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Project Checklists for Owner: Signs

This section contains a list of questions/tasks to help Owners, who are responsible for hiring professionals to provide compliance with the Construction Codes and other regulations discussed in the Project Guidelines.

Checklists include:

Initial Project Checklist

DO

  • Pre-Project: Make sure you hire a Registered Design Professional, a Professional Engineer (P.E.) or Registered Architect (R.A.), to assure your project is Code-compliant.
  • Project Plans: Only a Registered Design Professional or a Licensed Sign Hanger can submit construction documents, including drawings and other submissions, to DOB for approval. Filing of a ground sign support structure is limited to a Registered Design Professional.
  • Asbestos Investigation: Have asbestos investigation performed on site to check for Asbestos Containing Material (ACM) that will be removed or disturbed.
  • Project Work: Hire a Licensed/Registered General Contractor to perform the work.  When hiring a professional, have a written contract that includes the Contractor’s company name, address and license number(s).
  • DOB: NOW Requirement: Owner must provide their email address to obtain for correspondence, inspections and final sign-off of the project.
  • Commissioning: If your project requires commissioning, ensure you have a qualified commissioning agent perform the work and if required, file the commissioning report with the Department prior to sign-off.
  • Work Completion: Ensure inspections and sign-offs are performed to close the project permit.

DON’T

  • Work Without a Permit: Do not begin work without a DOB permit.  Even if the application for work has been approved, Property Owners and the people performing work without a permit may receive orders to stop on-site work, ECB violations with monetary and criminal penalties including court appearances, and civil penalties.

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Prior to Application Approval Checklist

  • Hire a Registered Design Professional (RDP), P.E. or R.A., to consult and finalize scope of work.
  • Provide consent of the project permit application, and authorize the P.E. or R.A. – who is the ‘Applicant of Record’ – to submit project Construction Documents for Department approval.
  • Project approval is required prior to beginning work.

*Note: The Owner of the building/property is ultimately responsible for the project, and their signature/consent is required for submission of the project application by their design professional, and Department approval.*

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Pre-Permit & On-going Project Work Checklist

Pre-Permit

  • Licensed Contractor: Hire NYC Licensed/Registered Contractor to obtain work permit(s) in order to begin work.
  • Special Inspections: If the scope of work requires, hire the required Special Inspection Agency (SIA) for performing Special/Progress Inspections.
  • Notify the Department: Prior to pulling the permit, use the online notification process to provide the name(s) of the SIA(s) contracted to do the Special and/or Progress Inspections.

On-going

  • Site Safety: Property Owners must maintain their properties in a safe condition during the course of work.

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Project Completion Close-out Checklist

  • Special Inspections: If the scope of work requires, the contracted Special Inspection Agency hired must complete and submit results online to the Department.
  • Department Inspections: Make sure the Contractor has completed all Department of Buildings inspections and has obtained sign-off of the completed work.
  • Final Inspection and Sign-off: Confirm that the Contractor has requested and passed a final sign-off inspection required by the Department.

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Project Checklists for Owner Links

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