Local Law 11 Compliance Contractor in NYC

Buildings over six stories must be inspected every five years. Cycle 10B began February 2026 and runs through 2031, with filing windows staggered by sub-district. Sub-district A (Manhattan + parts of Brooklyn) is in the earliest filing window. We can confirm your specific deadline by Block & Lot.

SWARMP (Safe With a Repair & Maintenance Program) means conditions are not immediately dangerous but require repair within the FISP cycle. Unsafe means immediate protective measures — typically a sidewalk shed — and repairs within a DOB-mandated timeline, often 30–90 days. Unsafe filings trigger NYC's "Get Sheds Down" enforcement and accumulate civil penalties.

Costs vary widely with scope. Localized repairs (replacing a single lintel, repointing a section of parapet) can run $5,000–$25,000. Full facade restoration on a mid-rise building commonly runs $75,000–$400,000+. We provide line-item scopes tied directly to your QEWI report so you only pay for required work.

Yes. Sidewalk sheds tied to an Unsafe facade filing can only come down after repairs are completed, inspected, and the DOB clears the conditions. We coordinate the entire close-out: repair execution, QEWI re-inspection, and DOB sign-off, so the shed permit can be terminated.

Late filings incur civil penalties starting at $1,000 and escalating monthly. Unsafe conditions left unaddressed can trigger six-figure penalties plus emergency declarations. The fastest path back to compliance is engaging a QEWI immediately and a contractor in parallel — we can begin scoping repairs from a prior inspection report while a new QEWI is filed.

Localized work — replacing one or two lintels or repointing a section of parapet — usually takes 2–4 weeks on site. Mid-size restoration (full parapet rebuild plus elevation repointing) averages 8–14 weeks. Large multi-elevation programs run 4–9 months. Timeline drivers are scaffolding/swing-stage logistics, weather, DOB permit approval, and material lead time (especially for custom terra cotta, limestone, or cast stone replacements).

No — and that is intentional. NYC DOB rules prevent a single firm from acting as both inspector (QEWI) and contractor of record for the same building. We coordinate directly with your QEWI throughout the project, but the inspection itself must come from an independent licensed firm. We can recommend QEWIs we have worked with successfully if you do not already have one engaged.

Yes — and on Unsafe conditions, often they should. The QEWI can file an Unsafe interim report immediately upon discovering an Unsafe condition, which triggers a 30-day window to install protection (typically a sidewalk shed) and begin repairs. We can scope and mobilize while the formal cycle filing is in progress, then pull the repair permit against the Unsafe filing.

NYC divides buildings into three sub-districts based on Block number. Sub-District A (lower Manhattan and parts of Brooklyn) had its Cycle 10B filing window open February 21, 2026. Sub-District B opens February 21, 2027. Sub-District C opens February 21, 2028. Each window lasts two years. We can confirm your sub-district by Block & Lot during your consultation.

A Type-2 amendment is filed with the DOB when conditions discovered during repair work were not in the original FISP report — for example, hidden lintel corrosion exposed once a brick wythe is removed. Without an amendment, the new work is unpermitted and the building cannot close out the cycle. We file Type-2 amendments routinely and incorporate them into the original DOB job in days, not weeks.

Not when properly coordinated. We document all interfaces between facade work and existing roof, window, or sealant warranties, and where possible we engage the original installer for inspection at penetration points. For roof-edge and parapet work especially, we maintain manufacturer-approved details (Sika, Soprema, Carlisle, GAF) so the underlying roof warranty stays intact.

Yes — every project ships with a close-out package: as-built drawings of repair locations, photo documentation of pre-existing and finished conditions, materials submittal log, permit and inspection records, and a letter to the QEWI summarizing scope completion. This is what allows the QEWI to refile the cycle as Safe and the DOB to terminate any Unsafe-condition sidewalk shed permits.