New cabinets and a fresh coat of paint usually need no permit. Moving a gas line, adding circuits or taking out a wall usually does. Kitchens also involve gas, which has its own rules about who may touch it. Here is how the NYC Department of Buildings (DOB) treats the common parts of a kitchen job.
Cabinets, countertops and finishes
The DOB’s guide to whether a project needs a permit lists installing new cabinets, painting, plastering and resurfacing floors as work that does not need a permit. The contractor who installs your cabinets must still hold a Home Improvement Contractor license from the Department of Consumer and Worker Protection.
Gas lines and gas appliances
Gas work is plumbing work in New York City, and it must be done by a Licensed Master Plumber or plumbers working under one. The DOB’s rules for residential alterations split it into three levels:
- Ordinary repairs. Replacing or relocating gas piping and equipment within the allowed limits needs no permit, but must be done by a Licensed Master Plumber, who reports the work to the DOB each month.
- Limited alterations. A master plumber can install new gas piping as a limited alteration, within a cost limit of $35,000 per building in any 12 months, including appliances and labor.
- Bigger changes. Beyond those limits, a registered architect or engineer has to file permit documents. The DOB’s page on renovating kitchens and bathrooms gives rerouting gas pipes as an example of work that needs an Alteration Type 2 (ALT2) application.
Never let a handyman or a general contractor disconnect or move a gas line. Ask the plumber for their license number and check it.
Sinks and dishwashers
Replacing plumbing fixtures is on the DOB’s list of work that does not need a permit, but plumbing work still has to be done by a Licensed Master Plumber. Adding new fixtures or connections can be a limited alteration by a master plumber. The DOB’s residential rules allow five or fewer in any 12 months before a design professional has to file.
New circuits and outlets
Kitchens often need new circuits for a dishwasher, microwave or induction range. The DOB says electrical work needs its own electrical permit for most jobs, and must be done by an electrical contractor licensed by the Department of Buildings. Adding electrical outlets is also one of the DOB’s examples of renovation work that needs an ALT2.
Range hoods and ventilation
Ductwork is specialized work in the DOB’s rules. The DOB describes a ventilation system as permit-exempt when it does not go through any fire division, wall, floor or roof. A hood that vents outside goes through a wall, so ask your contractor whether yours needs a permit, and in a co-op, ask the building too.
Opening up the kitchen
Removing a wall to open the kitchen is where permits matter most. Moving a load-bearing wall needs an ALT2 filed by a licensed engineer or architect. Even a wall that looks non-structural may hide gas, plumbing or wiring, so have a professional check before anyone starts demolition.
If you live in a co-op or condo
Your building has its own rules for kitchen work, on top of the city’s, especially for anything involving gas or plumbing. Get them from the managing agent before you collect quotes. Our guide to co-op alteration agreements in Riverdale explains the usual steps.
Before you hire
- Ask the contractor to tell you in writing which permits the job needs, and who will file them.
- Check every license. Our guide shows how to check a contractor’s license in NYC.
- Planning a bathroom too? See which bathroom work needs a permit.
This guide is general information, not legal advice. For your project, ask a licensed engineer or architect, or your DOB borough office.
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