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Façade Compliance

To keep buildings safe, owners of properties higher than six stories must have exterior walls and appurtenances inspected every five (5) years – and they must file a technical façade report with the Department. See NYC Construction Codes §28-302.1 and RCNY §103-04.

The required façade inspections are called critical examinations and may only be performed by a DOB-approved Qualified Exterior Wall Inspector (QEWI).

All façade compliance filings must be submitted in DOB NOW: Safety. In DOB NOW: Safety you can:

  • Submit façade compliance filings and report unsafe façade activity
  • Make payments
  • View and search information related to your façade filings
  • Upload documents
  • View the status of a façade filing
  • Receive emails at milestones throughout the filing process

Login to DOB NOW: Safety.

Early Filing for Owners Who Missed Cycle 9

Starting in Cycle 10, owners whose buildings have their most recent status as No Report Filed may file a report prior to the start of their designated filing window, provided that all applicable civil penalties set out in subdivision (d) of this section are paid. This exception applies to Sub Cycles B and C only. Read the February 2025 service notice for more information.

Inspection & Report Deadlines

Façade report and maintenance/repair deadlines are divided into cycles. The Department has added sub-cycles to make it easier for owners to hire qualified professionals and contractors. The last digit of a building’s block number determines if the property falls into sub-cycle A, B, or C. See the Cycle 10 Sub-Cycle Diagram.

Additionally, see the FISP Universe Map for subject facades and their respective filing cycle (a link to a downloadable list is located at the top of the map). This list is based on City records. It is ultimately the building owner’s responsibility to correctly identify whether their building is subject to the Facades Inspection and Safety Program.

Façade Classifications

After performing an inspection, the QEWI must file an electronic technical report through through DOB NOW: Safety indicating the condition of the façade and classifying the building with one of three ways as defined in RCNY §103-04:

  • Safe*
  • Safe With a Repair and Maintenance Program (SWARMP)*
  • Unsafe*

*See 1 RCNY 103-04 (a) for definitions

Unsafe Conditions

Whenever unsafe conditions are identified during Façade inspections, the following actions are immediately required:

  1. The QEWI must notify the owner install public protection and provide recommendations as to type and location of protective measures.
  2. The owner must immediately take action to secure public safety per QEWI’s recommendation. Public protection must remain in place until an amended Safe or SWARMP report or a Partial Shed Removal (PSR) is approved by the Department.
  3. Report the unsafe conditions to the Department by calling 311. Additionally, the QEWI must file a FISP3 (Notification of Unsafe Conditions) in DOBNOW. Failure to file a FISP3 may result in an OATH violation being issued to the QEWI for failure to notify the Department of unsafe conditions in a FISP building.

After above steps are completed:

  1. A full unsafe FISP report must be filed in DOBNOW.
  2. Unsafe conditions must be repaired within 90 days.
  3. If repairs are not completed within 90 days, an initial time extension request (FISP1) must be filed by the QEWI in DOBNOW.
  4. Once unsafe conditions have been corrected, an amended report must be filed. Public protection may be removed once an amended Safe or SWARMP report is approved.

IMPORTANT NOTES:

  1. Building owners are liable for civil penalties 90 days from the date the initial unsafe report is filed, unless that period is covered by acceptable extension requests (FISP1 or FISP2).
  2. Gaps or delays between extension requests will result in civil penalties for periods not covered by an acceptable extension request.
  3. Extension requests will not be granted beyond the unsafe completion date.
  4. To extend the unsafe completion date, a subsequent report must be filed.

SWARMP (Safe with a Repair and Maintenance Program) Conditions

  1. The QEWI is required to provide on the report the date on which the conditions are expected become unsafe if not corrected (SWARMP completion date). This date may not be less than one year or more than 5 years.
  2. The owner must complete the repairs by the SWARMP completion date listed on the report.
  3. The same conditions may not be reported as SWARMP for consecutive cycles. Any condition that was listed as SWARMP in a previous cycle and remains unrepaired or must be repaired again must be classified as UNSAFE in the current cycle.

Additional Information