How to Read DOB Permits and Job Filings

To find out whether work in an NYC building was permitted, look up the address in the Department of Buildings (DOB) systems and check three things: whether a job was filed for that work, whether a permit was issued, and whether the job was signed off at the end. A renovation with no matching job, or a job that never got past “permit issued,” is a question to put to the landlord or seller in writing.

This guide explains the job codes you will see (NB, A1, A2, A3, DM and the newer DOB NOW job types), how a filing differs from a permit and a sign-off, and what each tells you about an apartment you want to rent or buy.

Two systems: BIS and DOB NOW

DOB records live in two places. The Buildings Information System (BIS) holds older job filings and permits. DOB says “most permits are obtained through DOB NOW: Build,” its newer self-service filing system, and DOB’s open dataset of BIS permits notes that it covers BIS only because most current permits are now issued in DOB NOW. For any building with a long history, you usually need to check both.

• BIS: search the address, then open Jobs/Filings from the Property Profile Overview. Each row shows a job number, job type and job status.
• DOB NOW: use the public address search. DOB NOW job filing numbers start with a borough letter (B, M, Q, S or X for the Bronx), then eight digits, then a suffix such as -I1 for the initial filing, -P1 for a post-approval amendment or -S1 for a subsequent filing.

Job types, decoded

The job type tells you how big the work was and, most importantly, whether it changed the building’s legal use, exits or occupancy. That is the line between work that needs a new Certificate of Occupancy and work that does not.

Work types inside a job

One job can carry several permits, one per work type. DOB’s permit dataset describes each record as “the life cycle of one permit for one work type.” The most useful codes for an apartment are:

Electrical and elevator work are filed separately in DOB NOW and are published in separate datasets, so a kitchen renovation may show a General Construction and Plumbing permit in one place and the electrical permit in another.

Filing vs permit vs sign-off

These three words get confused, and the difference is the whole point of a permit search.

1. 1

   Filing (application)

   A licensed professional, usually an architect or engineer, files the job and plans. A filing alone does not allow any work. In BIS the early statuses read “Pre-Filed” (A) or “A/P Entire” (D).
2. 2

   Plan approval

   A plan examiner reviews the plans, or the applicant professionally certifies them. Professionally certified plans skip plan review but can be audited. BIS status “Approved” (P).
3. 3

   Permit issued

   Now work may start. BIS shows “Permit-Entire” (R) or “Permit-Partial” (Q); DOB NOW shows “Permit Issued” or “Permit Entire.” A DOB NOW permit expires no later than one year after issue (sooner if the contractor’s license or insurance lapses) and must be renewed if work continues.
4. 4

   Inspections and sign-off

   When work is finished, the required inspections and sign-offs are completed. In BIS the job reaches “Signed-Off” (code X); in DOB NOW the final statuses read “LOC Issued” (Letter of Completion) or “CO Issued.” Jobs that change use, egress or occupancy end with a new or amended Certificate of Occupancy; others end with a Letter of Completion.

Was the renovation in this apartment legal?

Use this sequence when a listing shows a new kitchen, a moved wall, an extra bedroom or a finished basement.

1. Decide whether the work needed a permit. DOB’s exempt list includes painting, plastering, installing new cabinets, replacing plumbing fixtures, resurfacing floors and non-structural roof repair. Ordinary plumbing that needs no permit must still be done by a Licensed Master Plumber. Anything that moves walls, plumbing lines or gas lines, or changes rooms, almost always needs one. See when you need a DOB permit.
2. Search both systems by address. Look for a job in the right years whose description and floor match the apartment. DOB NOW records include a floor and apartment number field, which BIS records often lack.
3. Check the job type. A new bedroom carved out of a living room is usually A2 or Alteration. A basement turned into an apartment, or one apartment split into two, changes occupancy and should show as A1 or Alteration CO.
4. Check the status. You want “Signed-Off” in BIS or “LOC Issued” / “CO Issued” in DOB NOW, not just “Permit Issued” or “Permit Entire.”
5. Compare with the CO. If the unit count or use on the Certificate of Occupancy doesn’t match the listing, read how to read a certificate of occupancy.
6. Check for violations. Work done without a permit often shows up later as a DOB or ECB violation. Look up the building on Roofy and read DOB violations explained.

Emergency work

Licensed contractors may start emergency work before a permit is issued, but DOB says they must file an Emergency Work Notification within two business days after the work is finished. A burst-pipe repair may therefore show up as a filing dated after the work.

What to look for on a Roofy building page

Roofy building pages do not yet list DOB permits. They show the parts of the record that tell you how a past job turned out:

• DOB and ECB violations, which is where unpermitted work, failure to maintain and work-without-permit penalties appear.
• Building details from city planning data: building type, year built, floors and residential units. If the listing describes more units than the page shows, look for an A1 or Alteration CO job.
• Block and lot, which you can use to search DOB and ACRIS precisely. See BBL and BIN explained.

For a full walkthrough of a building page, read how to read a building page on Roofy.

Limits of the record

• The BIS data dictionary warns that most data in its job dataset comes from the original application form and is not updated as details change during plan review.
• Job descriptions are written by applicants and can be vague, such as “interior renovation.”
• No filing does not always mean illegal work: the work may have been exempt, or filed under a neighboring address or lot.
• This is general information, not legal or engineering advice. For a purchase, your attorney and a licensed architect or engineer can review open jobs; see what a real estate attorney does.