Service area
Home Remodeling Contractor in Staten Island
On Staten Island, MMA Construction & Remodeling renovates kitchens, bathrooms, basements and full house interiors, and handles flooring, drywall and painting within the same project. About 82% of the island's housing units are in one- and two-family buildings, many of them attached houses, so most projects here are house projects planned around shared walls and the lot's flood status.
- Detached, attached and two-family houses across the island
- Refresh-or-renovate decision made early for 1970s and 1980s homes
- Flood-map and special-district checks for the exact lot
Services
Remodeling services in Staten Island
Choose a project below. Each Staten Island service page covers how that work plays out in the island's house stock, from compact baths to basements below grade.
- Kitchen remodeling · Staten Island Kitchen remodeling for Staten Island houses Refresh or full remodel decided before design, with reasons in writing
- Bathroom remodeling · Staten Island Staten Island bathroom remodeling, from refresh to full renovation Refresh-or-renovate advice based on the room's condition, in writing
- Whole-home renovation · Staten Island Home renovation on Staten Island, from refresh to full interior A written room-by-room call on refresh versus full renovation
Also in Staten Island
Process
How we run projects in Staten Island
Written scope, written proposal, permits identified up front, and one project lead from start to finish.
Conversation
You describe the home and what you want to change. We ask about budget range and timing so expectations are clear early.
Site visit and scope
We look at the space, the structure of the house and any HOA, co-op or condo rules that apply, then write a scope of work.
Design and selections
Layout, materials and fixtures are agreed in writing before work is priced in full.
Written proposal
A written price and schedule for the agreed scope. Permits and any approvals are identified at this stage.
Build
One project lead coordinates the trades and keeps you updated. Some regulated work may require appropriately licensed specialty contractors.
Walkthrough
We review the finished work with you and resolve anything outstanding.
Staten Island
What shapes a remodel here
Refresh or full renovation for 1970s and 1980s houses
About 30% of Staten Island units were built in the 1970s and 1980s, and in the Great Kills-Eltingville area 58.6% date from 1960 to 1989. In houses of that age, the first question is often whether a kitchen or bath needs new finishes and fixtures or a full gut with new supply and drain lines (see bathroom remodeling on Staten Island, from refresh to full renovation). When the answer is unclear, we scope both paths so the choice rests on a written comparison rather than guesswork. The refresh versus renovation guide sets out the trade-offs.
Attached and two-family houses
Single-family attached houses make up 25.5% of Staten Island's units and two-unit buildings another 22.5%; in Annadale-Huguenot-Prince's Bay-Woodrow, about 31% of units are in two-unit buildings. A shared wall carries noise to the neighbors, and a second household under the same roof shares shutoffs and often an entrance. Our project lead sets quiet hours, shutoff windows and a protected route through shared spaces before the start date. The two-family project brief helps owners list what each unit needs during the work.
Flood maps and the South Richmond rules
A third of the island's land lies in the South Richmond Development District, where the Zoning Resolution counts removing trees of six-inch caliper or more, regrading and drainage changes as site alterations. An interior remodel meets those rules through access: where a debris container sits, how materials reach the door, and whether a delivery path crosses the yard. Shoreline addresses add a flood-map lookup, and in a special flood hazard area a large renovation is measured against DOB's substantial-improvement threshold of 50% of the structure's market value.
Local evidence
Housing, permits and local rules in Staten Island
Research notes with sources, for planning. Not a permit determination for any property.
What the housing stock looks like
| Measure | Share of housing units |
|---|---|
| Single-family detached | 34.1% |
| Single-family attached | 25.5% |
| Two-unit buildings | 22.5% |
| Buildings with 50+ units | 5.4% |
| Built 1939 or earlier | 17.7% |
| Built in the 1970s or 1980s | 30.4% |
| Built before 1980 (approx.) | 60.0% |
About 82% of units are in one- or two-family buildings, including many attached and semi-attached houses, and about 30% were built in the 1970s and 1980s.
What that means for a remodel
- 1970s–1980s houses: these often need a kitchen or bath update rather than a full gut, so it helps to decide between a refresh and a renovation early. See refresh or full renovation on Staten Island.
- Attached and two-family houses: shared walls and a second household affect scheduling, noise and shutoffs.
- Older paint: many units still predate 1978, the cutoff for EPA lead-safe rules on paid work that disturbs paint.
Permits and licensing
Staten Island is one of the five boroughs, so building permits come from the NYC Department of Buildings, not a local office. DOB lists painting, new cabinets and floor resurfacing as examples of work that doesn't need a permit; more complex kitchen and bathroom work may need plans filed by a licensed engineer or architect. Contractors doing home improvement work in the city need a license from the NYC Department of Consumer and Worker Protection.
Flood zones
Look up the address on FEMA's Flood Map Service Center, the official public source for FEMA flood hazard information, and see the city's NYC Flood Maps page for how FEMA's maps apply in New York City. Parts of the shoreline are in mapped flood hazard areas, so check before finishing a basement or choosing flooring below grade. Flood exposure affects whether a basement is worth finishing and which materials make sense.
Neighborhood data
South Shore and mid-island areas compared
| NTA | One- or two-family buildings | One-family attached | Built 1939 or earlier | Built 1960-1989 | Built 1990 or later |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| New Dorp-Midland Beach | 90.0% | 27.0% | 19.9% | 34.9% | 25.8% |
| Great Kills-Eltingville | 96.0% | 37.0% | 7.2% | 58.6% | 23.6% |
| Tottenville-Charleston | 91.6% | 19.1% | 22.6% | 23.1% | 48.1% |
| Annadale-Huguenot-Prince's Bay-Woodrow | 98.7% | 19.7% | 6.3% | 45.3% | 42.8% |
These areas are all mostly houses, but their ages differ. In Great Kills-Eltingville, most units date from the 1960s to the 1980s and more than a third are attached houses. There, deciding between a refresh and a renovation, and planning around shared walls, usually come first (see cosmetic refresh vs full renovation). New Dorp-Midland Beach has a broader mix, with about one unit in five built before 1940. Tottenville-Charleston splits between pre-1940 and post-1990 houses.
In Annadale-Huguenot-Prince's Bay-Woodrow, nearly every unit is in a one- or two-family building, and about 31% are in two-unit buildings, the highest share in this table. A second household in the same house is a common planning factor there; see the two-family home project brief. Few units predate 1940. The area shares the South Richmond tree and grading rules described below: city lot data tags 12,681 of its 12,832 lots with that district.
Three special zoning districts
A City Planning background paper (April 2020) describes three Staten Island special districts. The South Richmond Development District (1975) covers South Shore neighborhoods, including Tottenville, Charleston, Great Kills, Eltingville, Annadale and Prince's Bay. The Special Natural Area District (1974) covers the island's central hills, such as Todt Hill, Emerson Hill and Lighthouse Hill, plus Shore Acres. The Special Hillsides Preservation District (1987) covers north shore neighborhoods. A 2023 City Planning summary says one-third of Staten Island's land area is in the South Richmond district.
In the South Richmond district, the Zoning Resolution defines a site alteration to include removing trees of six-inch caliper or more, regrading, excavating and drainage changes, whether or not a DOB permit is needed. An interior project can touch these rules through access and staging. Check before any plan disturbs a tree or the grade, and confirm district status for the exact lot.
Emerson Hill is in the Special Natural Area District (NA-1), not the Hillsides district. The Zoning Resolution names Emerson Hill, with Todt Hill, Dongan Hills, Lighthouse Hill and the Central Wetlands Area, in NA-1. City lot data tags 2,415 lots in the Todt Hill-Emerson Hill-Lighthouse Hill-Manor Heights statistical area with NA-1 and none with the Hillsides code. For an interior project the practical point is the same as in South Richmond: don't plan access, staging or a debris container that would disturb trees, slopes or rock without checking with City Planning for the exact lot.
Landmark status and large renovations in flood areas
The Landmarks Preservation Commission says to search the address on its Discover NYC Landmarks map. For a designated property, it says an LPC permit is needed before DOB can act on the DOB application.
For alterations in special flood hazard areas, a DOB rule treats work costing 50% or more of the structure's market value as a substantial improvement, and every alteration application must say whether the work is one. If the flood-map lookup puts your address in a mapped area and the scope is large, settle this with a design professional early.
Neighborhood pages and what this page covers
Tottenville has its own planning page. It covers planning by house age, individually designated landmarks and access under the South Richmond tree and grading rules.
Great Kills, New Dorp and other neighborhoods are covered by this page. Great Kills shares the South Richmond rules with Tottenville, and its distinct feature, a 1960s-1980s attached-house stock, is shown in the table above. The city's statistical area combines New Dorp with Midland Beach, and no New Dorp-specific source changed the planning steps here. A neighborhood name doesn't change who issues permits: on Staten Island that is NYC DOB. Annadale and Emerson Hill are also covered here. Annadale's distinct feature, a high share of two-family houses, is in the table above, and its zoning module is the same South Richmond district Tottenville covers. Emerson Hill's natural-area rules are shared with Todt Hill, Lighthouse Hill and Dongan Hills, so they're explained once, above.
Before you hire
Before you hire in Staten Island
Whoever you hire, check these before you sign. They apply to us too.
- License and complaints: New York City requires a DCWP Home Improvement Contractor license for work costing more than $200 on a residential building. Check it by calling 311 or with DCWP's license check, and ask 311 for a "Business Background Check".
- Written scope and contract: signed by both of you, with a copy before work starts. It should list what is included and excluded, each allowance in dollars, how changes are priced and approved, and who files which permits. DCWP advises paying no more than 25% upfront, never in cash.
- Insurance: ask for the contractor's certificate of insurance.
- Basements and ground floors: if the work is at or below grade, ask how the flood-map lookup for the address is handled before materials are chosen.
Permits
Who issues building permits
Permits for the five boroughs are issued by NYC DOB. Listed plumbing work requires a Licensed Master Plumber, and contractors need a NYC DCWP home improvement license.
Talk through your remodel in Staten Island
Call or email us to talk it through and arrange a consultation.
Questions
Remodeling in Staten Island: questions
Can one contractor handle a kitchen, two baths and new floors in the same house?
Does a South Richmond address affect an interior-only project?
I live in Emerson Hill or Todt Hill. Do the same zoning rules apply?
Blog
Planning articles
- Whole-home planning · Draft Renovating a two-family home: separate the two project briefs Two units mean two sets of rooms, decisions and occupants. Writing them down separately, with a third list for what the units share, keeps the scope readable for everyone who prices or plans it.
- Whole-home planning · Draft How to prepare a useful renovation photo brief A short, organized set of photos and captions explains how you use a room and what you want answered. It starts a conversation; it is not a survey or a condition report.
Sources
- B25024 Units in Structure, Richmond County (Staten Island), ACS 2024 1-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau via Census Reporter (2025 (ACS 2024 1-year release)). Accessed 2026-11-02.
- B25034 Year Structure Built, Richmond County (Staten Island), ACS 2024 1-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau via Census Reporter (2025 (ACS 2024 1-year release)). Accessed 2026-11-02.
- Renovating Kitchens & Bathrooms, NYC Department of Buildings. Accessed 2026-11-02.
- Do I Need a Permit?, NYC Department of Buildings. Accessed 2026-11-02.
- License Checklist: Home Improvement Contractor, NYC Department of Consumer and Worker Protection. Accessed 2026-11-02.
- NYC Flood Hazard Mapper, NYC Department of City Planning. Accessed 2026-11-02.
- FEMA Flood Map Service Center, Federal Emergency Management Agency. Accessed 2026-11-02.
- NYC Flood Maps, City of New York. Accessed 2026-11-02.
- Lead Renovation, Repair and Painting Program Rules, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. Accessed 2026-11-02.
- 2020 Neighborhood Tabulation Areas (NTAs), NYC Department of City Planning via NYC Open Data (dataset (2020 NTA definitions)). Accessed 2026-11-08.
- 2020 Census Tracts to 2020 NTAs and CDTAs Equivalency, NYC Department of City Planning via NYC Open Data (rows updated 2021-09-20). Accessed 2026-11-08.
- B25024 Units in Structure and B25034 Year Structure Built, census tracts, ACS 2024 5-year (2020-2024), U.S. Census Bureau via Census Reporter API (ACS 2024 5-year release (acs2024_5yr)). Accessed 2026-11-08.
- Zoning Resolution Article X Chapter 7: Special South Richmond Development District (107-00 General Purposes; 107-01 Definitions; 107-02, 107-03), NYC Department of City Planning / City Planning Commission (107-00 last amended 2024-08-15; 107-01 last amended 2024-12-05; PDF generated 2026-11-08). Accessed 2026-11-08.
- Staten Island Special Districts: Background and Goals (DRAFT), NYC Department of City Planning (April 2020 (marked DRAFT)). Accessed 2026-11-08.
- South Richmond Zoning Relief: Special South Richmond Development District, Proposal Summary, NYC Department of City Planning (March 2023). Accessed 2026-11-08.
- Zoning Resolution 105-94 Special Natural Area Districts Specified, NYC Department of City Planning / City Planning Commission (105-941 last amended 1977-06-23; 105-942 last amended 1975-05-21; 105-943 last amended 1977-12-01; PDF generated 2026-11-08). Accessed 2026-11-08.
- Landmark Status Letter, NYC Landmarks Preservation Commission (undated (notes a change effective 2023-03-06)). Accessed 2026-11-08.
- 1 RCNY 3606-01 Alteration applications; determinations of market value and substantial improvement (promulgated amendment), NYC Department of Buildings (amendment effective 2026-03-21 (original rule effective 2008-07-14)). Accessed 2026-11-08.
- Primary Land Use Tax Lot Output (PLUTO), version 26v2, NYC Department of City Planning via NYC Open Data (version 26v2 (rows updated 2026-08-24)). Accessed 2026-11-08.
- Hiring a Home Improvement Contractor, NYC Department of Consumer and Worker Protection. Accessed 2026-11-09.
- Check License Status, NYC Department of Consumer and Worker Protection. Accessed 2026-11-09.
Planning a remodel in Staten Island?
Call or email us to talk it through and arrange a consultation.