New York City Department of Buildings
09/23/2026 | Press release | Distributed by Public on 09/23/2026 15:22
Buildings News: September 23, 2026
DOB in Your Community
Our next DOB in Your Community event is scheduled to take place in Borough Park, Brooklyn, on Sunday, October 18th.
These events provide homeowners, small business owners, and small property owners with 1-on-1 guidance from DOB staff on obtaining permits, resolving violations, and getting answers to their building's related questions.
This free event gives New Yorkers the opportunity to meet with DOB representatives right in their own neighborhood. Registration is encouraged.
Reserve Your Spot For This Free Event
Check Out Our Other Upcoming Events
9/11 Memorial at DOB
To commemorate the 25th Anniversary of the events of September 11th, 2001, former and current members of the Department unveiled a new permanent memorial at our headquarters building in Lower Manhattan.
This memorial plaque hangs in the public first floor customer service atrium of the building, and is the first ever official 9/11-related memorial specifically dedicated to members of the Department of Buildings and their families who answered the call and responded in the aftermath of the terrorist attack.
Department inspectors, engineers, architects, and administrative staff played a critical role assisting first responders at ground zero directly following the attacks, as well as in subsequent recovery operations. In total, Department staff conducted structural stability inspections and damage assessments of over 400 impacted buildings in Lower Manhattan.
The memorial plaque will serve as a permanent reminder of the service, sacrifice, and enduring legacy of our colleagues and their families, as well as all those who later lost their lives to 9/11-related illnesses.
Watch a Video of DOB Stories in the Aftermath of 9/11
Climate Week: New Local Law 97 Report
In New York City, over two thirds of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions that are released into the atmosphere are attributed to buildings. This Climate Week, city agencies are celebrating the progress made on a number of key climate initiatives to improve the energy efficiency and health of the city's largest buildings.
A new report released by DOB ahead of Climate week includes new information on the first year of enforcement of Local Law 97, the city's landmark carbon emissions reduction law.
The data from this newly released report shows that 95 percent of the approximately 20,000 covered private properties that were required to file a Local Law 97 compliance report with the Department in 2025, did so. For the buildings that measured their carbon emissions under the performance pathway, 95 percent of those buildings were found to be under their limit. This data for the first compliance year of Local Law 97 is a major accomplishment from the building ownership and service provider communities, and a win for New York City's public health and climate goals.
Check Out the New Local Law 97 Report
Read More About The New Data in The City Reporter
Find out more about Local Law 97
Fraudulent SST Card Provider Shut Down
Following a multi-agency investigation, the Department of Buildings shuttered the safety training course provider RedCode, Inc. and will be invalidating all Site Safety Training (SST) identification cards and course certificates issued by the company. This decision followed the Brooklyn District Attorney's Office's announcement that the company has been indicted on fraud-related charges which include illegally selling SST cards to workers without offering the prerequisite safety training.
Construction workers who obtained certificates and SST cards from RedCode were given a 90-day grace period before their cards will be invalidated and no longer allow them on to larger work sites around the city.
For workers impacted by this action, our partners at the NYC Department of Small Business Services (SBS) are offering free safety training through SBS-authorized training providers.
In a separate case, the Manhattan District Attorney's Office announced a Guilty plea made by the Training Director of Valor Security, for operating a similar shuttered safety training school that was improperly issuing SST cards without providing the prerequisite training.
Also, the New York Attorney General's Office announced the shuttering of Basic Group, an architecture and construction consulting firm, for defrauding DOB, and barred a licensed architect from future DOB business for his role in the scheme.
Get Free SST Course Training Here
Read DOB's Press Release on RedCode
Housing Court Fast Track
Mayor Zohran Mamdani and senior administration officials announced a new Housing Court Fast Track initiative last month to speed up these critical New York City Civil Court cases and better hold bad actors accountable. Under this directive, Housing Court judges will expedite certain hearing cases involving vacate orders, immediately hazardous building-wide conditions, and elevator outages, as well as Article 7A proceedings for the appointment of third-party building management.
This announcement is the latest initiative aimed at improving conditions for tenants living in New York City, and uphold existing laws that protect New Yorkers.
Existing Building Code
New York City's Existing Building Code (EBC) will help streamline the building alteration application process for applicants and property owners, when the new Code officially goes into effect on July 17, 2027.
The EBC creates a single unified set of regulations that applies to renovation and alteration projects regardless of the age of the building or the prior code status.
Leading up to the effective date of the new Code DOB has created new resources to better prepare industry members for next year.
Check Out The Latest Edition of Our EBC Newsletter
Learn More at our EBC Resource Page
Learn More About the Existing Building Code
Overdose Prevention Outreach
Studies have shown that workers in the construction industry have among the highest rates of drug overdose mortality of any occupational group in the country. DOB sees education related to overdose prevention and mental health issues as a critical part of our overall construction safety mission.
That's why the agency has partnered with NYC Health + Hospitals (H+H) to conduct multilingual outreach at active construction sites. At these events, workers were provided with information about the dangers of drug misuse, what to do if they are suffering from a mental health crisis, and how to administer Naloxone, a life-saving medication that is designed to rapidly reverse the effects of an opioid overdose.
Important Notice
DOB has scheduled a comprehensive internal software update this coming weekend which will temporarily impact our online services.
DOB NOW modules and the Buildings Information System (BIS) will be unavailable beginning on Friday, September 25 at 5:00 pm until Saturday, September 26, 2026, at 11:00 pm.
Service Updates
Supersede Request Required for Transferring Electrical Jobs to Another Licensee
Required Documents to be Submitted in DOB NOW: Build for Job Filings in Designated Wetland Areas
Local Law 48 and Local Law 51 of 2025 - Sidewalk Shed Progress Report and Progress Report Fee
Builders Pavement Plan Filings to Launch in DOB NOW: Build
DOHMH Radon and Vapor Level Certificate for Ancillary Dwelling Units Submitted in DOB NOW: Build
All Department Service Updates
Work For DOB
We are looking for qualified construction, boiler and plumbing professionals to join our ranks as DOB inspectors.
Please check out our jobs page to see what openings we have at the agency.
Check Out Our New Recruitment Video
Apply for Open Positions at DOB
Learn More About Careers at DOB
Hearings + Rules
1 RCNY 3307-03 Rules regarding Sidewalk Sheds
Public Hearing: 09/24/2026 @ 11:00AM
1 RCNY 3307-02 Rule relating to Containment Netting
Public Hearing: 10/05/2026 @ 11:00AM
Buildings Bulletins
2026-013 : This Bulletin clarifies when a UPS can be used as an emergency power source without special permission.
Cold-Formed Steel
Earlier this month, DOB responded to a structural collapse at a construction site in the Mott Haven section of the Bronx.
DOB's inspection found a litany of issues, including the lack of shoring and bracing required to support temporary construction material storage loads. It was determined that workers had begun placing heavy materials onto the newly installed cold-formed steel framing before it has been properly supported, leading to the collapse.
Incidents involving cold-formed steel like this can easily lead to serious injuries or worse, and they are unfortunately common in New York City.
If you are utilizing cold-formed steel for your next project, you must adhere to BC 3305.8, take all required precautions, and perform work in the appropriate sequence to prevent a similar incident.
Natural Gas Detectors
Starting on January 1, 2027, residential property owners will be required to install natural gas detectors near gas-fed appliances at their apartment buildings, hotels, one- and two-family homes, and and all Class B dwellings (such as hotels).
DOB has identified multiple battery-operated detectors that are commercially available and can be used to meet the new requirement.
The Department does not recommend any specific manufacturer or product. Whichever natural gas alarm is chosen, owners and property managers must confirm that the device is listed and labeled to UL 1484 standards as per agency rule.
Check out our FAQ Guide for Natural Gas Detectors
Enforcement Bulletins
DOB publishes monthly bulletins detailing the agency's efforts to sanction and deter bad actors in the construction industry. You can find this information posted on the Enforcement Action Bulletin page of our website.
Additional Disciplinary Actions & Voluntary Surrenders
Local Laws
Code Notes
DOB Code Notes covers an array of construction projects for both residential and commercial properties. Each Code Note explains the necessary filings, applicable codes and zoning, relevant bulletins, directives and memos for some of the most applied for construction projects in New York City.
New York City Department of Buildings published this content on September 23, 2026, and is solely responsible for the information contained herein. Distributed via Public Technologies (PUBT), unedited and unaltered, on September 23, 2026 at 21:23 UTC. If you believe the information included in the content is inaccurate or outdated and requires editing or removal, please contact us at [email protected]