Local Law 126: Garage Inspections

An assessment must be performed by a Qualified Parking Structure Inspector (QPSI) and a report filed with DOB every 6 years for the Parking Garage Structures. 

The DOB now requires all Parking Structures within B- & C- Inspection Windows to have a one-time initial observation of the parking structure performed by or under the supervision of a Qualified Parking Structure Inspector (QPSI), with a form filed to the DOB by August 1, 2024.

HLZAE is fully staffed with registered QPSI Inspectors on staff to perform the necessary inspections and file with the DOB.

LL126 Fines

This table provides a clear breakdown of the different fees and penalties associated with DOB reports and compliance.

Local Law 97: Emission Reduction

With NYC being the 3rd highest emissions producing city in the world, the Department of Buildings is under pressure to take action and help reduce these emissions. The first reporting period is due by May 1, 2025, so building owners must have a robust strategy in place to avoid substantial fines for non-compliance. HLZAE’s forensic architectural and engineering expertise can assess your building’s performance, identify gaps, and develop a comprehensive compliance strategy tailored to your building’s unique needs, aligning capital budgets and solutions to span more stringent requirements to 2030 and beyond.

HLZAE can complete an analysis of your building and making recommendations to help reduce emissions. Once evaluated, HLZAE can begin completing repairs to ensure your building meets its upcoming emission reduction target. We have the capabilities to perform all necessary reporting as well as project completion, so you don’t have to work and manage multiple vendor relationships.

LL97 Fines

Emissions are calculated based on tons of CO2 equivalent per square foot building.

• For building owners who exceed their emissions limit, the fine is $268 for each metric ton over the building's established limit
• For building owners who fail to file a report, the fine is $0.50 per building square foot, per month
• For building owners who provide false statements on their report, there is a fine of $500,000

Let’s say your building has calculated emissions of 2,210  tCO2e

• The allowable building emissions calculated by the building square footage and the published building emissions intensity limit are 2,000 tCO2e
• That difference of just 210 metric tons will cost you 210 * 268 = $56,280 annually
• Additionally, there are fines for not submitting a report (.50¢ per building square foot, per month).
• Now if you have a 200,000 square foot building, the fines will add up to $100,000 per month (.50 cents per sq foot per month)

Façade Inspection Safety Program

We provide our clients with a thorough evaluation & analysis of building facades upon which you can base construction and rehabilitation decisions. Our goal is to consistently provide the highest quality professional architectural and engineering services for preserving a facade’s integrity while factoring in logistics and the reality of your budgets and goals. 

With a full team of expert QEWI’s, we can perform the necessary inspections through Rope Access saving your building time and money vs traditional scaffolding. This is based on the needs of your building and the allotted timeline. We will ensure the necessary inspections are complete prior to your window deadline.

FISP Fees and Penalties

As part of the services provided by HLZAE, your building’s FISP report shall be submitted to the Department along with a filing fee as specified in the rules of the Department of Buildings (DOB) as follows:

Furthermore, the following penalties are enforced by the Department of Buildings and apply after the filing period ends:  

*a violation for failure to correct SWARMP conditions can be issued more than one time 

If a building misses an inspection cycle, and/or a report has not been filed by the deadline, the DOB may issue a Failure to File violation. Once the report has been filed, the DOB will then retroactively issue a base penalty of $1,000 per month accumulating from the deadline to the date the report was filed, plus a potential violation with a penalty of up to $5,000 for failure to file.  

In addition to the penalties above, an owner who fails to correct an unsafe condition shall be liable for a civil penalty as detailed in the table below, until the unsafe condition is corrected. Unless the Commissioner grants an extension of time to complete repairs pursuant to this section, the penalties will be incurred as detailed in the table below. This penalty shall be imposed until receipt of an acceptable amended report by the Department indicating the unsafe conditions were corrected, the sidewalk shed has been removed and the associated permits are signed off with the Department, including shed permits, or an extension of time is granted by the Commissioner.