Layout changes
Change walls, doorways, and stairs to connect shared rooms or create private spaces.
Home Renovations
Make Your Home Work Better
Open up shared rooms, add a bedroom or office, and improve storage. A whole-home renovation lets you plan those changes together and update old plumbing, wiring, heating, and cooling before new finishes go in.
We work with you and your architect or designer to review the layout and construction. We can also compare renovating all at once with working in phases.
Privacy, Storage, and Room Layouts
New rooms need to fit the way you move through your home. We work with your architect or designer to coordinate doorways, windows, storage, and utility routes around the proposed layout.
In an open loft, partitions can add privacy while keeping daylight in shared living areas. Mezzanines and structural changes need review with the appropriate design professionals.
Whole-Home Renovation Work
We renovate rooms, layouts, and building systems together. Your project can include:
Kitchens
Install cabinets, counters, appliances, lighting, ventilation, and utility connections.
Bathrooms
Build the layout, plumbing, waterproofing, ventilation, tile, and fixtures.
Bedrooms, offices, and storage
Build bedrooms, workspaces, closets, and built-in storage in homes and lofts.
Basements and attics
Assess the height, access, utilities, and approvals needed for your intended use.
Plumbing, electrical, heating, and cooling
Update older systems for the renovated layout.
Floors, walls, doors, and trim
Repair or replace finishes and connect them to the rooms you are keeping.
Exterior improvements
Coordinate windows, doors, roofing, facade, or yard work with the renovation.
Connected Living Spaces
Removing partitions connected the kitchen with the adjoining rooms.
Structural Improvements
New footings and floor framing supported the renovated first floor.
How We Renovate Your Home
We plan the renovation with you, then manage the construction and keep you informed.
- 01
Discovery Call
We discuss the rooms you want to change and your budget expectations. You can contact us before you know what the renovation should cost.
- 02
Review Your Home
We discuss layout possibilities, then visit the property to review the rooms, visible conditions, and building systems.
- 03
Scope, Budget, and Agreement
We develop the scope and estimate, explain allowances and exclusions, and agree on key milestones. We sign the construction agreement before proceeding.
- 04
Design and Preparation
We work with your architect or designer, or help you engage one. We submit permit applications, obtain the approvals needed to begin construction, and arrange material orders. We also plan site protection and household accommodations with you.
- 05
Construction and Updates
We coordinate the trades and inspections and check the work as the rooms take shape. We send regular photo updates, keep you informed about the schedule, and explain the cost and timing of changes before you approve them.
- 06
Walkthrough and Closeout
We walk the finished space with you, prepare a punch list of any requested changes, and resolve them. We organize the applicable closeout documents.
Living Through a Whole-Home Renovation
We discuss which rooms and utilities will be unavailable before construction begins.
- 01
Cooking, bathing, and sleeping
We review the rooms your household needs and discuss alternative accommodations if they will be unavailable.
- 02
Decisions and orders
We tell you when layout and product decisions are needed so you do not have to choose everything at once.
- 03
Access and protection
We plan work zones, deliveries, debris removal, and protection for rooms that remain in use.
Home Renovation Questions
Should I renovate the whole home at once or in phases?
It depends on your budget, living arrangements, and how the rooms and systems connect. One larger project can avoid repeated setup and finish work. Phasing spreads the work out, but may keep your home under construction longer.
Do I need an architect?
Structural changes and major layout or utility work may require an architect or engineer. We work with your existing design team or help you engage the professionals your project needs.
Can I live at home during the renovation?
Sometimes. We review which rooms will be unavailable and whether water, power, heating, or cooling will be interrupted. We discuss alternative accommodations if the home cannot meet your household’s needs during the work.
How long does a whole-home renovation take?
The scope, required approvals, and material lead times determine the schedule. We prepare it for your project and update you when new conditions or changes affect the timing.
How can you help me work out a budget?
We discuss the rooms you want to improve and compare layout and finish options with you. We explain how those choices affect the cost, then prepare an estimate with allowances for finishes you wish to select. You can begin that conversation without a settled budget.
Does Bau handle permit applications?
Yes. We coordinate the required drawings with licensed professionals, submit permit applications, and work with the reviewing agencies to obtain the necessary approvals before construction begins.
Where do you work?
We renovate homes in Manhattan, Brooklyn, Queens, the Bronx, the Lower Hudson Valley, and northern New Jersey.
Can a loft keep its open character?
Yes, the layout can retain shared open areas while adding private rooms. We review daylight, storage, sound, and temperature with you and your design team before walls or mezzanines are planned.
