MHI Renovation Services Inc handles home remodeling in Mount Vernon, NY from our base at 48 Edgewood Ave in Yonkers, directly across the shared city line. We remodel kitchens and baths, finish basements, install flooring, build additions, and do masonry in Mount Vernon’s prewar houses and multi-family buildings. Call (914) 656-0885.
Mount Vernon Homes Are Old, and That Changes the Work
The City of Mount Vernon reports that 57% of its housing units were built in 1949 or earlier. Only 5.7% went up after 1990. Renovating here means opening an old building, not finishing a new one.
The age shows up at demolition. Houses from this period typically have plaster and wood lath instead of drywall, so new wiring and plumbing must be chased into solid walls and patched back. Cast iron waste stacks and galvanized supply lines are still in service in many of them, and stairs often run narrower than modern tubs and cabinets.
Age also triggers a federal rule. Homes built before 1978 fall under the EPA’s Renovation, Repair and Painting Program, which governs how painted surfaces are disturbed and contained. Here that covers most jobs.
How the Mount Vernon Permit Process Runs
Permits go through the Mount Vernon Department of Buildings at 1 Roosevelt Square N, which also issues certificates of occupancy.
Counter hours are narrow: Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday, 9:00 AM to 3:00 PM, with Wednesday closed to the public. Staff accept an application only once documents are complete, then queue it for the Plans Examiner in the order received. One missing document costs most of a week.
Fees the city publishes for an existing one- or two-family dwelling, not a quote from us:
- Building or electrical permit: $125 filing fee plus $10 per $1,000 of estimated cost
- Plumbing permit: $125 filing fee plus $15 per fixture
- Residential certificate of occupancy: $200, plus $100 per dwelling unit
Current forms sit on the city’s applications and fees page.
The Architectural Review Board Can Move Your Start Date
Mount Vernon’s City Council created an Architectural Review Board in 1961 under Article 5, Section 96-a of New York State General Municipal Law. Five members review construction materials, building design and style, then issue a Certificate of Appropriateness.
Most kitchen and bath work never reaches the board. Exterior changes can.
You do not apply by choice. The referral comes from the Building Department when the Plan Examiner’s Report calls for it. Applications then go through the city’s OpenGov portal at least 28 days before the meeting date, and you post notice on the property.
The calendar catches people. The board meets roughly monthly but holds no meetings in August and none in December, so a facade change referred in midsummer can wait until late September to be heard. We flag that risk during the estimate rather than after demolition starts.
Dumpsters and Curb Space in 4.4 Square Miles
Mount Vernon covers 4.4 square miles and ranks as the second most densely populated city in New York State. The New York Industrial Home Association No. 1, a building cooperative for tradesmen and people of small means, laid out its early lots before the village incorporated in 1853.
Small lots with tight side yards follow. On many properties nothing fits beside the house, so staging moves into the public right of way, which the Department of Public Works controls. A written permit from the Commissioner of Public Works covers placing a dumpster on public property, erecting scaffolding, obstructing or opening a street or sidewalk, and lowering a curb. Tree removal needs more than 20 business days of notice. Applications run through the city’s online permit portal.
What Gets Renovated, by Part of the City
The Metro-North New Haven Line splits Mount Vernon into a North Side and a South Side. The North Side holds Fleetwood, Chester Heights, Huntswood, Oakwood Heights and Estate Manor/Aubyn Estates. The South Side, with Parkside and Vernon Park, runs to multi-family houses and apartment buildings. Mount Vernon Heights, carrying the Sandford Boulevard corridor, earned the nickname “the rolling hills of homes.”
City figures put 18% of units in two-to-four unit structures and roughly 48% in buildings of five or more. Each renovates differently.
- Two-to-four family houses. Work happens in an occupied building. We stage one unit at a time and protect shared stairs and halls.
- Co-op apartments. Board alteration approval and building rules typically come before the city permit, and they set working hours and elevator access.
- Hillside lots. Grade change drives retaining walls, front steps and drainage, all masonry that has to move water away from an old foundation.
Services We Provide in Mount Vernon
Julian Martelly founded MHI Renovation Services Inc in Yonkers in 2008 as a licensed and insured General Contractor. We serve Mount Vernon from Yonkers and keep no office here. Work covers kitchen remodeling, bathrooms, basement finishing and apartment conversion, flooring, masonry, additions, and general contracting. Check any contractor you hire through Westchester County Consumer Protection.
Mount Vernon Renovation Questions
Do I need a permit to remodel a kitchen or bathroom in Mount Vernon?
Yes, almost always. The Mount Vernon Department of Buildings requires an alteration permit plus separate electrical and plumbing permits. For an existing one- or two-family home the city posts a $125 filing fee plus $10 per $1,000 of estimated cost. We prepare the application and carry it through Plans Examiner review.
Will my project have to go before the Architectural Review Board?
Only if the Plan Examiner’s Report calls for it. The ARB reviews construction materials, building design and style, then issues a Certificate of Appropriateness. Applications go through OpenGov at least 28 days before a meeting, and the board skips August and December. A midsummer referral can push your start into fall.
Does MHI Renovation work in Mount Vernon, and how far away are you?
Yes. We work from 48 Edgewood Ave in Yonkers, directly across the shared city line, so Fleetwood, Chester Heights, Mount Vernon Heights and the South Side are short runs for our crews. That keeps arrival times steady and makes punch-list return visits practical. Call (914) 656-0885 to arrange a walkthrough.
Start Your Mount Vernon Project
Tell us what you want changed. We will walk the house, flag what a building of that age may hide, and explain which permits apply. Call (914) 656-0885 or request a quote online. We answer Monday to Friday, 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM, and Saturday, 9:00 AM to 3:00 PM. See our full service areas.