Hollis general contractor

Most of Hollis is detached wood-frame and brick houses on individual lots, built between the 1920s and the 1950s, so almost every project is a renovation or an addition rather than ground-up construction. A general contractor here usually starts by reading what an older house is actually made of: balloon framing, plaster over wood lath, knob-and-tube wiring that may still be live in pockets, and original footings that were never sized for a second story or a rear bump-out. That assessment drives the schedule and the budget before a single permit is filed.

The larger lots on the south side of Hollis are what make additions realistic here, but they come with their own approval realities. Side-yard and rear-yard setbacks, lot coverage, and floor area ratio all get checked against the R2 and R3 zoning that covers much of the neighborhood, and the New York City Department of Buildings reviews the filing before work can begin. As the general contractor we coordinate the architect or expediter, file the Alt-1 or Alt-2 application that fits the scope, and keep the job moving through plan examination, permit issuance, and the inspections that follow.

Kitchen renovations are the other constant in Hollis, and they are rarely as simple as new cabinets. Opening a wall between a 1940s kitchen and dining room often means relocating plumbing stacks, upgrading the electrical panel, and rerouting gas, each of which touches a separate trade and sometimes a separate permit. Running it as one managed project, rather than a string of separate handymen, is what keeps the sequence right and the inspections passing the first time.