DOB Institutes Changes to Local Law 11/98 for 7th Cycle;
New Staggered Schedule for Filing Deadlines

The engineer or architect must inspect repairs of unsafe conditions within two weeks after they are made.

March 27, 2009 — The New York City Department of Buildings has instituted amendments to Local Law 11/98, the law that requires buildings taller than six stories to have their facades inspected every five years and their reports filed with the DOB. Beginning with the 7th Cycle of inspections in 2010, the following changes will take effect to what is now called the Facade Inspection and Safety Program (FISP):

New Staggered Schedule for Filing Deadlines

In previous inspection cycles, the DOB required all buildings to file their Local Law 11/98 facade inspection reports in the same two-year window. Starting with the 7th Cycle of FISP, the DOB has established three overlapping windows for filing reports. Buildings are grouped according to the last digit of their block number:

7th Cycle Filing Deadlines:

• Block numbers ending in 4, 5, 6, or 9: Reports must be filed between February 21, 2010 and February 21, 2012 (two-year filing window)
• Block numbers ending in 0, 7, or 8: Reports must be filed between February 21, 2011 and August 21, 2012 (18-month filing window).
• Block numbers ending in 1, 2, or 3: Reports must be filed between February 21, 2012 and February 21, 2013 (one-year filing window).
  
  

8th Cycle Filing Deadlines:

For the 8th cycle of inspections, the three groups of buildings will have overlapping two-year windows for filing:

• Block numbers ending in 4, 5, 6, or 9: Reports must be filed between February 21, 2015 and February 21, 2017.
• Block numbers ending in 0, 7, or 8: Reports must be filed between February 21, 2016 and February 21, 2018.
• Block numbers ending in 1, 2, or 3: Reports must be filed between February 21, 2017 and February 21, 2019.
  
  
  

Filing for Multi-building Properties

For properties with two or more buildings taller than six stories occupying different block numbers, the owner can file either of two ways:

1. The buildings can be filed separately based on the last digit of their block numbers.

2. The group of buildings can be filed together under the filing window for any one of the buildings.

Note: Buildings filed together must continue to file under the same window in subsequent inspection cycles.

Filing Deadline for New Buildings

The first Local Law 11/98 facade inspection for a newly constructed building is required five years after the temporary Certificate of Occupancy is issued (or the final C of O if a temporary C of O was not issued). If the five-year mark does not fall within the filing window for the last digit of the building's block number, then the first facade inspection report will be filed in the following inspection cycle.

Timeframe for Filing Reports after Inspection

Facade inspection reports must be filed no later than 60 days after the engineer or architect conducts the inspection. (There was no timeframe in previous cycles.) Building owners will need to promptly approve, sign, and return reports to the engineer/architect for timely filing with the DOB to avoid the need for a re-inspection.

Penalty for Filing a Late Report

The fee for filing a late report has increased to $250 a month from $150 a month.

Inspection Timeframe after Repairs

The engineer or architect must inspect repairs of unsafe conditions within two weeks after the repairs are made. This timeframe is usually not an issue when the engineer or architect is administering the repair program.

New Qualification Requirements for Facade Inspectors

Facade inspections must be conducted, witnessed, or supervised by what the DOB calls a "Qualified Exterior Wall Inspector." QEWIs must be either a New York State registered architect (RA) with one year experience or a New York State licensed professional engineer (PE) with at least one year of experience. 

Filing Fees

The DOB now charges a $265 fee for the initial filing of Local Law 11/98 reports and $100 for amended reports. There is also a new fee of $135 for filing for an extension to repair unsafe items.

New Reporting Format

The DOB has established a new format and structure for facade inspection reports to help streamline processing; the Department will reject reports that do not conform to new standards. The engineer or architect filing the reports should be aware of the DOB's new report format.

For the DOB document listing the changes to Local Law 11/98, click here.

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