FISP Facade Inspections (Local Law 11) Explained

Every NYC building taller than six stories must file a facade inspection report once every five years, within a two-year window set by the last digit of its tax block number. In the current Cycle 10, blocks ending in 4, 5, 6 or 9 are due between February 21, 2025 and February 21, 2027; blocks ending in 0, 7 or 8 between February 21, 2026 and February 21, 2028; and blocks ending in 1, 2 or 3 between February 21, 2027 and February 21, 2029.

The program is the Facade Inspection & Safety Program (FISP), often still called Local Law 11 after the local law behind it. The rules are in Department of Buildings (DOB) rule 1 RCNY § 103-04. Each report rates the building Safe, SWARMP or Unsafe, and each rating comes with its own deadlines.

Cycle 10 filing windows

As of October 2026, windows 10A and 10B are open and 10C opens in February 2027. Find your block number in the BBL on Roofy's building lookup (see BBL and BIN explained), or let the facade cycle checker work it out.

• New buildings: the first report is due five years after the first TCO or CO if that date falls inside the building's window; otherwise it is due in the window of the next cycle.
• Complexes: an owner of several tall buildings on contiguous lots that fall in different windows may file them all in one window, but must tell DOB 180 days before that window ends and keep using it while they own the property.
• Catching up early: starting in Cycle 10, a building whose latest status is "No Report Filed" may file a Safe or SWARMP report before its window (after a sub-cycle override in DOB NOW: Safety) to stop penalties from growing, provided all penalties are paid.

Safe, SWARMP and Unsafe

The building's overall rating follows its worst condition: one unsafe condition makes the whole building Unsafe; any SWARMP condition with no unsafe ones makes it SWARMP. The same condition at the same location cannot be filed as SWARMP for two cycles in a row.

After an Unsafe report

1. 1

   The QEWI notifies DOB and you right away

   Upon finding an unsafe condition, the inspector must immediately notify the Department and the owner and advise on protection.
2. 2

   Protect the public

   Install a sidewalk shed, fence, safety netting or other measures as needed. This usually requires a DOB permit.
3. 3

   Repair within 90 days

   Unsafe conditions must be corrected within 90 days of the report. If the scope makes that impossible, the QEWI recommends a timeframe and you must follow it.
4. 4

   Ask for an extension if needed

   DOB may grant up to 90 more days with proof the site is secured, the repair contract, the QEWI’s time estimate, permit details and a notarized owner affidavit. Cost is not an accepted reason.
5. 5

   Re-inspect and file an amended report

   Within two weeks of finishing repairs, the QEWI inspects and files an amended report. The shed stays up until DOB accepts it, unless DOB approves early removal.

FISP penalties

Example: a 100-foot shed over an unsafe facade in its third year costs $1,000 + (100 × $20) = $3,000 a month. You can challenge a penalty in writing within 30 days of service with proof of compliance, such as an accepted report or approved extension. Waivers are possible in limited cases, including a new owner who bought after penalties accrued, a bankruptcy court order, a declared state of emergency that prevented the inspection, filing or repairs, or a full demolition signed off by DOB.

What the inspection involves

• Your QEWI designs an inspection program for the building and examines all exterior walls and appurtenances, except wall sections less than 12 inches from an adjacent building.
• Close-up ("hands-on") inspections from a scaffold drop or similar platform are required at least every 60 feet of facade fronting a public right-of-way. Drones and photography do not replace them.
• Starting with Cycle 9, cavity wall construction must be probed to check wall ties, and at least every odd-numbered cycle after that, unless an exception applies.
• The report must be filed within 60 days of the QEWI completing the examination, or a new examination is needed. If DOB rejects it, a revised report is due within 45 days.
• QEWIs must keep inspection records for at least six years.

Post the certificate

Once DOB accepts the report it issues a conditions certificate. Post it in a frame with a transparent cover in the lobby or vestibule within 30 days. It shows the most recent condition of the facade, so tenants and buyers will see it.

Planning ahead

1. Confirm your block number and window, and book a QEWI early in the window; scaffold access takes time to arrange.
2. Budget for SWARMP repairs during the cycle so they are not reclassified as Unsafe next time.
3. Coordinate facade work with other cycles, such as Local Law 152 gas piping inspections, using the landlord compliance calendar.
4. Co-op and condo owners: read what owners pay for under Local Law 11.

For how often inspections find unsafe facades citywide, see NYC facade inspections: how many buildings are unsafe.