What You Need to Know About Adding a Bathroom in New York City

Even with space at a premium in New York City, it is possible to add a second or third bathroom to your Co-Op, condo or house with the help of a permit expediter.

Step #1: Hire a Permit Expediter

Before you develop a concept for your bathroom addition, it’s a good idea to hire a permit expediter because expeditors do much more than filling out permit application paperwork.

Permit expediting services also include violation and property research and planning services. This means an expeditor can resolve existing code violations before they hold up your project and draw up plans that follow the latest updates in building code and zoning laws.

Step #2: Get Co-op or Condo Board Approval

Many co-op and condo bathroom additions can alter a building’s water pressure and existing electrical systems, or may require an expensive ventilation system. Depending on the age and design of your building, some boards may be hesitant to approve a new bathroom.

As mentioned before, permit expeditors offer drafting services and planning research via their networks of licensed architects and plumbers.

Your board may want to refer you to an engineer, but since boards are notoriously resistant to change in NYC, it’s in your interest to hire an unbiased third-party vendor. A well-researched blueprint that covers all the legal bases can give you a leg-up on persuading co-op or condo board members to approve your bathroom addition.

Step #3: Use a Permit Expediter to Find Registered Contractors and Licensed Plumbers

Permit expeditors are one the best resources for finding reputable contractors in New York City.

Whether you live in Queens, Brooklyn, Manhattan, the Bronx, or Staten Island a permit expeditor will know licensed contractors and plumbers in your neighborhood with the required liability and workers compensation insurance.

Expediters also follow-up with the Department of Buildings once your project is complete to insure the plumber completes all job orders appropriately. This is important because when you sell your property, you’ll experience a smoother sale if there are no costly open applications to deal with at your closing.

Step #4: Permits and Construction

Now that your bathroom-addition plans are free and clear of violations and drafted up to code by licensed professionals you’re ready to file for permits and start construction.

This is what expeditors do best of course. They step in to register your job with the New York City Department of Buildings and expedite the issuance of your construction and plumbing permits so you can spend your time doing something way more fun – like picking out a shower curtain.

Try using a permit expeditor like S & M Expediting as a one-stop point of contact for your entire bathroom addition project – from start to finish!