Construction calculators, cost guides and permit rules for New York and the USA

Project guides

Construction & Home Improvement Services

Twenty in-depth guides to the home improvement services homeowners ask about most — how the work is done, what drives cost, which calculators help, and the permit and licensing rules in New York.

Remodeling

Remodeled kitchen with white shaker cabinets, granite countertops and stainless steel appliances

Kitchen Remodeling

Scope levels, cost ranges, layout basics and NYC co-op rules.

Bathroom with large-format stone-look tile, glass shower enclosure, floating vanity and wall-hung toilet

Bathroom Remodeling

Cost by scope, waterproofing, layouts and NYC co-op rules.

Interior rooms stripped for renovation with ladders and exposed wall framing

General Contracting & Home Renovation

What a GC does, renovation costs, contracts and licensing.

Finished lower-level room with a small high window, wall shelving and wood furniture

Basement Finishing

Moisture first, egress, costs and NYC basement/ADU rules.

Looking up through the new wood stud and rafter framing of a house

Home Additions

Addition types, cost per sq ft, framing and zoning.

Exterior

Roofer kneeling on a pitched roof fastening dark asphalt shingles with a nail gun

Roof Replacement & Repair

Repair vs. replace, materials, 2026 costs and NYC permit rules.

Installer drilling a new white window frame into the rough opening of a house

Window Replacement

Cost per window, insert vs. full-frame, energy labels, landmarks.

Row of two-story townhouses finished in beige horizontal lap siding over brick

Siding Installation & Replacement

Materials, cost per sq ft, measuring squares, weather barriers.

Concrete & Masonry

Fresh concrete in a dug footing next to bundled steel rebar at a building site

Foundation Repair & Waterproofing

Warning signs, repair methods, waterproofing and 2026 costs.

Concrete crew running a power screed across a freshly poured slab

Concrete Driveways, Slabs & Patios

Slabs, driveways and patios: thickness, quantities, costs, curing.

Paving crew in high-visibility vests laying fresh asphalt with a paving machine

Asphalt & Gravel Driveways

Asphalt vs. gravel vs. concrete: base, costs and quantities.

Gloved bricklayer setting a red brick into a fresh mortar bed

Masonry & Brickwork

Repointing, brick and block, brownstones and Local Law 11.

Outdoor

Weathered wood privacy fence with vertical boards and ivy along the top

Fence Installation

Materials, cost per foot, posts and height rules.

Elevated wood deck with railings overlooking a backyard in fall

Deck Construction

Materials, cost per sq ft, framing, stairs and permits.

Hands setting red clay pavers in a running-bond pattern on a sand bed

Paver Patios & Hardscaping

Base layers, paver types, quantities and cost per sq ft.

Dry-stacked fieldstone garden wall with potted plants at its base

Drainage & Retaining Walls

French drains, grading, retaining walls and costs.

Interior

Worker in gloves scoring a sheet of drywall on a work surface

Drywall Installation & Repair

Board types, sheet counts, finish levels and cost per sq ft.

Painter using an extension roller on a gray interior wall with a stepladder nearby

Interior & Exterior Painting

How much paint, coats, prep and professional costs.

Installer fitting a wood-look laminate plank into place on a floor

Flooring & Tile Installation

LVP vs. hardwood vs. tile, installed costs, waste and prep.

Worker pressing pink fiberglass batt insulation between wall studs

Insulation Installation

Types, R-values by climate zone, quantities and costs.

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