Licensed & Insured • Manhattan, NYC
Full Gut Renovation in Manhattan
Planning a complete renovation of your Manhattan apartment, co-op or condo? Corniel Construction helps turn your approved design into a coordinated construction plan, aligning demolition, trade sequencing, building access, protection, procurement and finish work with the verified scope and your priorities. If you are still comparing a partial remodel with a full gut, review our Manhattan apartment renovation services for the building-specific scope and approval process.
We work with your design team and licensed professionals where required, coordinating board review, project-specific DOB filings, procurement and building access. Schedule Your Consultation to discuss the property and the renovation you want to achieve. For an example of documented Manhattan work, review our co-op renovation case study, including the recorded construction scope, building coordination, and closeout.
Manhattan Condo & Co-op Renovation Experience
Board Package Coordination
COI Coordination
DOB Coordination With Licensed Professionals
Fully Licensed & Insured
Manhattan Renovation Experience
Full Gut Renovation in Manhattan: What’s Actually Involved
A Manhattan full-gut renovation can involve removing interior finishes and selected nonstructural assemblies before rebuilding the approved spaces. The extent depends on the existing conditions, design, building rules and required professional reviews. Typical work may include:
Full demolition — clearing out non-load-bearing walls, flooring, ceilings, and existing cabinetry.
Infrastructure replacement — evaluating existing plumbing, electrical capacity, ventilation and distribution with licensed trades, then replacing or upgrading systems as required by the approved scope.
Layout redesign — evaluating circulation, partitions and storage with the design team, including possible bathrooms and closets only where building policies, structural review and required approvals allow.
Premium finishes — bespoke millwork, high-grade stone surfaces, and designer lighting.
Where a project calls for it, we collaborate with licensed architects and engineers to help navigate Manhattan’s building stock, code requirements, and board or DOB filing processes.
What Makes Manhattan Gut Renovations Different
Renovating in Manhattan comes with obstacles most other markets never see. Board oversight, permitting, and building logistics each influence how a full gut renovation is planned and carried out from the first day.
Building Logistics
Management companies set firm working hours and delivery protocols, and those rules govern everything from elevator access to how materials reach the unit throughout the job.
Building Requirements
Co-op and condo review requirements vary by building, while DOB requirements depend on the work. We coordinate the construction scope with management and the responsible professionals so that these separate review needs are identified.
Project Coordination
We coordinate trade sequencing, material decisions and building access around the agreed construction scope. Review requirements and site discoveries are tracked as dependencies in the project schedule.
Manhattan Co-op Rules, Condo Approvals, and NYC Renovation Permits
Request the current alteration requirements from your co-op or condo management. Review procedures, permitted work arrangements, insurance documentation and deposits vary by building. For co-op properties, review our NYC co-op renovation rules guide. DOB applications and permits depend on the proposed work; the appropriate design professionals and licensed trades should confirm the filing route and required inspections. Read our NYC renovation permit planning guide for common review questions.
Scope of Work
What a Full Gut Renovation Covers
Demolition, mechanical systems, and finish carpentry each carry their own requirements, sequencing, and approvals.
Demolition and Structural Work
Demolition sets the stage for everything that follows. It goes well beyond knocking down walls — interiors are taken back to the studs, with old flooring, fixtures, and worn mechanical systems pulled out, while containment and dust control shield neighboring units and all debris is removed on the schedule set by building management. When the work involves structural change — removing a load-bearing wall, opening up a layout, or joining units — we bring in licensed architects and engineers to produce the calculations and stamped drawings the DOB expects.
Plumbing and Electrical System Upgrades
Existing systems vary significantly between Manhattan buildings. Before committing to upgrades, the appropriate professionals should evaluate supply and drainage piping, electrical capacity, ventilation and shared system connections. The approved project may involve new branch piping or wiring, kitchens and bathrooms remodeled within the building’s approved layout, and circuits or equipment upgrades where necessary. Permit and inspection requirements depend on the actual work. We coordinate construction information and scheduling with the responsible licensed professionals and management.
Custom Carpentry and Millwork
Once the systems are set, carpentry brings the rooms to life. Built-in storage maximizes the functionality of limited square footage, cabinetry is drawn to the exact kitchen layout, and closets are engineered to organize efficiently. Crown molding, baseboards, window casings, and door frames are matched to the architecture — and in pre-war apartments, the design may call for restoring or recreating picture rails, wainscoting and decorative moldings that suit the property’s architecture.
Renovation Inspiration
Kitchen Renovation Inspiration
Explore kitchen layouts, cabinetry, surfaces and finish details for your renovation. See Corniel Construction case studies for documented work and project-specific scope.
Residential Renovation Inspiration
Explore residential layouts, finishes and design details. For verified Corniel Construction work and building coordination, view our documented case studies.
Shower Design Inspiration
Shower design inspiration: Explore shower layouts, enclosure details and finish combinations for your renovation. These images are presented as design inspiration. Planning Your Shower Renovation Explore Manhattan bathroom remodeling services and the bathroom…
Custom Bathroom Inspiration
Bathroom design inspiration: Explore tailored bathroom layouts, materials and finishing details for your renovation. For scope-documented examples, visit our documented work.
Primary Bathroom Inspiration
Explore bathroom layouts, materials and finish details for your renovation. Review documented Corniel Construction projects for verified construction scope.
Townhouse Design Inspiration
Townhouse design inspiration: Explore townhouse interior finishes, architectural details and spatial ideas for renovation planning. For scope-documented examples, visit our documented work. Planning Your Townhouse Renovation Explore Manhattan townhouse renovation…
What We Coordinate
Why Work With Corniel on a Manhattan Full Gut Renovation?
Architectural and Engineering Coordination
We partner with licensed architects and engineers where a project needs them, covering space planning, structural review, and the technical drawings that filings and board submissions call for.
Board Submission Package
Confirm the submission requirements with your co-op or condo management. We help coordinate construction information and insurance documentation for the required package; the building determines its own review process and approval.
DOB Filings and Permits
We coordinate the construction scope with the design team and relevant licensed trades so that required filings, permits and inspections are identified for the actual work. A standard application label is not a substitute for that assessment.
Subcontractor Coordination
Plumbers, electricians, HVAC techs, flooring crews, tile setters, and painters are sequenced in the right order, with their work checked at each stage.
Building Compliance and Material Delivery
We arrange elevator reservations and observe noise-restriction hours with building management, and manage deliveries and on-site storage where space is limited.
Managing the Logistics of Manhattan Construction
Access and building coordination are part of the construction scope. Corniel Construction reviews the arrangements needed for deliveries, protection, trade access and debris handling:
- Elevator Bookings: Reserving service elevators and timing deliveries inside the narrow windows buildings permit.
- Debris Removal: Arranging carting through crowded neighborhoods like SoHo and the Financial District.
- Site Protection: Carefully shielding hallways, elevators, and common areas to the standards management sets.
- Project Management: Project coordination includes a clear point of contact, construction sequencing, communication about scope decisions and tracking issues that affect the schedule or budget.
Reviews for Corniel Construction LLC
Leor
I’ve hired Corniel Construction for new flooring, drywall/painting, vanity installations, and miscellaneous repairs. I definitely recommend them.
Barry Neal
“Corniel is amazing” — excerpt from Barry Neal’s review of a commercial office restoration. Read the published review.
Alice Lewellen
We remodeled 3 bathrooms and Ruben was amazing. Everything we asked for, he made sure we were satisfied. Even when I changed my mind or asked for an additional thing, Waldy made it happen. We could easily contact him every day, and he always responded ASAP.Waldy is very experienced and knowledgeable, even offering helpful suggestions.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does full gut mean in a Manhattan renovation proposal?
It should describe an agreed demolition and rebuild scope, not imply that every component is removed. Identify retained structural elements, shared systems, windows, equipment and finishes explicitly. The approved drawings and written inclusions and exclusions should define what is stripped out, rebuilt or protected.
What should be settled before full-gut demolition begins?
Confirm the approved demolition scope, required building authorization and permits, site protection, utility isolation, debris route and responsibility for any necessary material assessments. Identify protected or retained elements and required professional oversight. Starting demolition does not resolve an incomplete design or create permission to alter shared or structural systems.
How are concealed conditions handled after opening walls?
Document the finding and have the responsible professional assess its effect on the design and safe construction. Review any proposed scope, cost or schedule change through the agreed change-control procedure before proceeding with affected work, except immediate safety measures where necessary. A contingency is a planning allowance, not authorization for undefined extra work.
Why do inspections affect when walls can be closed?
Some work must remain accessible for required inspections, testing or professional review before concealment. Identify the applicable hold points with the design team and licensed trades when planning rough work. Closing walls too early can lead to reopening and rework; a finish schedule should follow verified readiness, not conceal unresolved requirements.
How should I compare full-gut renovation proposals?
Compare the same drawings and scope, then review demolition boundaries, trade work, protection, procurement responsibilities, allowances, exclusions, professional fees and closeout obligations. Ask how changes and concealed conditions will be documented.
How is a full-gut schedule tied to a move-in date?
Work backward from completion while separating design, approvals, long-lead procurement, demolition, rough work, required inspections and finishing. Confirm building access and outstanding selections before treating a date as reliable. Include punch-list and applicable closeout steps; substantial physical completion is not always the same milestone as final administrative closeout.
Ready to Start Your Manhattan Gut Renovation?
Planning a Manhattan full-gut renovation? Our consultation is a practical first review of fit, project scope and building constraints—not a generic price guess. Share your building or neighborhood, property type, intended scope, available drawings or photos, alteration agreement and target timeline. We can review the construction coordination required before developing a project-specific proposal.