Local Law 11 / FISP facade repair for UNSAFE & SWARMP buildings
Your QEWI filed UNSAFE or SWARMP. Now the repairs need a contractor. We perform the facade work in the report, coordinate with your engineer or architect, and document it for the amended filing.
UNSAFE vs. SWARMP: what happens next
Summarized from DOB’s FISP rules. Your QEWI and DOB’s Facade Compliance page are the authority for your building. Full guide →
Report says UNSAFE
- Public protection (usually a sidewalk shed) must go up immediately, as your QEWI recommends.
- DOB says UNSAFE conditions must be repaired within 90 days of the report; longer jobs need extension requests (FISP1, then FISP2) from your QEWI.
- Civil penalties can start after 90 days unless covered by extensions, and the shed costs money every month it stays up.
- The shed can come down only after an amended Safe or SWARMP report is approved.
Report says SWARMP
- The report carries a SWARMP completion date, at least one year and at most five years out.
- Repairs need to be done by that date.
- Unrepaired SWARMP conditions must be reported as UNSAFE in the next cycle.
- Doing SWARMP repairs now, before a shed is required, is usually the cheaper path.
Facade repairs we perform
DOB requires repairs to fix underlying causes, not just the visible damage, so we do the work properly the first time.
Repointing
Raking out and repointing deteriorated mortar joints across the areas the report identifies. Tuckpointing details →
Brick replacement
Removing and replacing cracked, spalled, loose or displaced brick, with toothed-in new units.
Parapets & copings
Rebuilding or repairing parapets, resetting and replacing coping stones, and flashing at the roof edge.
Lintels, sills & shelf angles
Exposing rusted steel lintels and shelf angles, treating or replacing them as specified, and rebuilding the masonry around them.
Crack repair & stitching
Repairing cracks in brick and masonry walls as the report and your engineer’s details specify.
Appurtenances
Securing or repairing loose items on the facade the QEWI calls out, coordinated with the scope.
From report to amended filing
Step 1
Send us the FISP report (or the TR6 filing number), photos and drawings if you have them
Step 2
We walk the facade from the sidewalk, roof and accessible areas and review the scope with your QEWI
Step 3
You get a written, itemized proposal by repair type and quantity that boards and owners can compare
Step 4
We schedule access, permits and protection, and perform the work
Step 5
We provide photos and documentation so your QEWI can file the amended report
Owners, boards & managers
- Co-op and condo boards and their managing agents
- Rental building owners and property managers
- Commercial and mixed-use building owners
- QEWIs, engineers, architects and expediters
What to send: the FISP report or TR6 number, the building address, any DOB violations or deadlines, and your QEWI’s contact.
Send us your reportLocal Law 11 repairs near you
- Local Law 11 facade repair in Brooklyn
- Local Law 11 facade repair in Queens
- Local Law 11 facade repair in Manhattan
- Local Law 11 facade repair in The Bronx
- Local Law 11 facade repair in Staten Island
Related: Parapet repair · Tuckpointing & repointing · Masonry & brick pointing · Commercial & property managers · DOB/ECB violation repairs
Local Law 11 questions
Do you file the FISP report or the amended report?
No. Only a DOB-approved QEWI (a licensed engineer or architect) performs the critical examination and files FISP reports. We perform the repair work and give your QEWI the documentation they need.
Can you work from another contractor’s or engineer’s scope?
Yes. We price the scope in your QEWI’s report and drawings so you can compare bids line by line.
Our facade is UNSAFE and the shed is already up. How fast can you start?
Call 718-427-5991 with the report. We’ll tell you honestly when we can look at it and start, so you can plan around the 90-day clock and any extension requests.
Is my building subject to Local Law 11?
FISP covers buildings taller than six stories. DOB publishes a FISP list and map, but the owner is responsible for determining whether the building is covered; your QEWI can confirm.
Do you also handle the annual parapet observation?
We repair parapets. The observation itself must be done as DOB’s parapet rule requires; see our parapet page and guide.
General information only, not legal advice.
Facade compliance guides
Plain-English answers to the questions NYC owners ask us most, with links to the official City sources.
Local Law 11 / FISP Explained: Safe, SWARMP and Unsafe Facades
Who has to file, how Cycle 10 sub-cycles work, what Safe, SWARMP and Unsafe mean, and what happens after the report.
Read the guide →GuideHow to Clear DOB, ECB/OATH and HPD Violations for Facades, Leaks and Masonry
The difference between DOB, OATH/ECB and HPD violations, and the correct-then-certify steps to close each one.
Read the guide →GuideParapet Repair in NYC and the Annual Parapet Observation Rule
Who’s covered by NYC’s annual parapet rule, what the observation checks, what to do about unsafe conditions, and common parapet repairs.
Read the guide →FISP report on your desk?
Send it over. We’ll scope the repairs and put the price in writing.