Buildings news update

July 7, 2023

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Tickets Available For DOB Industry Conference

DOB's annual build safe | live safe conference is back for 2023! Tickets for the daylong series of educational seminars, which will be held in Lower Manhattan on Thursday, August 24th, are now available.

This annual conference is geared towards building and construction industry professionals working in the five boroughs. This year's conference will include seminars presented by DOB experts on the city's new inspection program for parking structures, regulations for pedestrian protection, upcoming sustainability deadlines for Local Law 97, requirements for construction safety and more.

All of the seminar courses for the conference have been submitted for AIA CES continuing education credit approval. Once approved, our full list of course offerings will be posted online and attendees will be able to pre-register for courses with the purchase of a ticket.

Space at this year's conference is limited, so join your industry colleagues and reserve your ticket today.

Summer No-Penalty Inspections Available

DOB's No-Penalty Inspection Program gives property owners the opportunity to request a free DOB inspection of their home or business to check that these structures and associated building equipment are in good, hazard-free condition.

If we do find any violating conditions during one of these no-penalty inspections, our inspectors will not issue violations that carry associated penalties for a limited time, instead providing guidance on how to correct the conditions, and giving the owners the opportunity to make corrective repairs to get their property up to scratch.

Running through July 31st, 2023, DOB inspections performed through this program are perfect for the property owner who is looking to make home or business repairs, but doesn't know how to get started. During the scheduled inspection our inspectors will be available to discuss any additional building concerns that the property owners may have, and direct them on how to obtain additional assistance from the Department.

Call 311 today to request a no-penalty DOB inspection for:

  • Decks and patios
  • Retaining Walls
  • Facades for Building Under 6 Stories Tall
  • Business Signs
  • Unregistered Boilers
  • Unregistered Private Elevator Devices

Read our Press Release

Incentives for Reducing Carbon Emissions

Taking steps to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from existing building can pay dividends with lower monthly utility bills and greater comfort for building owners. To help property owners pay upfront costs associated with retrofits, New York State, the Federal government, and Con Edison are offering financial incentives for going green.

As part of the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022, industrial or manufacturing facilities that re-equip with designs to reduce greenhouse gas emissions are now eligible for the Advanced Energy Project Tax Credit. Apply by July 31, 2023 here.

NYSERDA's Carbon Neutral Community Economic Development Program is making $10 million available to disadvantaged communities in NY State to construct high-performance buildings that cut their greenhouse gas emissions as close to zero as possible. Apply by July 28, 2023 here.

Con Edison is offering Commercial and Industrial property owners increased cash incentives for replacing steam traps and/or insulate piping. Apply by September 15, 2023 here.

For guidance on planning retrofit projects, property owners are strongly encouraged to reach out to NYC Accelerator, a program of the Mayor's Office of Climate and Environmental Justice, for free one-on-one assistance.

And for new building construction projects, reminder that NYC's Building Electrification Law, Local Law 154 of 2021, goes into effect on January 1st, 2024.

DOB in Your Community

DOB is taking our show on the road, opening up shop in neighborhoods across the five boroughs to offer our agency services to New Yorkers in locations that are convenient to them.

Last month we were in the Edenwald section of the Bronx, providing home and small business owners with construction consultations, help resolving violations, and guidance on other buildings-related issues.

Next up we are heading to St. Albans, Queens, on Saturday, July 22nd, 2023.

After that we will be heading to Ocean Breeze, Staten Island on Saturday, August 12th, 2023.

New Yorkers who can't make it to one of these in-person events, also have the opportunity to talk with DOB staff during one of our many online Q&A sessions. Find out more.

Parking Garage Inspection Reports

Reminder to property owners in Manhattan Community Districts 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, and 7, that Periodic Inspection of Parking Structure (PIPS) Compliance Reports for properties in these districts are due to the Department of Buildings by December 31st, 2023.

Property owners in New York City are legally required to hire a licensed Professional Engineer to inspect their parking structures, and file a condition report with DOB at least once every six years. The deadlines for the first inspection reports depends on where the parking structure is located in the City. Check out our new PIPS Map to see when the deadline is to submit your parking structure inspection report.

Find out more information about PIPS

New Rules at DOB

Later this month, updated agency rules go into effect that impact existing regulations for penalties and Special Inspections.

1 RCNY §101-06 - Updates for the structure of Special Inspection Agencies & qualifications for Special Inspectors.

1 RCNY §102-01 - Updates on penalties to conform to amendments in the 2022 NYC Construction Codes.

Stay up to date on upcoming proposed rule hearings and the latest promulgated rules, by checking out the Rules page on our website.

Renewing Site Safety Training Cards

Workers and supervisors whose Site Safety Training (SST) cards are set to expire in 2023 will be required to complete site safety training refresher courses before they can renew their cards. Eight hours of refresher training for workers, and 16 hours of refresher training for supervisors must be taken within one year before applying for an SST card renewal.

A valid Training Connect SST identification card is required to work on the larger and more complex construction work sites in NYC. Since the start of the SST program, which was created by Local Law 196 of 2017, DOB-approved training providers have issued SST cards to over 300,000 construction professionals who work in New York City.

Read our Service Notice

Find Out More Information About Site Safety Training

Searching for OATH/ECB Violations

We have made it easier for members of the public to obtain scanned copies of OATH/ECB summonses issued by the Department, by making them available directly on our online Buildings Information System (BIS).

Simply type in the OATH/ECB violation number in the BIS "OATH/ECB Violation Number" search field, or search by address and go to the "Violations-OATH/ECB" page on the property profile.

Once you have found the violation you are looking for, click the "View Image of Summons/Notice at OATH" link near the top of the page to get a scanned copy of the violation.

Jimmy Oddo, Commissioner

www.nyc.gov/buildings

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