Stay informed of recent regulatory changes and code updates that could impact your construction project - read the latest news below:

NOVEMBER 2022

• As of November 5, 2022, a Technical Report (TR1) - Final will no longer be required when removing Temporary Construction Equipment. Submission of a notification of removal will sign off the permit and complete the filing.
  
• A Special Holiday Construction Embargo will take place from Tuesday, November 15, 2022 till Monday, January 2, 2023.

• The new 2022 NYC Building Code Update will go into effect on Nov. 7, 2022. Download our 2022 code guides to get prepared now.
  
• All Department of Buildings offices are closed November 8 for Election Day and November 11 for Veterans Day.
  
• On Monday, November 21, 2022, the Brooklyn Borough Office will relocate to 345 Adams Street, 3rd Floor. 
  
  OCTOBER 2022

• The FDNY has announced that the fire alarm plan review backlog has been significantly reduced from 18–22 weeks to 8-10 weeks from the date of submission.
  
  
• In accordance with Local Law 95, building owners must post their 2021 Energy Efficiency Rating Label at each public entrance to their building by October 31, 2022.

SEPTEMBER 2O22

• A Special Event Construction Embargo is in effect for the UN General Assembly from 12:01 am Monday, September 12th through 11:59 pm Thursday, September 29th.  Any non-emergency permits issued will be suspended for the locations identified on this map. 
  
  
• The NYC Fire Department (FDNY) and NYC Emergency Management (NYCEM) will no longer be dispatched for traffic control purposes during the set up/take down of a crawler crane and other crawler crane activities.
  
  
• The DOB launched a dedicated Small Business Support Portal that allows business owners to contact the DOB for one-on-one guidance on planned or ongoing construction projects, Additionally, they added a Small Business tab to the PW1 applicant filing which sets up owner notifications on the progress of their filing.
  
  
• On 9/12/22, new functionality was added to DOB NOW: Build for the Major Projects Development Program (MPP) to help facilitate large and complex development projects. Learn more about the initiative here.

• FDNY Update: There will be a Public Hearing on 9/22 regarding the new proposed rule for Pro-Certifications for Fire Alarms.
  

AUGUST 2022

• The DOB has released the inspection schedule for Local Law 126 of 2021 which requires parking garage owners to hire a Professional Engineer (PE) to survey the parking structure every six years and file a report with the DOB.

JULY 2022

As of July 15, 2022, the following site safety plan regulations went into effect:

• Site safety plans can be submitted before the job is approved and are no longer required for subsequent filings in DOB NOW.
• The DOB will not issue a permit if the Construction Superintendent designated on the permit application is already designated on five or more active permits.
• Requests to release site safety and remove sidewalk sheds must be submitted in DOB NOW.

JUNE 2022

• Starting June 7th, the DOB offices will be open every Tuesday from 4-7 pm for homeowners, tenants, small business owners, and building managers.
• As of June 17th, DOB NOW: BIS has been updated to allow a maximum of 15 record requests per eFiling account – up from the previous max of 5,
• There is a new application process for individuals seeking to take advantage of the incentive program in Brooklyn's Gowanus Mixed Use District.
• Reminder: All NYC governmental offices will be closed on Monday, July 4th for Independence Day.

MAY 2022

• Beginning Monday, May 23, 2022, requests for Elevator Sign Off for DOB NOW jobs are required to be submitted in DOB NOW: Build as part of the Certificate of Occupancy request.
  
  
• Property owners who were required to submit their CY2021 benchmarking information by May 1, 2022, are required to submit a fully compliant report by May 31, 2022.
  
  
• Starting May 4, 2022, all DOB customer service locations hours are extended to 4pm.
  
  
• NY Finance Department Update: Tax Map services are unavailable now until June 7th.  Requests can be submitted through their website but will not be processed until June 7th.

APRIL 2022

• Work disturbing 20,000 square feet of soil now requires a DEP Stormwater Construction and Stormwater Maintenance Permit

MARCH 2022

• Beginning March 22, 2022, owners can request a 180-day extension for submitting their building’s gas piping system inspection and required certification report. 
• As of March 18, 2022, requests for DOB inspections of temporary amusement devices must be submitted to the DOB through DOB NOW: Safety.
• The DOB is continuing to work through their backlog of occupancy submissions. Refer to the NYC DOB current service levels here.

FEBRUARY 2022

• The deadline for Sub-Cycle 9A to file their Facade Inspection & Safety Program (FISP) Report was February 22, 2022. Learn more here.
• As of February 15, 2022, all appointments for Development Hub BIS jobs must be scheduled via the DOB Appointments System.
• The DOB is continuing to work through the post-expansion backlog of occupancy submissions. Refer to the NYC DOB current service levels here.

JANUARY 2022

• Starting January 1, 2022, owners who fail to file an acceptable report certifying that sprinklers were installed in their building, as required by Local Law 26, will be subject to civil penalties.
  
• Effective January 1, 2022, an Energy Efficiency Report (EER) must be submitted to the DOB by a registered design professional. Non-registered design professionals will not be able to submit an EER to the DOB after 12/31/21.

DECEMBER 2021

• The DOB is continuing to work through the backlog of occupancy submissions since the expansion of DOB NOW: Build in March 2021. See the current service levels here.

NOVEMBER 2021

On November 8, 2021, a new integrated energy review process will be added to DOB NOW: Build, in accordance with the New York City Energy Conversation Code (NYCECC).

Based on the type of filing and information provided, DOB NOW will automatically determine if an Energy Submission is required. The new process only applies to General Construction (GC), Foundation (FO), Boiler Equipment (BE), Mechanical Systems (MS), and Plumbing (PL) work types but is also dependent on other factors including Job Type, whether Enlargement is included, and if the building is Historic.

If an Energy Submission is required, an Energy tab and a separate ‘Energy Plan’ required document will be added to the filing. Additionally, DOB NOW will apply a separate Energy Fee according to the fee schedule included in the New Fees for NYC Energy Conversation Code Compliance Reviews Service Notice.

OCTOBER 2021

• The DOB is continuing to work through the backlog of occupancy submissions that have been submitted since the expansion of DOB NOW: Build launched on March 1, 2021. Below is their most recent update (10/19/21) on their Service Levels:

10/19/21 Schedule of Occupancy Service Levels (first review by Plan Examiner):

10/19/21 Current Certificate of Occupancy Service Levels (first review by Project Advocate):

-After Project Advocate review is complete, review by a Borough Commissioner and Quality Assurance (QA) Admin is usually completed within 2 to 4 business days.

-TCO Renewals without change are processed on average within 2 business days.

• Owners of buildings over 25,000 sq. ft. (or multiple buildings on a lot that total over 100,000 sq. ft.) must post a Building Energy Efficiency Rating Label near the entrance to their building by October 31, 2021. Reference our article of Local Law 95 for directions on how to print and post your Energy Efficiency label. 

SEPTEMBER 2021

• As of September 23, 2021, Construction Code Determination (CCD1) or Zoning Resolution Determination (ZRD1) documents for applications in the BIS can be found through searching for them in the DOB's Building on My Block portal.
  
  
  
  
• Beginning September 14, 2021, the DOB will not require applicants to pay any fees for filings and permits for work due to damage caused by Hurricane Ida. For more information, please refer to this Service Notice. 
  
• As of September 7, 2021, applications for new DOB-issued licenses/registrations are required to be submitted online through DOB NOW.

AUGUST 2021

• As of August 16, 2021, all New Building and Alt-CO permit applications require the submission of a Property Ownership Certification Form, except for jobs on government-owned properties.

JULY 2021

• A new Façade Violations portal launched in DOB NOW: Safety on July 12, 2021, for submitting civil penalty payments or requests to waive civil penalties.

JUNE 2021

• June 30th Deadlines:
  • Local Law 97 Emissions Adjustment Applications applications must be submitted in DOB NOW: Build by June 30, 2021. June 30th Deadlines:
  • Buildings covered by Local Law 152 in Community Districts 1, 3, & 19 must complete mandatory certified gas piping inspections. 
  • Last day to request a free no-penalty business sign, deck & retaining wall inspection. 

MAY 2021

• Effective May 24, 2021, submit all sidewalk shed removal and earthwork notifications in DOB NOW: Build. The DOB Customer Service Contact Center will no longer accept these notifications by phone.

•  Beginning, May 24, 2021, earthwork notifications for all BIS jobs must be submitted in DOB NOW and will not be accepted by phone. 
  
  
• Beginning May 17, 2021, for applications filed in DOB NOW, the owner must notify the Department of Buildings in DOB NOW: Build at least 72 hours before starting work requiring a Tenant Protection Plan (TPP). 
  
  
• Beginning Monday, May 17, Temporary Place of Assembly (TPA) filings will resume submission in DOB NOW: Build. 
  
  
• Effective May 17, 2021, DOB NOW: Build will be updated with a correction feature for BIS Schedule of Occupancy requests. It will also have an expanded capability for entering job reference numbers. Certificate of Occupancy requests will be fee exempt when applicable.

APRIL 2021

• As of March 1st, large NB and Alt-CO jobs are being assigned to and reviewed by the Development HUB. The DOB is offering pre-development consultations to help clarify complex project scopes and overall development strategies for projects that meet the criteria outlined in this Service Notice:. Applicants seeking a consultation must submit a Pre-Development Consultation Request prior to submission of the initial filing in DOB NOW. 
  
  
• 90-Day TCO Extension: Owners and stakeholders who have taken steps to renew a Temporary Certificate of Occupancy in DOB NOW: Build prior to the expiration date of the TCO are receiving an email from the DOB  Borough Commissioner granting a 90-day extension, subject to all conditions for which the TCO was granted. Once the Schedule of Occupancy request submitted in DOB NOW: Build is approved, a C of O request (of any type) must also be submitted and then approved before there can be any subsequent renewal. Renewal fees will be applied based on the expiration date of the original TCO.
  
  
• Local Law 95/33: Beginning April 29, 2021, the DOB will start issuing violations to owners of buildings over 25,000 sq ft (or multiple buildings on a lot that total 100,000 sq ft or more) that appear on the NYC Benchmarking Covered Buildings List who fail to post an Energy Efficiency Rating Label.

MARCH 2021

• As of March 1, 2021, in accordance with Local Law 106, the DOB will deny New Building and Alteration-CO permits for any building where more than $25,000 in covered arrears is owed to the city. Beginning March 4, 2021, in accordance with Local Law 104, the DOB will deny permits to multiple dwellings with “excessive violations.” 
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• A major update and expansion to DOB Now: Build will take place on Monday, March 1. Prior to this update, the system will be taken offline on Friday, Feb. 26 at 4 PM and will remain offline until the evening of Sunday, Feb. 28. >Read our article for the key information you need to know.
  

• Local Law 152 Deadline Extension: Buildings in Community Districts 1, 3, and 10 must have their gas piping systems inspected by an LMP and file their inspection certification before June 30, 2021.
  
• The deadline for Local Law 191, which requires certain commercial buildings to file CO detection system plans with the FDNY, has been extended to 7/1/21. Request our assistance.
  
• The DOB and DOT offices will be closed on Monday, February 15, 2021 for President's Day.

JANUARY 2021

• Effective January 10, 2021, new buildings and alterations that replace all exterior glazing of a building must comply with bird friendly design construction requirements.