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Our Philosophy

Renovating History

We love townhouse architecture and consider ourselves stewards of these landmarked structures. 

We transform historic buildings into new homes suitable for present-day living with the same quality, craftsmanship, and care as the original architects and builders. 

We’re particularly thrilled to modernize some of Montrose Morris’s and the Paraffit Brothers’ original designs—two names that must be included in any discussion about the history of Brownstone architecture—extending their lives by at least another 150 years.

Case Study: Steering House Development purchased 111 Waverly Ave, a structurally unstable building with an active vacate order. We worked closely with the Department of Buildings’ forensic engineers to develop and execute a stabilization, underpinning, and tie-back plan to save this property in Brooklyn’s historically significant Wallabout neighborhood.

The Imperfection of Construction

Before starting Steering House, we designed, developed, and renovated our own homes, quickly learning the “imperfection of construction.” As a company, we acknowledge the complications inherent in our work and have refined our approach to limit your exposure to them.

After twenty years in business, we know where pitfalls can be and plan for them in our robust pre-construction phase. We look ahead and navigate around challenges, and occasionally, when there is a problem, our team is optimized to find the quickest path to success.

It’s what we do when things are not flawless that matters most to our clients. We turn understanding the “imperfection of construction” into our greatest advantage.

 

Why Pre-Construction Matters

Our guiding principle is to give clients an exceptional experience throughout their home-building journey, and our work in the pre-construction phase is critical to delivering this.

We’re architects and builders. We do our due diligence to optimize plans to be efficient and ready to build. Only with robust pre-construction planning can you budget accurately. With a high budget accuracy rate, our clients can confidently commit to the work.

Construction is inherently disruptive and impacts neighbors who sometimes must consent to the work. We have extensive experience navigating neighbor access agreements, one of the most unknown and complicated construction components. Through considerate communication and our intimate knowledge of the building code, we have streamlined the process and often help neighbors reach agreements at a fraction of the industry standard time and cost.

Delays cost time and money. Over the past five years, Steering House projects have passed 100% of the Department of Buildings surprise inspections and have had zero downtime.

How We Build

Every project is truly a custom design & build.

There is no standard Steering House look, design template, or off-the-shelf solution.

Our in-house architects design for constructibility.

We have real-time insights into the availability and best value of construction material, and we know the best way to assemble the parts so the finished product stands the test of time. 

We live and work in the neighborhoods where we build.

We’re active members of the communities we serve, and that’s reflected in the care we afford to our neighbors.

We’re a family-first company, and we enjoy working together.

Our team is physically located in an open-plan office to avoid miscommunication (or missed communication).

We operate as one voice.

A singular vision that you can trust and that the construction crew can follow.

Our contact list is your contact list.

When we do hire subcontractors, we use people we have worked with for a long time and who are thoroughly vetted.

We are architectural history buffs.

We love townhouse architecture and consider ourselves stewards of these landmarked structures.

Fee Structure

Our guiding principle is to deliver an excellent experience, and that starts with transparent money conversations. We aim to provide value across all sectors, particularly the money our clients entrust us with.

Architecture Fees.

The average industry-standard architecture fee is 12-18% of the total construction cost. The average Steering House fee is often considerably less.

Square Foot Price.

We’re a full-service and self-performing firm, so our costs are often lower than other firms. We’re proud to pass that savings on to our clients.

Time-based Billing.

We bill based on the time we forecast to complete your project. Our profit is fixed unless a client requests additional work. We are financially incentivized to deliver on time, maintaining our reputation for on-time completion.

Budget Breakdown.

A Steering House budget differs from our competitors because our fees and costs are fully transparent as separate line items. We don’t mark up any of our costs, and our fees are always independent of them.

Open Book.

With our ‘Open Book’ policy, our clients can see where every dollar is being spent.

Work In Progress