New York City has taken another step in its effort to improve facade safety and cut down on long-term sidewalk sheds.
As part of the Mayor’s Get Sheds Down initiative, the City commissioned a comprehensive, data-driven review of the Facade Inspection & Safety Program (FISP, formerly Local Law 11). The study has now produced a set of recommendations that the Department of Buildings (DOB) is using to draft the next generation of FISP rules.
These proposed changes are significant, but they are not yet in effect, and are not expected to take effect until Cycle 11. Cycle 10 is moving forward under the current rules.
Below is a summary of what the City is proposing, what stays the same for now, and how boards and property managers can prepare.
Quick refresher: how FISP works today
Under FISP, owners of buildings taller than six stories must have their exterior walls and appurtenances inspected by a Qualified Exterior Wall Inspector (QEWI) and file a technical report with DOB on a regular schedule.
Key points under the current framework:
- Inspection cycle: Most FISP buildings are inspected and filed once every five years.
- Condition categories: Each facade is classified as SAFE, SWARMP (Safe With a Repair and Maintenance Program), or UNSAFE. UNSAFE conditions trigger immediate protection, typically a sidewalk shed, along with a timetable for repairs.
- We are now in Cycle 10, which runs from February 21, 2025 through February 21, 2030, with sub-cycles based on the last digit of the building’s block number.
For more on FISP Cycle 10, read our fact sheet.
What the new FISP study recommends
According to the Mayor’s Office, the City’s study analyzed tens of thousands of inspection reports, looked at best practices in other jurisdictions, and gathered extensive feedback from QEWIs, owners, and regulators.
Key recommendations from the study include:
- Changing the FISP inspection cycle from five years to six years for all covered buildings.
- Requiring sidewalk sheds only for truly hazardous conditions, not simply because a repair deadline was missed.
- Creating tailored requirements for lower-risk buildings, which could include simplified filing pathways for properties with a strong history of timely repairs and stable facade conditions.
- Reducing the amount of mandatory hands-on inspection where visual and other methods can still provide a reliable picture of facade conditions.
- Establishing stricter standards and oversight for buildings with a history of chronic deterioration.
- Exploring expanded use of drone and other technologies to support facade inspections.
- Improving guidance for privately contracted facade inspectors, including a DOB help desk and inspection guides to promote more consistent reporting.
How RAND can help you prepare
DOB has indicated that the full study will be posted on its website, and we’re closely monitoring DOB’s rule-drafting process. Even before any new rules are finalized, there is value in planning ahead.
RAND’s facade team of Qualified Exterior Wall Inspectors has decades of experience guiding New York City buildings through Local Law 10, Local Law 11, and FISP repair programs. We can help you:
- Stay on track for Cycle 10 filings and repair deadlines.
- Review and organize your building’s facade history so you have clear documentation in place if DOB adopts more tailored requirements for lower-risk and higher-risk buildings.
- Plan and integrate facade repairs into larger capital improvement planning, coordinating with roofs, parapets, balconies, windows, and energy upgrades.
- Understand where your building is likely to fall on the risk spectrum and what steps can move you toward a lower-risk profile.
- Track DOB’s rulemaking process and enforcement trends so you’re not surprised by future changes.
If you would like to discuss how these recommendations might affect your building, or want a fresh look at your FISP strategy for Cycle 10 and beyond, our team is ready to help.
RAND Engineering & Architecture, DPC has been serving New York’s building community for nearly 40 years. Founded in 1987, our firm designs and administers programs for the repair, upgrade, restoration, and adaptive reuse of residential, commercial, institutional, and retail properties.
Our expertise includes exterior envelope repair - with a particular focus on FISP - parapet inspections and repair programs, window and door replacement, heating, plumbing, and electrical upgrades, garage inspections and repair programs, architectural design and ADA compliance, feasibility studies and plan reviews, structural engineering, forensic surveys, benchmarking, energy audits, and retro-commissioning, green roofs, and historic restoration.
RAND also has dedicated groups for Building Design, Industrial Rope Access, Drone Services, Infrared Surveys, and 3D Laser Scanning. We also have a Code & Zoning Compliance Team and are an accredited Special Inspections Agency.
To learn more, please visit randpc.com.
