate DOB General Contractor registration lets a contractor pull and be named on building permits for structural work, and the Master Plumber and Master/Special Electrician licenses (also DOB) cover the trades a GC subcontracts. New York has no statewide general-contractor license. For hiring a residential renovator, the HIC is the credential to verify first, and the one the city publishes in a searchable public registry.

To check it: search the DCWP license lookup (or the NYC Open Data "Issued Licenses" dataset behind it) by business name or license number, and confirm the license reads Active with a future expiration date.

Why it matters: the HIC license ties a contractor to a public complaint and disciplinary history, and it's your recourse if a job goes wrong. An unlicensed contractor, or one using a license registered to a different, similarly-named company, can leave you without that protection and complicate permits and insurance. Every pick on this list was matched, by name, to an active HIC record, and each business address shown here comes from that same authoritative city record.

What should you ask before hiring a contractor?

Five questions separate a licensed GC from a risky handshake:

Do you hold a current NYC HIC license, and what's the number?
Do you carry general liability and workers' comp insurance?
Will you pull the DOB (and, if needed, Landmarks) permits for this work?
Have you done Park Slope brownstone renovation specifically?
Can I see a line-item estimate and a recent client reference?

Then put it in writing: a contract with a defined scope and a payment schedule tied to milestones, not a large deposit up front.

How did we vet these general contractors?

Two filters. Community signal: every contractor here turns up where Park Slope neighbors trade renovation names. That means Park Slope Parents, the Brownstoner directory and forum, and the firms competing hardest in Google results for "Park Slope renovation." The license: we matched every name, by exact business name, to a NYC DCWP Home Improvement Contractor (HIC) license reading currently active in the city's public license records, with a 2027 expiration. Each business address shown here comes from that same record. Permitted structural work also needs a separate DOB General Contractor registration. The trades are covered by separately-licensed Master Plumbers and Electricians. Several flashy design-build names that dominate the search results don't hold a current HIC under the brand they advertise with, and were held back rather than listed on reputation alone. One pick, Sunrise, is based outside the neighborhood, in Queens. We include it for the full-gut scenario on the strength of a Park Slope Parents recommendation and a verified, active HIC, and we label it as out-of-neighborhood on its card.

This isn't a hands-on test, and nobody pays to be on this list. Written by Victor S., founding editor of The Park Sloper. Park Slope is our neighborhood and the only one we cover. Last refreshed May 22, 2026; next refresh August 2026.

Related on parksloper.com: The best plumbers in Park Slope and the best electricians in Park Slope, the licensed trades a general contractor subcontracts.