Archinect
anchor

need advise: changing from 2-family to 3 or more family in NYC

raymond499

Hi all,

I just purchased a property in Queens, NY. 
it is a two family house in a R5 zoning.  lot size (26 x 100) building size 22 x 62

i want to convert its walk-in basement to a legal family.

what is the minimum floor height required?

please advise

M L.

 
Jan 29, 15 10:06 pm

Consulting starts at $250 an hour plus expenses. A retainer of $2,500 will be sufficient to begin work.

Jan 29, 15 10:11 pm  · 
 · 
gruen

SERIOUS ADVICE HERE. Hire an architect local to you. 

Jan 29, 15 10:14 pm  · 
 · 
awaiting_deletion

Hire an architect.

Jan 29, 15 11:26 pm  · 
 · 
x-jla

there are three things that you DO NOT want on the cheap

1. sushi

2. tattoos

3. architecture advice 

Jan 29, 15 11:32 pm  · 
 · 

4. Hookers. 

Jan 29, 15 11:56 pm  · 
 · 
Non Sequitur

5. whiskey

Jan 30, 15 8:30 am  · 
 · 
null pointer

Real suggestion: Go to thumbtack.com and get ready to pay a good hourly rate. It will be worth it. There's a few of us that can help, but I'd prefer to be compensated for years of training.

 

Good luck!

Jan 30, 15 8:33 am  · 
 · 
fulcrum

somewhere between 2" and 50'

Jan 30, 15 9:06 am  · 
 · 
gruen

More serious advice - the question isn't just about ceiling height, it's about all the other things you'll need to do to convert a 2 family into a 3 family. This *probably* includes (but is not limited to):

- fire sprinklers

- hardwired/interconnected smoke detectors

- fire alarm pull system

- additional services (electrical, gas, plumbing)

- parking requirements

- variance if the lot is too small, or for other reasons

- additional egress from the level, such as stairs and/or egress windows

...and of course, if your ceiling is too low, then what?

to answer your question (without actually doing the research) you'll need something like a 6'-8" to 7'-6" ceiling, depending on the LOCAL requirements. This is why I'm suggesting you hire a local architect to help sort out all the requirements. 

Expect to pay some $$ to get these questions answered. 

Jan 30, 15 1:33 pm  · 
 · 

Block this user


Are you sure you want to block this user and hide all related comments throughout the site?

Archinect


This is your first comment on Archinect. Your comment will be visible once approved.

  • ×Search in: