The board approval process — what we handle so you don't
The reason apartment electrical work feels harder than house work in NYC isn't the electricity — it's the building. Here's the process, and our role in each step: See detailed 2026 cost ranges →
What typically doesn't need approval: like-for-like replacements at existing locations — swapping outlets, switches, and fixtures on existing circuits. We confirm against your proprietary lease or house rules, but these are usually same-week jobs with zero paperwork.
What typically does: anything involving new wiring, new circuits, panel work, or opening walls. That triggers the alteration agreement — and the document package your board and managing agent will require:
- Scope of work letter, written specifically (vague scopes get rejected; ours don't)
- Our master license and insurance certificates, with your building named as additional insured at the limits your building requires
- DOB permit documentation, since boards want proof the work will be legal
- Load letter from a licensed engineer, where the building requires one — we coordinate this
We prepare this package as part of every approval-requiring job — it's included, not an add-on — and we know what the demanding buildings ask for because we've been through their processes before. Then we execute within building rules: certificate of insurance on file before entry, work hours respected (typically 9–5 weekdays), elevator reservations made, debris handled per house rules.
The upgrades that transform NYC apartments
Dedicated AC circuit
The end of the summer breaker ritual. The single most-requested apartment upgrade we do. Details →
Apartment panel upgrade
From a 6-circuit fuse box or vintage panel to a modern breaker panel with AFCI/GFCI protection. $1,200–$2,400 in-unit.
Kitchen renovation electrical
Dedicated appliance circuits, counter GFCI outlets, under-cabinet lighting, island power — coordinated with your GC.
Bathroom electrical
GFCI protection, proper vanity lighting, exhaust fan circuits, heated floor wiring for renovations.
Lighting modernization
Recessed lighting in plaster ceilings, dimmers matched to LEDs, fixture upgrades. Details →
Smart apartment package
Lutron Caseta throughout — the no-neutral solution built for pre-war switch boxes. Details →
Outlet & GFCI refresh
Two-prong solutions, tamper-resistant outlets, USB-C at counters and bedsides. Details →
Detector compliance
Smoke, CO, and the LL157 gas alarms most apartments are missing. Details →
Renting? Here's what you can upgrade — and how to do it right
Renters have more options than they think, handled correctly:
Usually fine with landlord sign-off (and reversible): smart switches and dimmers at existing locations (originals saved, reinstalled at move-out), upgraded fixtures (same), and plug-in solutions that need no wiring at all. We do reversible upgrades for renters regularly — and we document the original state so move-out restoration is trivial.
Worth pushing your landlord to do: missing GFCI protection in kitchen and bath, expired or missing smoke/CO detectors (their legal obligation, not yours), dead outlets, and any of the warning signs in our apartment safety guide. A written report from a licensed electrician — our troubleshooting visit produces one — turns a vague complaint into a documented condition your landlord (or HPD, if it comes to that) must engage with.
Never worth it: unpermitted wiring work in a unit you don't own. The liability lands on everyone and benefits no one. If a job needs new wiring, it needs the owner's involvement — we're happy to talk to your landlord directly, and we frequently convert that conversation into the owner just paying for the work.
Pricing & service areas
Apartment work spans from $120 outlet swaps to $8,000 whole-apartment modernizations. Common packages: safety refresh (GFCI, detectors, worn devices — $600–$1,500), renovation electrical (kitchen or bath — $2,000–$6,000), whole-apartment modernization (panel, circuits, lighting, smart — $4,000–$8,000). Every quote is written and fixed; board package preparation is included where approval is required.
Serving apartments throughout Manhattan, Brooklyn, Queens, and the Bronx — co-ops, condos, and rentals alike. Pre-war building? See our pre-war modernization service for the building-scale picture.
Frequently asked questions
For like-for-like replacements at existing locations (outlets, switches, fixtures) — usually not. For new wiring, new circuits, panel work, or anything opening walls — yes, via an alteration agreement. We prepare the complete board package (scope letter, license, insurance certificates, permit documentation) as part of every approval-requiring job.
Typically 2–6 weeks depending on your building's process and meeting schedule. We've learned the rhythm: a complete, specific package submitted right the first time is the single biggest factor in fast approval. Incomplete packages bounce and restart the clock.
Both exist. Your in-unit panel (the one in your closet or hallway) is yours to upgrade — $1,200–$2,400 with board approval. The building's risers and main service belong to the building; if your unit's capacity is limited by the riser feeding it, that's a building conversation we can help you frame for your board.
With landlord permission, yes — and done reversibly: we save your original switches and reinstall them at move-out. Many landlords approve readily since it's an upgrade to their unit. Anything involving new wiring needs the owner's involvement, full stop.
Assess the panel and circuit count first — it determines everything. Modern kitchen code requires multiple dedicated circuits (fridge, microwave, dishwasher, counter circuits with GFCI), and many apartment panels can't supply them without an upgrade. Discovering this mid-renovation is expensive; discovering it in our pre-renovation assessment is free.
It's standard and we plan for it. Building-hours compliance, COI on file before entry, elevator reservations, floor protection, daily cleanup — these are baseline operating procedure for us, not special requests.
What our customers say
"Our UES co-op board is famously difficult. MP Electric's alteration package was approved on first submission — our managing agent said that almost never happens. The kitchen circuit work itself was flawless and exactly on quote."
"Whole-apartment refresh in our Astoria condo: panel upgrade, dedicated AC circuit, recessed lighting, Caseta everywhere. Three days, building hours respected, spotless each evening. The apartment feels twenty years newer."
"As a renter I didn't think I had options. They did a fully reversible Caseta install with my landlord's blessing — kept my original switches in a labeled bag for move-out — and wrote up the missing GFCIs, which got my landlord to finally fix them."
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Get an apartment upgrade quote
Co-op, condo, or rental — tell us what you want done and we'll quote it written and fixed, with the board package included where your building requires one.
