Local Law 11 Inspection in NYC: What Owners Need to Know for Cycle 10 (2026 Update)

If you own or manage a building in New York City that is taller than six stories, the city requires a Local Law 11 inspection of its exterior walls once every five years. Right now, in October 2026, two filing windows are open at the same time, and one of them closes in about four months.

This guide answers the questions owners actually ask: Does my building need it? When is mine due? What happens during a Local Law 11 inspection? What does it cost if I’m late?

Quick answer: what is a Local Law 11 inspection?

A Local Law 11 inspection is a mandatory hands-on examination of a building’s facade and attached elements (balconies, railings, parapets, fire escapes, air conditioner brackets) required by the NYC Department of Buildings for every building greater than six stories. It is now officially called the Façade Inspection & Safety Program (FISP) and is governed by 1 RCNY §103-04.

• Who inspects: a Qualified Exterior Wall Inspector (QEWI), meaning a New York-licensed Professional Engineer or Registered Architect who meets DOB’s experience requirements.
• How often: once per five-year cycle. Cycle 10 runs from February 21, 2025 to February 21, 2029.
• What gets filed: a Critical Examination Report, filed in DOB NOW: Safety within 60 days of finishing the inspection.
• The outcome: each building is rated Safe, SWARMP (Safe With a Repair and Maintenance Program) or Unsafe.

Does my building need a Local Law 11 inspection?

Yes, if the building is greater than six stories above grade. That covers co-ops, condos, rental buildings, mixed-use and commercial properties in all five boroughs. Roughly 16,000 buildings fall under the program each cycle.

A few situations catch owners off guard:

• Newer buildings. A building that recently received its certificate of occupancy may owe its first report in Cycle 10. Local Law 49 of 2025 pushes the first exam for new buildings from the fifth year to the eighth year after completion, but DOB’s implementing rules are still being written. Ask your QEWI which requirement applies to your building today.
• Buildings not on a street. Facades that don’t front a sidewalk or public right-of-way still need to be inspected, though the hands-on portion can be limited to a representative sample (at least one per building) under the 2021 rule amendment.
• Story count. Cellars, setbacks and penthouses can change how stories are counted. The 2021 amendment to §103-04 clarified this. If you’re near the cutoff, get a written determination rather than guessing.
• Shorter buildings with parapets. A five-story walk-up is outside Local Law 11, but it may still owe an annual parapet observation under Local Law 126 of 2021. That’s a separate requirement, covered below.

When is my Local Law 11 inspection due? (Cycle 10 deadlines)

Your due date depends on the last digit of your tax block number. You can find the block number on your property tax bill or by searching the address in DOB NOW.

Source: DOB Cycle 10 sub-cycle diagram.

What the deadline really means: the report must be filed and accepted by the closing date, not just inspected. The QEWI has up to 60 days after the inspection to file, and DOB can reject a report that’s incomplete. If you’re in 10A and haven’t booked yet, the realistic window to schedule access, equipment and your Local Law 11 inspection is now, not January.

Missed Cycle 9 entirely? DOB lets owners whose building shows “No Report Filed” for Cycle 9 request a sub-cycle override and file early in Cycle 10, after paying outstanding penalties. That stops penalties from piling up while you wait for your regular window. See DOB’s early filing service notice.

Is the five-year cycle changing?

Not for Cycle 10. In late 2025, DOB released recommendations from an engineering study by Thornton Tomasetti, including moving to a six-year cycle and letting well-maintained buildings alternate hands-on and visual-only exams. Those changes are aimed at the next cycle starting in 2030 and still have to go through DOB rulemaking. For now, your Cycle 10 Local Law 11 inspection deadline stands.

How a Local Law 11 inspection works, step by step

1. Confirm your sub-cycle and filing history. Pull the building’s FISP record in DOB NOW: Safety. Look for open SWARMP or Unsafe items from Cycle 9, because they affect this cycle’s rating.
2. Hire a QEWI. Only a DOB-approved QEWI can perform a Local Law 11 inspection and sign the report. DOB publishes a list of QEWIs.
3. Review past reports and drawings. The QEWI compares current conditions with the last report and notes anything that has worsened.
4. Plan access. Close-up inspections are required at least every 60 feet along each facade that fronts a public right-of-way, for the full height of the building. That usually means a scaffold drop, swing stage, boom lift or rope access, plus DOB or DOT permits where needed.
5. Hands-on examination. During the Local Law 11 inspection, the inspector checks masonry, terra cotta, lintels, sealants, windows, balconies, railings, fire escapes, parapets and attached equipment. Guards and railings at balconies and terraces are tested to confirm they are secured.
6. Probes, if required. Cavity wall buildings need exploratory openings at least every odd-numbered cycle. Cycle 10 is even-numbered, so probes are only required if the QEWI sees a reason, such as a new or worsening condition.
7. Unsafe conditions are reported immediately. If the QEWI finds an imminent hazard, they must notify DOB and the owner right away, and the owner must install public protection (typically a sidewalk shed).
8. Report filed in DOB NOW: Safety within 60 days of completing the examination, with photos and repair recommendations.
9. Post the certificate. After filing, DOB issues an Exterior Wall Condition Certificate that must be displayed in the lobby or vestibule.

Safe vs. SWARMP vs. Unsafe: what each rating means for you

A common trap: owners who received SWARMP in Cycle 9 and deferred the work assume they’ll get SWARMP again. They won’t. An uncorrected SWARMP item from the last cycle has to be rated Unsafe in Cycle 10, which brings sheds, deadlines and penalties. If you have open Cycle 9 SWARMP items, fixing them before your Cycle 10 Local Law 11 inspection is usually the cheapest move.

If 90 days isn’t enough for Unsafe repairs (common with terra cotta or large masonry rebuilds), your QEWI can request a time extension from DOB, supported with documentation.

What happens if you miss the deadline or skip repairs?

Penalties for Local Law 11 are civil, recurring and they stack. Current amounts are published on DOB’s Façade Fees & Penalties page.

• Late filing: a monthly civil penalty for every month the initial report is late.
• Failure to file: an additional yearly penalty on top of the late-filing penalty.
• Uncorrected SWARMP conditions: a civil penalty, and the condition must be rated Unsafe next cycle.
• Uncorrected Unsafe conditions: monthly penalties on the schedule in 1 RCNY §103-04.
• Sidewalk sheds left up without progress (since January 12, 2026): new penalties under Local Laws 48 and 51 of 2025, charged per missed repair milestone and per linear foot of shed per month (summary of Local Laws 47–51).

Late and failure-to-file penalties start after your sub-cycle window closes. Owners who are already behind can request a penalty waiver from DOB, and Cycle 9 non-filers can use the early-filing option described above.

What changed in 2026: sidewalk shed deadlines

The “Get Sheds Down” laws signed in 2025 don’t change your Local Law 11 inspection deadline, but they change what happens after an Unsafe rating. Since January 12, 2026:

• Sidewalk shed permits last 90 days, not two years. From the second renewal, a design professional must certify that repair work is actually progressing.
• After a shed permit is issued, owners have 5 months to file construction documents, 8 months to get an acceptable work permit application in, and 2 years to finish repairs.
• Since August 15, 2025, new sheds need 12 feet of clearance instead of 8, which can raise rental costs. Containment netting is now allowed where there’s no public access.

In plain terms: an Unsafe rating used to mean a shed could sit for years. Now it starts a clock with real money attached. Budget for repairs at the same time you budget for the Local Law 11 inspection.

What affects the cost of a Local Law 11 inspection?

There’s no standard price. The QEWI’s fee and access costs depend on:

• Height and facade length. More elevations fronting the street mean more required close-up drops.
• Access method. Rope access or a single boom lift costs far less than a full scaffold. Ask the QEWI which method fits your facade.
• Facade material. Terra cotta, brick cavity walls and older stone need more time than modern curtain wall.
• Probes. Optional in Cycle 10 unless conditions call for them.
• History. Open SWARMP items or prior Unsafe filings add work.

Get at least two written proposals that break out the Local Law 11 inspection, access equipment, permits, filing and any amended-report fees. Compare scope, not just the total.

Mistakes we see owners make

• Booking in the last few months of the window. QEWIs, rope-access crews and lift rentals get scarce as deadlines approach. A late Local Law 11 inspection with an Unsafe finding can leave no time to repair before penalties start.
• Assuming the Local Law 11 inspection date is the deadline. The accepted filing is what counts.
• Carrying Cycle 9 SWARMP items forward. They come back as Unsafe.
• Forgetting the annual parapet observation. It’s due every year, not every five. Your FISP report can cover it in the year it’s filed if it includes the required parapet details, but you still need one in the other four years.
• Not filing the amended report. Repairs finished without an amended report filed within two weeks keep the building listed as Unsafe in DOB’s public records and on the lobby certificate.
• Letting tenants find out from the shed. Send a short notice before access equipment goes up. It prevents complaints and access delays.

How to choose a QEWI

• Confirm they’re on DOB’s QEWI list and their PE or RA license is active.
• Ask how many FISP reports they filed in Cycle 9 and for buildings like yours (age, material, height).
• Ask whether they’ll also handle the amended report and repair oversight, so the same professional who rated the facade signs off on the fix.
• Get the proposed access method and number of close-up drops in writing.
• Ask how they handle parapet observation, so it’s bundled into the FISP report in the filing year.

Local Law 11 vs. Local Law 126 parapet inspections

These are often confused. A Local Law 11 inspection (FISP) is a full facade exam every five years for buildings over six stories, filed with DOB. Local Law 126 requires an annual parapet observation for buildings with parapets facing a public right-of-way, regardless of height (detached one- and two-family homes excepted). Parapet reports are kept on file for six years and shown to DOB on request, not filed. Learn more on our NYC parapet inspection page.