Local Law 11 / FISP facade repair in Brooklyn
Brooklyn’s FISP buildings range from pre-war elevator buildings on Ocean and Eastern Parkway to newer towers Downtown and in Williamsburg.
Many of Brooklyn’s LL11 buildings are pre-war brick apartment houses with parapets, cornices and steel lintels that rust and crack the brick around them, the kind of conditions QEWI reports often flag as SWARMP and, as they worsen, UNSAFE. Newer towers bring sealant joints, balconies and brick veneer anchors.
Brooklyn Heights, Park Slope, Prospect Lefferts Gardens and other historic districts include buildings over six stories, where LPC approval generally comes before facade work.
Also in Brooklyn: masonry & facade repair · tuckpointing & repointing · roofing · all services
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.
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Brooklyn FISP questions
Our Brooklyn building was SWARMP last cycle. What if it isn’t fixed?
Unrepaired SWARMP conditions must be reported as UNSAFE in the next cycle. Ask your QEWI about your building’s status and completion date.
Do you work with Brooklyn co-op boards?
Yes. We provide itemized proposals the board and managing agent can review.
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.
FISP repairs in Brooklyn?
Send the report. We’ll scope it and price it in writing.