Your first building. We run the job.
You bought a lot and you don’t know where to start. We manage your job from the first walk to the certificate of occupancy, with licensed partner trades doing the work.
Zoning by address
What can go on your lot?
Type the address. We pull the zoning and the lot size from New York City’s public data in a few seconds.
Next: what can you build here?
Rough number of apartments, a building cost range and a timeline for your lot. Our calculator is in the works. Until then, we run those numbers with you on the first walk.
Who we work for
You own the property. You’ve never built before.
Sound familiar?
- I have the lot and the money. I don’t know who to call first.
- Same drawings, three contractors, three prices. Which one is real?
- I have a day job. I can’t stand on the site every morning.
- If it goes over budget, the bank won’t cover it. I will.
If that sounds like you, we run the job for you. You make the decisions. We handle everything between them.
- 1–10 units
- New building
- First-time owners
How it works
From the lot to the certificate of occupancy.
Six steps. Under each one is what we take off your plate.
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01 / 06
The lot
Free zoning check, then the first walk · $1,500
Check your lot’s zoning free, right on this page. Then we walk the property with you and tell you straight what building on it takes, before you pay for drawings. The $1,500 is credited to your job if you hire us within 90 days.
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02 / 06
Drawings
Design team
We bring in the architect and engineers and keep every drawing tied to your budget, so the building you approve is one you can afford to build.
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03 / 06
Permits
Filings and approvals
Your architect or engineer files the plans with the Department of Buildings, and your licensed partner pulls the work permits. We track every filing, objection and approval, and chase whatever is stuck so your schedule doesn’t sit.
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04 / 06
Pricing
Partner trades
We price the job with licensed partner trades, line by line, and go through every number with you before anything is signed.
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05 / 06
Build
Job management
We run the site: schedule, trades, deliveries, quality, and the inspections along the way. You get a report after every site walk instead of ten phone calls.
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06 / 06
Closeout
Sign-offs and certificate of occupancy
We line up the final inspections and sign-offs, track the certificate of occupancy until it is issued, and hand over the building with its paperwork in one place.
What we know
The hard parts of a small New York building.
We have sat in the developer’s chair ourselves, and we have run the trades. This is what we know cold.
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Foundations next to neighbors
Underpinning, new slabs and below-grade waterproofing, on lots where the building next door is inches away.
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Steel, metal joists, brick
Structural steel, metal studs and joists, and brick walls, built to the engineer’s drawings and passed by special inspectors.
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The Department of Buildings
Filings, permits, after-hours variances, inspections and sign-offs, all the way to the certificate of occupancy.
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Your money and your lender
Budgets, change orders negotiated line by line, construction-loan draws and lender walkthroughs, lien waivers at closeout.
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Electrical and MEP from the inside
We have run an electrical and MEP contracting company. We price and check those trades, not just pass them along.
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Finishes that sell units
Marble and natural stone, Venetian plaster, tadelakt, skylights and custom millwork, sourced and installed right.
On your phone
You see every site walk on your phone.
You get a report after every site walk, with every photo and every open item. You never have to call to ask how it’s going.
We run our jobs on Vessel, our own app. walkvessel.com
- Foundation waterproofingDoneFinished and photographed before backfill.
- Second-floor metal joistsOpenInspection booked Thursday morning.
- Window deliveryOpenSupplier moved it to the 22nd. Rough openings checked; sequence adjusted.
- Gas serviceOpenWaiting on the utility. Next follow-up Friday.
What’s changing, 2025–2027
New York’s rules moved. Your budget should too.
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No gas in new buildings
New buildings under 7 storeys, including 1–2 family homes, must heat, cook and make hot water without gas. Plan the electric service from day one. City law
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A new energy code
Jobs filed from 30 March 2026 follow the 2025 Energy Code: more energy calculations, envelope detail and testing. Buildings Department
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More homes on your lot
City of Yes zoning cut parking rules near transit, allows smaller apartments, and lets 1–2 family homes add an extra unit. Every lot is different. City Planning
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A tax break for 6–10 unit rentals
485-x gives 10 years of property-tax relief outside Manhattan if half the homes are rent stabilized. You must register within 6 months of starting construction. Housing agency
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Sidewalk sheds: 90-day permits
Shed permits now last 90 days and must be renewed. A shed for a permitted new building is spared the new progress reports. Buildings Department
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Renting it out
Since June 2025 the owner pays the broker the owner hires. New buildings stay outside Good Cause Eviction for 30 years after their certificate of occupancy. Housing agency
Summaries of official city pages, checked 14 November 2026. Not legal advice; we confirm what applies to your lot.
Working with us
Straight answers from one person who knows your job.
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People who run jobs
We come from construction management and preconstruction in New York City. We know where first jobs lose time and money, and we plan around it from the first walk.
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No surprises
Costs, delays, inspection results: you hear them from us first, the same day, with your options laid out. Then you decide.
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One point of contact
One person runs your job and answers your calls, from the first walk to the keys. You never chase five trades for one answer.
Start here
Tell us about your property.
Bought a lot and don’t know where to start? Send us a few lines. We read every email and write back to set up a call.
How we charge. The zoning check on this page is free. The first walk is $1,500, credited if you hire us within 90 days. After that, one fixed fee, quoted in writing after the walk. Never a cut of your construction cost.
- Address or borough
- Lot size, if you know it
- How many units you want
- Your budget range
- When you want to start
Or write to office@yk11estates.com