Formerly known as New York City Local Law 11/98, the Facade Inspection Safety Program requires a hands-on inspection of at least one of the building's facades taller than six stories.
While it may seem that the previous New York City Local Law 11/98 facade inspection cycle just passed, the new cycle is nearly upon us.
The 8th Cycle of the Facade Inspection Safety Program (FISP), as Local Law 11/98 is now known, begins on February 21, 2015. Under the program, all facades of buildings taller than six stories must be inspected by a licensed engineer or architect, and a report filed with the Department of Buildings (DOB). The inspection and filing window is determined by the last digit of the building's block number:
- Blocks ending in 4, 5, 6, or 9: February 21, 2015 to February 21, 2017
- Blocks ending in 0, 7, or 8: February 21, 2016 to February 21, 2018
- Blocks ending in 1, 2, or 3: February 21, 2017 to February 21, 2019
Although the inspection cannot be conducted until a building's filing window begins, doing so early in the two-year period gives owners and managers adequate time to properly address any conditions that need to be corrected in order to file a Safe or SWARMP (Safe With a Repair and Maintenance Program) report.
Keep in mind that buildings cannot carry over unsafe or SWARMP conditions from a previous inspection cycle. All such conditions must be addressed before the DOB will accept the filing of a Safe or SWARMP 8th Cycle report.
Discounts for Early Sign-up
To help property owners and managers start preparing their building for a safe filing status, RAND is offering early sign-up discounts for buildings in all three filing windows.
If you would like a complimentary proposal for RAND to conduct an 8th Cycle facade inspection for your building and/or to design and administer 7th Cycle FISP repairs, please contact us at 212-675-8844 or FISP@nullrandpc.com.
For more information on the Facade Inspection Safety Program, please see our FISP Fact Sheet at fisp.nyc.
We look forward to helping your building achieve a Safe filing status.
Steven Tingir is a partner at RAND and head of the firm's Facade & Roofing team.
