Hillcrest home additions

Most of Hillcrest sits in lower-density residence districts, which means the size of any addition is governed less by your ambition than by FAR, required yards, and lot coverage limits. On a typical detached Hillcrest lot you usually have a permitted FAR in the range that allows a meaningful rear extension or a full second story, but you have to keep the required front and rear yards clear and stay under the lot-coverage cap. Before we draw anything, we pull your lot dimensions and zoning so the design lands inside the as-of-right envelope and avoids a variance.

For detached houses, a rear extension or a second-story addition is usually the most feasible move because side yards and rear yards are generous enough to absorb the footprint or the added height. Attached and semi-attached homes are tighter: shared party walls and narrow lots make bump-outs and rear extensions more realistic than wide expansions, and a dormer or second story often delivers more usable square footage than pushing the footprint. Where the lot and zoning allow, a detached or garage-conversion ADU can add a separate unit under New York City's accessory dwelling rules.

The process runs through the NYC Department of Buildings. We handle the survey, the architect's plans, the zoning analysis, and the DOB filing, then build to the approved set and close out the permit with a sign-off. For most Hillcrest additions that means a clear path through Alt-1 or Alt-2 filing without a trip to the Board of Standards and Appeals, as long as the design stays as-of-right.