Our Pricing Methodology
Costs You Can Understand (and Control)
With more than 2 million homes in New York City, no two projects are ever the same. There are many variables that will affect your project’s cost—our job is to help you understand them so you can make informed decisions.
Unlike traditional renovations, Bolster does your project’s pricing and pre-construction diligence upfront. From the first sketch to the final handshake, our homeowners know the cost of every line item and have full visibility into their project’s milestones. The end result is a zero-risk construction process, backed by our Bolster Promise.
Financially Accountable
From the initial site visit through to the start of construction, our team of experts will carry out financial and build methods due diligence on your property, and the design of your project will evolve from a ‘10,000-feet’ idea to a finished home. That’s why it is important to for us to guide you through an iterative design and pricing process: as we gain more design information, we are able to provide better construction pricing accuracy, culminating in a 100% fixed-price cost for your project.
Top 4 Impacts on Project Cost
Size
This is the scale of your project. Think in terms of how many square feet you are renovating, not how many square feet comprise your home’s footprint. Bolster’s apartment renovations average 1,300 sq. ft. while our townhouse/brownstones average 3,200 sq. ft. More square footage = more cost!
Complexity
We think of complexity in terms of the level of specialized design, engineering, and build intricacy that go into your project. If your project has simple design with direct replacement and no structural work, it’s likely low-complexity. If your project requires complicated engineering and logistics, it’s likely high complexity.
Scope
Scope refers to the amount of work to be done. Scope can range from small (cosmetic changes, e.g. refinishing floors, surfaces, painting and tiling), to medium (changes to finishes, e.g. replacing flooring), to large (changes to infrastructure, e.g. full mechanical upgrades, adding bathrooms or fully reconfiguring layouts).
Quality
We stand by our standard high quality across all projects. Not all budgets are the same: that’s why we have categorized finishes ranging from Standard, in which the quality of the finish is a ‘smart choice’ and reliant on big-box store-sourced items (e.g. cabinetry and MDF) to Upscale, in which the quality of finish and selections are taken up a notch the highest possible grade.
Average Renovation Costs
$350-$500+ PSF
Partial Renovation
Avg. SF 1,200 I Co-Op/Condo or Partial Brownstone
This type of renovation leans towards cosmetic and is driven by design selections. It mixes low-complexity layout changes with high-quality finishes. For example, a typical project may require an in-place bathroom or kitchen renovation with no moving of waste or supply lines, light switches, or outlets; and a fresh new look.
$450-$750+ PSF
Gut Reno | Apartment
Avg. SF 1,800 I Co-Op/Condo
This type of project includes the full works from standard to upscale quality, such as a full kitchen and bathroom renovation with new electrical and plumbing, layout change, new HVAC installation, window replacement, carpentry, and new finishes and flooring throughout. The price PSF will largely depend on the mechanical aspects to be renovated, layout changes quality finishes of stone, and millwork.
$500-$750+ PSF
Gut Reno | Single-Family
Avg. SF 3,000+| Townhouse/Brownstone
This type of project is often times high-complexity. It can involve a full revamp of an estate-condition brownstone or townhouse, including full HVAC, full layout change, complete gut of kitchen and bathrooms, new flooring, new windows, and possibly a deck or extension. The price PSF can increase depending on the finishes & type of use.
The Bolster Promise
We deliver your project successfully for a single up-front fixed price. To date, Bolster has absorbed $600K of costs that our homeowners would have otherwise incurred had they renovated with a traditional firm.
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