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COVID-19: Response (RESCINDED)

Non-Essential-Construction-Projects-Ordered-to-Stop-in-NY

In accordance with NYS Governor’s Executive Order 202.6 and the Guidance on Executive Order 202.6 all work on non-essential construction and demolition sites is suspended for the duration of the state of emergency.

  • All non-essential construction must shut down except emergency construction (e.g. a project necessary to protect health and safety of the occupants, or a project required to continue if it would be unsafe to allow work to remain undone).

  • Essential construction may continue and includes roads, bridges, transit facilities, utilities, hospitals or health care facilities, affordable housing, and homeless shelters.

  • At every site, if essential or emergency non-essential construction continues, sites must maintain social distance and safety best practices.

  • See DOB Guidance Document on Enforcement of Essential vs. Nonessential Construction.
The Department of Buildings will regularly inspect all construction sites to ensure compliance with emergency orders. Non-compliance will result in the issuance of a violation carrying a penalty of up to $10,000.

DOB-Issues-Bulletin

The New York City Department of Buildings has issued Buildings Bulletin 2020-004 providing guidance to owners needing to secure their construction and demolition sites when operations are suspended. The Bulletin includes, but not limited to the following:

  • Weekly (minimum) safety inspections must be performed by the owner or his/her designee to ensure the construction or demolition site is safe and in continued compliance with these requirements and all other applicable laws and regulations.

  • In addition to the minimum weekly inspection, an inspection shall be made the day of and following severe weather, such as unusually high winds or heavy rain or snow.

  • Where the site is subject to the training provisions of Section 3321 of the Building Code, these safety inspections shall be performed by an individual who possesses a Site Safety Training (SST) Supervisor Card. The Department shall be immediately notified of any unsafe conditions.

  • Reports of all safety inspections described above shall be prepared, signed, and dated by the individual who performed the inspection and shall be kept at the site available for inspection by the commissioner upon request.

  • For a site that required a site safety manager, site safety coordinator, or construction superintendent and had not yet been released from such requirement by the Department, a weekly certification shall be made to the Department electronically in a form and manner acceptable to the Department.
Please see Buildings Bulletin 2020-004 for further information on site maintenance during the time operations are suspended.

Permits already in effect, are required to remain active until the end of the term for which they were issued and must be renewed for as long as work remains suspended. There are no changes to the permit renewal process and all applicable fees apply.

See the DOB COVID-19 Response service notice for additional service updates.