A Qualified Exterior Wall Inspector is a licensed architect or professional engineer authorized by the New York City Department of Buildings to examine building facades and file the technical reports required under the Facade Inspection and Safety Program (FISP). If you own a building taller than six stories anywhere in NYC, you are legally required to hire one every five years to inspect all exterior walls and attachments and submit a report classifying the facade’s condition.1NYC Buildings. Facade and Local Law The program is currently in Cycle 10, which runs from February 21, 2025 through February 20, 2030.2NYC Department of Buildings. FISP Cycle 10 Sub-Cycle Diagram
You may still hear the requirement called “Local Law 11,” the name of the 1998 legislation that established it. The current rules are codified in NYC Construction Code Section 28-302.1 and in 1 RCNY 103-04, and the Department now uses FISP as the official program name.3NYC Department of Buildings. 1 RCNY 103-04
Which Buildings Must Hire a QEWI
Every NYC building taller than six stories is covered, regardless of use. The requirement applies to all exterior walls and their attachments, which includes balconies, railings, cornices, terra cotta ornamentation, and window framing.1NYC Buildings. Facade and Local Law Buildings six stories or shorter are not subject to FISP.
Not every covered building files at the same time. Each five-year cycle is split into three sub-cycles, and the last digit of your building’s tax block number tells you which window applies. For Cycle 10:
- Blocks ending in 4, 5, 6, or 9 file during Sub-Cycle A (February 2025 through February 2026).
- Blocks ending in 0, 7, or 8 file during Sub-Cycle B.
- Blocks ending in 1, 2, or 3 file during Sub-Cycle C.2NYC Department of Buildings. FISP Cycle 10 Sub-Cycle Diagram
Check your block number early. Missing your sub-cycle window is where penalties start, and the clock does not pause while you look for an inspector.
Who Qualifies as a QEWI
A QEWI must first be a Registered Design Professional, meaning a licensed architect or a licensed professional engineer registered with New York State. Once a design professional meets the Department’s qualification standards, they can apply for QEWI status, which grants them access to file FISP reports through the DOB NOW: Safety portal.4NYC Department of Buildings. Facade Filing Requirements
A QEWI may delegate inspection fieldwork to qualified people working under direct supervision. Those delegates need either a bachelor’s degree in architecture or engineering plus at least three years of relevant FISP inspection experience, or at least five years of FISP inspection experience without the degree.3NYC Department of Buildings. 1 RCNY 103-04 Regardless of who climbs the ropes, the QEWI remains personally responsible for the final report.
What to Verify Before You Hire
Confirm that the architect or engineer license is in good standing and that the individual holds active QEWI status with DOB. A report filed by someone without proper credentials can be rejected outright, and any deviation from the required format under 1 RCNY 103-04 gives the Department grounds to reject the filing.4NYC Department of Buildings. Facade Filing Requirements A rejected report is treated as no filing at all, and the penalty clock starts.
What the Inspection Involves
The QEWI begins with a visual survey of all exterior walls from street level and accessible rooftops. That overview catches broad patterns such as large cracks, bulging masonry, and water staining, but it does not satisfy the rule on its own. The regulations require a hands-on examination, meaning the QEWI must get within arm’s reach of facade surfaces that face public areas like sidewalks and streets.
Reaching upper floors usually means industrial rope access or suspended scaffolding. During the descent, the inspector checks masonry joints for cracking and mortar deterioration, examines balconies and railings for stability, and inspects window perimeters and sealants for water infiltration or detachment from the structural frame. Tapping surfaces with small tools to listen for hollow sounds is standard practice; it detects delamination, a condition where materials have separated from the wall beneath and are not always visible from outside.
What the Owner Should Have Ready
Before the QEWI arrives, pull together your Borough, Block, and Lot (BBL) numbers and your Building Identification Number (BIN). These identifiers appear on every filing form. If the building was inspected in a prior cycle, locate those reports so the QEWI can track whether earlier conditions have worsened, stabilized, or been repaired. Also prepare the building’s total height in feet, current ownership details, and a summary of any major exterior repairs or alterations completed since the last filing.5NYC Department of Buildings. Facade Inspection and Safety Program (FISP) Filing Instructions Incomplete or contradictory repair history is one of the most common reasons filings stall during Department review.
The Report and Its Three Possible Ratings
After the examination, the QEWI submits an electronic technical report through DOB NOW: Safety. Paper submissions are not accepted.6NYC Department of Buildings. DOB NOW Safety Facade FAQs The report includes findings, supporting photographs, and a classification of the facade into one of three categories:1NYC Buildings. Facade and Local Law
- Safe: No defects found. The facade will not become unsafe during the next five years, and no repairs are required before the next cycle.
- Safe With a Repair and Maintenance Program (SWARMP): The facade is safe at inspection but has conditions that must be repaired within the next five years to prevent deterioration into an unsafe state.
- Unsafe: The facade is hazardous to people or property and requires repair within one year of the critical examination.
Keep the DOB NOW confirmation receipt. It serves as proof of timely submission if a dispute arises later. The Department’s review of the report can take several weeks to several months depending on volume and complexity, and the filing shows a pending status in the meantime.
Why SWARMP Should Not Be Treated as Optional
A SWARMP rating can sound reassuring because the facade is safe today, but it carries a built-in trap. If you do not complete the identified repairs before the next inspection cycle, any lingering SWARMP condition the next QEWI finds must be reclassified as Unsafe.1NYC Buildings. Facade and Local Law That escalation triggers immediate protective measures and compressed repair deadlines. Budget for SWARMP repairs early in the cycle rather than waiting until the next filing window approaches.
What an Unsafe Rating Triggers
An Unsafe classification demands fast action. The owner must immediately install public protection, typically a sidewalk shed or construction fence, to shield pedestrians from falling debris.1NYC Buildings. Facade and Local Law Sidewalk sheds are expensive to rent and maintain, often costing tens of thousands of dollars over the life of a repair project.
Repairs must be completed within 90 days of filing the technical report. If that timeline is not feasible, the owner must request an extension no later than 104 days from the original filing date.1NYC Buildings. Facade and Local Law Miss the 104-day extension deadline and there is no procedural way to catch up short of completing the work and paying whatever penalties have accrued. The extension request itself costs $305.7NYC Department of Buildings. Facade Fees and Penalties
Fees and Penalties
The initial FISP filing fee is $425. Amended or subsequent filings also cost $425, and an extension-of-time request to complete repairs runs $305.7NYC Department of Buildings. Facade Fees and Penalties DOB NOW calculates fees automatically based on the information entered.6NYC Department of Buildings. DOB NOW Safety Facade FAQs
The Department enforces compliance through escalating penalties:
- Late filing: $1,000 for every month an acceptable report is not filed after the deadline.
- Failure to file: $5,000 for each year after the end of the sub-cycle filing window that an acceptable report remains outstanding.
These penalties run concurrently, so a missed deadline produces monthly fines that stack on top of the annual penalty once the sub-cycle window closes.8NYC Department of Buildings. Resolving DOB Facade Violations To resolve a failure-to-file violation, you must pay the accumulated penalties and submit an acceptable report. The Department accepts waiver-of-penalty requests at $140 per request, but approval is not guaranteed.7NYC Department of Buildings. Facade Fees and Penalties
Beyond the direct fines, an unresolved facade violation can block other DOB permits for the property, complicate real estate transactions, and expose the owner to personal injury liability if someone is hurt by falling debris. The posted penalties look manageable in isolation; the downstream consequences of ignoring them do not.