FISP & Local Law 11 questions, answered

FISP, the Facade Inspection Safety Program, is the NYC law requiring buildings taller than six stories to have their exterior walls inspected by a Qualified Exterior Wall Inspector every five years and file a report with the Department of Buildings. It began as Local Law 11 of 1998.

Any building greater than six stories, in any borough, regardless of use. A building must first comply during the first cycle beginning after five years have passed since its certificate of occupancy.

Your sub-cycle is set by the last digit of your tax block number. Blocks ending 4, 5, 6, or 9 are 10A (Feb 21, 2025 to Feb 21, 2027); 0, 7, or 8 are 10B (Feb 21, 2026 to Feb 21, 2028); and 1, 2, or 3 are 10C (Feb 21, 2027 to Feb 21, 2029). Use the deadline tool on our home page or call us with your address.

Late filing accrues DOB penalties of $1,000 per month, and a building with no report on file accrues $5,000 per year, plus separate violations for any hazardous facade conditions.

The QEWI classifies each elevation as Safe (no problem conditions), SWARMP (Safe With a Repair and Maintenance Program - conditions that must be corrected before the next cycle), or Unsafe (conditions requiring immediate public protection and expedited repair).

Only a Qualified Exterior Wall Inspector - a New York State licensed professional engineer or registered architect with at least seven years of relevant experience - may perform the critical examination and file the report.

No. We handle the engineering scope: the QEWI inspection, the DOB NOW filing, and, when repairs are required, progress inspections that confirm the work is done to code before we re-inspect and amend the filing. The physical repairs are performed by a general contractor.

Yes. A SWARMP classification from a prior cycle has to be corrected and re-filed, or it becomes an Unsafe finding. We re-examine the conditions, provide progress inspections while your contractor completes the repairs to code, and file the amended report with the DOB so the building is brought current.

Yes. Cycle 10 includes an amnesty path that lets buildings with a No Report Filed status stop penalties from accruing by filing an early initial report and paying pending penalties before approval. We can guide you through it.

Cost scales with the building - its height, the number of elevations, total facade area, ornament complexity, and how the inspector can physically reach the wall. We scope each building individually and confirm pricing before anything begins.

Yes. FISP obligations run with the property, so a missed filing or open Unsafe condition becomes the new owner's liability, penalties included. Checking a building's FISP status before closing is inexpensive due diligence.

Early in your filing window. More than sixteen thousand buildings fall under FISP with a limited pool of qualified inspectors. Booking early leaves time to correct any SWARMP or Unsafe conditions and reach an accepted report without an emergency.