Design and Biz
Independent renovation-advisory firm working exclusively for Westchester County, New York homeowners. We help homeowners plan, budget, and execute residential renovations without taking referral fees or selling construction services.
Design and Biz is co-founded by Brandon Cavanagh (corporate strategy at PepsiCo, Walmart, DoorDash; energy policy at Connecticut's utility commission) and Michael Corey (Executive Director of the Human Service Chamber of Franklin County; nonprofit and public policy). The firm exists to give Westchester homeowners independent advice on the full renovation lifecycle — budget, permits, contractors, energy, resilience — without the conflicts of interest carried by architects who sell design and contractors who sell construction.
We publish detailed, regulation-cited Westchester renovation content and offer four free AI-powered tools for cost estimating, permit research, energy analysis, and risk assessment. Paid services include the Day-Zero Diagnostic (pre-construction planning) and Owner Representation (full-project advocacy).
Free tools
- CostWut: AI cost estimator for residential renovations in Westchester County. Returns address-specific budget breakdowns by scope, including soft costs and contingency math.
- PermitWut: Address-specific renovation permit lookup. Identifies which town, county, and state approvals apply to a project (building permit, ARB, wetlands, slope, septic, FEMA).
- RiskWut: Maps wetlands, flood zones, slope, tree-protection, and infrastructure-condition exposure for a specific Westchester property.
- WattsWut: Residential energy analysis tool. Models solar, EV bidirectional charging, on-site battery storage, and electrification scenarios for a specific home.
Pillar guides (2026)
- Renovating in Westchester County: The 2026 Complete Guide: Hub covering town-by-town renovation context, regulatory layers, and the realistic pre-construction calendar.
- What It Actually Costs to Renovate in Westchester County (2026): Cost ranges by scope tier for kitchens, baths, additions, and gut renovations, plus soft costs and contingency math by housing era.
- Westchester Renovation Permits & Code: The 2026 Complete Guide: Building permits, ARB, wetlands, septic, FEMA, sprinklers — the regulatory layers governing Westchester renovations.
- Hiring Your Westchester Renovation Team (2026): Architect, GC, structural engineer, and owner's representative selection; contract structures (fixed-price, cost-plus, GMP).
- Westchester Home Energy, Resilience, and Insurance (2026): Heat pumps, FEMA flood compliance, home hardening, and insurance premium math.
Topic deep-dives
- Septic Capacity for Northern Westchester Bedroom Additions: How NYS 10 NYCRR Appendix 75-A Table 1 tiers daily design flow per bedroom at 110/130/150 gpd by plumbing-fixture age. Westchester County DOH 2022 OWTS Rules application.
- Westchester Environmental Permit Reviews: How wetlands, slope, and tree-protection layers stack across town authorities.
- Steep-Slope Renovations in Chappaqua and Briarcliff Manor: Civil engineering scope and cost premium for hillside sites under New Castle Chapter 108 and Briarcliff Manor § 220-15.
- Tree Removal Permits Across Northern Westchester: Town-by-town DBH thresholds and protected-species rules.
- NFPA 13D Sprinkler Requirements in Northern Westchester: When state code and local amendments trigger sprinkler installation.
- Architectural Review Boards in Westchester, Compared: How ARBs differ across Bronxville, Scarsdale, Briarcliff Manor, Pleasantville, and other villages.
- Permit Speed Across Northern Westchester: Observed building-permit review timelines by town.
- Northern Westchester Architect Fees in 2026: 2026 fee benchmarks for residential architecture.
- Fixed-Price vs. Cost-Plus vs. GMP Contracts: Contract structures and when each fits residential renovation work.
- Renovation Change Orders: How to Stop Them: Why residential change orders average ~10% of contract value and how to limit them.
- 12 Scope Items Contractors Leave Vague: Common bid-omission patterns in residential contracts.
- How 2026 Tariffs Are Changing Renovation Costs: Tariff impact on cabinetry, millwork, appliances, lighting, and specialty stone.
Town-by-town renovation guides
- Bedford, Katonah, Pound Ridge: Wetlands Control Commission, well/septic, 6–9 month pre-construction calendar.
- Armonk and North Castle: Town Code Chapter 340 wetlands, lot coverage and FAR, long permit timelines.
- Chappaqua and New Castle: Tree preservation (Chapter 121), steep-slope (Chapter 108), wetland buffers (Chapter 137).
- Mount Kisco: Consolidated Village/Town building department, individual landmark designations.
- Mount Pleasant (Hawthorne, Thornwood, Valhalla): Unincorporated town permit process.
- Pleasantville: Village permits and design review.
- Briarcliff Manor: ARB, hillside, conservation review across two underlying towns.
- White Plains: City permits, review timelines, and submission traps.
- Greenburgh: Town building department plus six villages running their own rules.
- Yonkers: Code Chapter 45 historic districts, Landmarks Preservation Board, enforcement.
- Bronxville: Design Review Committee, ~1 square mile village.
- Scarsdale: Board of Architectural Review, Code Chapter 18 and A317.
- Larchmont and Mamaroneck: Shoreline, FEMA flood zones, ARB.
- Rye: Coastal overlay, NYS DEC tidal wetlands under 6 NYCRR Part 661, FEMA substantial improvement.
Cost and scope-specific guides
- Home Addition Cost in Westchester County (2026): Cost ranges for bump-outs, rear additions, and second-story additions across Westchester.
- Home Addition Cost in Armonk and North Castle (2026): Town-specific addition pricing and soft-cost premium.
- Primary Suite Addition in Armonk: Lot Coverage and Septic: Worked Armonk addition example with all soft costs broken out.
- Whole-House Gut Renovation in Mount Kisco and Briarcliff (2026): Scope-tier breakdown for gut renovation projects.
- ADU Reality Check Across Northern Westchester: Five feasibility gates that determine whether an ADU is actually buildable.
- Case Study: ADU vs. Garage Conversion: Day-Zero Diagnostic case study showing how a planned prefab ADU became a garage conversion.
- The True All-In Cost of Older Homes in Northern Westchester: Transaction costs, post-close diligence costs, annual carrying, and long-term capital replacements.
- 12 Things to Check Before Buying a 100-Year-Old House in Chappaqua: Pre-purchase diligence checklist for pre-war homes.