How to Fill Out and File the ZD1 Zoning Diagram (NYC DOB)

The ZD1 Zoning Diagram is a certified set of drawings a licensed architect or professional engineer prepares and files with the NYC Department of Buildings to show that a new building or enlargement complies with the Zoning Resolution. In New York City, the ZD1 zoning diagram is submitted through the DOB NOW: Build portal as part of the broader construction permit application, and it must sit on the Department’s official 11-by-17-inch template.¹ At a minimum it includes a site plan and an axonometric, each citing the Zoning Resolution sections that govern every dimension shown.

When You Need to File a ZD1

The Department requires a ZD1 with all initial filings for two categories of work: new building applications and alteration enlargement applications.¹ An alteration enlargement is any project that expands the footprint or adds floor area, whether that is a vertical addition, a horizontal extension, or both. A Post-Approval Amendment that changes zoning-related elements of an already-approved project also requires an updated ZD1.

Interior renovations that don’t add floor area or alter the building envelope generally don’t trigger the form. The deciding question is whether the work changes the bulk of the structure in a way that implicates floor area ratio, building height, setbacks, or yard requirements. NYC Administrative Code Section 28-104.7.1 requires construction documents to show that proposed work conforms to applicable laws, and the ZD1 is the Department’s standardized tool for proving zoning compliance on projects that affect a building’s three-dimensional presence on its lot.²

What to Gather Before You Draw

Every field on the ZD1 draws from the same core set of property and zoning data. Pulling it together before drafting keeps objections off the first review.

Borough, Block, and Lot (BBL). The three-number identifier for the tax lot, available through the Department of Finance’s property search or the city’s ZoLa GIS tool.³
Zoning district. The designation on the official zoning map controls permitted uses, maximum building height, required yards, and floor area ratio. Check for overlay districts and special districts, which layer additional rules on top of the base district.
Floor Area Ratio (FAR). The ratio of total building floor area to lot area. A 5,000-square-foot lot in a FAR 2.0 district allows up to 10,000 square feet of floor area. The diagram must show both the permitted FAR and the proposed floor area.
BSA or CPC approvals. If the project relies on a variance or special permit from the Board of Standards and Appeals or the City Planning Commission, those approval details go in a dedicated section of the form.⁴
Existing and proposed site conditions. Front, side, and rear yard dimensions; lot coverage; building footprint; curb cuts; parking areas; open spaces; and street frontages. Every element on the diagram must be labeled as either “existing” or “proposed.”

Confirm the design professional is working from the current zoning maps. Districts get amended more often than most owners realize, and a diagram built on an outdated map draws an objection that costs weeks to resolve.

Drawing the Required Diagrams

The ZD1 is not a single sheet. It requires at least two distinct diagrams, each on its own page of the 11-by-17-inch form from the Department’s website.¹ No individual diagram can exceed one page, and all text must be at least 8-point so it stays legible after the Department scans the document.

Site Plan

The site plan is a bird’s-eye view of the lot showing the building footprint, all yard dimensions, lot coverage, and lot area. Each of those must cite the specific Zoning Resolution section that governs it. The site plan must also show:

Wide and narrow street designations
Zoning district boundaries, overlays, and special districts
Open space, plazas, and arcades
Curb cuts, splays, and curbs
Designated parking areas and driveways
Accessory structures such as garages and sheds
Decks, swimming pools, retaining walls, and fences
Distance to the nearest corner
North arrow, scale, and legend

Residential lots must additionally demonstrate compliance with the lot width and lot area minimums under Zoning Resolution Section 23-32.¹

Axonometric

The axonometric is a three-dimensional projection of the entire building bulk. Where applicable it must include dimensioned building height, street wall heights, setbacks, permitted obstructions, and the sky exposure plane. If a permitted obstruction affects the bulk of the building, the diagram must also show the maximum building envelope. Every element carries a citation to the Zoning Resolution section that controls it.¹

Optional Section Diagram

A cross-section can be added to clarify vertical relationships like height transitions, setback depths, or sky exposure plane angles that are hard to read on the axonometric. The Department doesn’t require it, but on projects with multiple setback tiers or sloping lots, including one tends to head off examiner questions.

Who Prepares and Certifies the Form

Only a Registered Design Professional, meaning a licensed architect (RA) or professional engineer (PE), can prepare and certify the ZD1. That professional serves as the Applicant of Record and takes legal responsibility for every measurement and calculation on the form. The ZD1 itself warns that anyone found to have knowingly or negligently falsified a certification may be barred from filing further applications with the Department.⁴

Filing Through DOB NOW: Build

The ZD1 is uploaded as part of a job filing in DOB NOW: Build. The general sequence looks like this:

Set up accounts. The Applicant of Record, the property owner, and any filing representatives each need an NYC.ID linked to a DOB NOW profile. Licensees must also complete an eFiling registration tying their professional license to the system.⁵
Upload the documents. The ZD1 goes up alongside the full construction document set, the PW1 application form, and any required schedules. The diagram must sit on the official 11-by-17-inch template.
Collect attestations. The applicant (PE or RA), the property owners, and other stakeholders each electronically sign the job filing. The applicant provides a final electronic signature at the preview stage before submission.⁶
Pay the filing fee. For a new building other than a one-to-three-family home that is under seven stories and under 100,000 square feet, the fee is $0.26 per square foot of total floor area, with a $280 minimum. Buildings seven stories or more, or 100,000 square feet or more, pay $0.45 per square foot, with a $290 minimum. Alteration fees are calculated based on the cost of the work.⁷

Once submitted, the filing receives a job number you can use to track status through the DOB NOW public portal.

Review, Objections, and the Pro-Cert Option

A plan examiner reviews the ZD1 and the full document set to verify that every dimension, setback, and floor area calculation complies with the Zoning Resolution. If the examiner finds a problem, they issue written objections. Common ones include misidentified zoning districts, incorrect FAR calculations, missing Zoning Resolution citations on the diagrams, and yard dimensions that don’t match district requirements. Each objection has to be resolved, usually by submitting corrected drawings, before the permit can be issued.

Projects that qualify for the Department’s Professional Certification (Pro-Cert) program can skip the plan examination step. Under Pro-Cert, the Registered Design Professional certifies that the plans comply with all applicable laws, and if all required documents are present the application is approved at the end of data entry without Department review.⁸ Pro-Cert has to be selected at pre-filing; you can’t switch to it once a standard filing is already in the queue. The tradeoff is accountability: the certifying professional carries significant liability, and the Department audits a percentage of Pro-Cert filings after permits issue.

Changing an Approved ZD1

If the scope of work changes after approval, you file a Post-Approval Amendment. Before filing, check the Buildings Information System (BISWeb) to confirm the initial document information and make sure no other PAAs are open on the same job. All related PAAs must be approved or withdrawn before a new one can go in.⁹

On the revised ZD1, every change must be graphically outlined (bubbled) and marked with the PAA’s revision number. Bubbles from previously approved PAAs have to be removed before the new filing, so only the current round of changes is highlighted. The title block needs a revision block listing amendments for that sheet, plus a running record of all approved PAAs with their numeric designation, approval date, and description.¹⁰

The PAA itself uses the PW1 form with the “Amendment” option selected. Sections 1 through 4 and Section 16 (Comments) are always required, and Section 16 must describe the specific change. Withdrawing an open PAA costs $100 at the cashier counter.⁹

1
New York City Department of Buildings. ZD1 Zoning Diagram Guide
2
New York City Administrative Code. New York City Administrative Code Section 28-104.7.1
3
NYC311. Borough-Block-Lot (BBL) Lookup
4
NYC Department of Buildings. ZD1 Zoning Diagram Form
5
NYC Department of Buildings. DOB NOW and eFiling Registration Steps and Tips
6
NYC Department of Buildings. Filing Through DOB NOW Build
7
New York City Administrative Code. New York City Administrative Code Section 28-112.2
8
NYC Department of Buildings. Professional Certification
9
NYC Department of Buildings. Post Approval Amendment (PAA)
10
NYC Buildings. Drawing Standards for Plan/Work Applications Checklist of Graphic Standards