II · Approvals
DOB Filings
DOB applications prepared in DOB NOW with your architect or engineer, checked before they go in, and followed until the permit issues.
When you need it
When your project needs a DOB job application, a permit or an amendment to an approved job. Nearly every new job is filed in DOB NOW: Build, and many job types need a registered architect or professional engineer as the applicant of record, who prepares the plans and submits the filing. We work with your architect or engineer, or refer one if you do not have one yet.
Larger projects add more filings, trades and agencies. When a job has several trades, professionals or agencies involved, such as new construction or a major commercial fit-out, we coordinate the filings so the ones that depend on each other do not hold each other up. Before you file, the free property report shows how many jobs, permits and violations are open at the address and whether a certificate of occupancy is on file.
What we do
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Review the project
We review your scope, drawings and property records to find the correct filing type, and map every filing, trade and agency the project involves.
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Prepare the filing
We enter the job in DOB NOW, upload the documents and check them for errors, so your architect or engineer can review and submit it as applicant of record.
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Follow it to approval
We track the filing, coordinate the answers to examiner objections and sequence dependent filings until the job is approved and the permit is issued.
Questions
What requires a DOB permit?
Building, altering, demolishing or changing the use of a building needs a DOB permit, unless the work is a minor alteration or an ordinary repair. DOB lists many of those exemptions in its rules (1 RCNY 101-14), and the list is not exhaustive. Exempt work still has to meet the code, and exempt plumbing and gas work must still be done by a Licensed Master Plumber.
What documents are needed for a permit filing?
Most jobs need plans by a registered architect or engineer, the job filing in DOB NOW signed by the owner, and the supporting documents the work calls for, such as special inspection forms (TR1), energy code documents, an asbestos report (ACP5) and other agencies' approvals. Before the permit issues, the contractor's DOB registration or license and insurance must be on file. We list what your job needs before anything is uploaded.
What are the steps in the NYC permit process?
The applicant files the job in DOB NOW: Build and the owner signs it. A plan examiner reviews it, or the applicant professionally certifies it, and any objections are resolved. Once the job is approved, the contractor is added and the permit is issued, and inspections and sign-off follow the work.
How long does a DOB permit take?
No one can give a fixed time. It depends on the job type, whether the filing is plan-examined or professionally certified, how many rounds of objections it gets and whether other agencies, such as Landmarks, have to approve it. A complete, consistent filing avoids the delays that can be avoided.
What does a DOB permit cost?
DOB charges filing and permit fees set in the Administrative Code, and the amount depends on the type and size of the job. Other agencies involved can charge their own fees. We tell you which apply when we review the project.
Do I need an architect or engineer to file?
Many job types need a licensed professional of record to prepare and certify the plans and submit the filing. We work with yours, or can refer one.
What is DOB NOW, and do I need my own account?
DOB NOW is the NYC DOB's online system for job filings, permits, inspections and fees. The owner, the applicant of record and the contractor each have their own role in it, and each must act on the filing. We help you set up access and do the data entry and document work in the system.
Tell us about your project.
Send the address and what you plan to do. We tell you which permits and filings the work needs and what we would prepare. The review is free.