IV · Close-out
Sign-Offs & Certificate of Occupancy
Finishing the work is only half the job. We coordinate the final inspections and paperwork that close your job with DOB.
When you need it
When the work is finished and the job has to be closed with DOB. A job that is not signed off can leave open permits, block future filings and cause problems at a sale or a refinance.
What closes the job depends on the work. A Letter of Completion closes work that does not need a new or amended certificate of occupancy. Work that changes the use, egress or occupancy needs an updated certificate of occupancy instead, first a temporary one (TCO) if some items are still open, then the final one. To see what is on record for a building now, the free property report shows whether a certificate of occupancy is on file and the date of the latest one, and how many jobs and permits are open.
What we do
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Audit what is open
We review what is outstanding before the job can be signed off: open items, objections and conditions.
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Schedule the inspections
We coordinate the final DOB inspection, the special and progress inspections and the TR1 and TR8 close-out.
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Clear conditions and close
We resolve any remaining objections or conditions, follow through to the Letter of Completion or the certificate of occupancy, and confirm that the job is closed.
Questions
What is a Certificate of Occupancy?
It is DOB's document stating a building's legal use and type of occupancy. New buildings need one, and an existing building needs a new or amended one when its use, egress or occupancy changes. A certificate of occupancy has no expiration date.
How do I get a certificate of occupancy?
At the end of the job, once the work is complete, the final inspections are done, the required inspection reports such as the TR1 and TR8 are in, open violations are resolved and fees are paid, the certificate of occupancy is requested in DOB NOW: Build. DOB reviews the request and issues the certificate, or a TCO if some items are still outstanding.
What is a TCO, and how long does it last?
A Temporary Certificate of Occupancy lets people occupy a building, or part of it, that DOB has found safe while outstanding items are finished. DOB says TCOs typically expire 90 days after they are issued, and a TCO can be renewed while the remaining items are resolved.
What happens if a TCO expires?
No one may legally occupy a building without a certificate of occupancy or a TCO, so an expired TCO leaves the space without a valid certificate. DOB warns that a lapsed TCO can make the property hard to insure, sell or refinance. Renew it before the date, or finish the items for the final certificate.
What is a Letter of Completion?
It is DOB's sign-off for work that did not need a new or amended certificate of occupancy, issued once the job's inspections and paperwork are complete. Work that changes use, egress or occupancy closes with a certificate of occupancy instead.
Can you sign off a job another firm filed?
Often yes, provided the filing and inspection records are available. We review them and advise.
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.