Author: sebastian

Alt-1 vs Alt-2 vs Alt-3: NYC Alteration Permits Explained

Posted on | by sebastian

Most construction on an existing NYC building needs a Department of Buildings permit, and the filing type decides how the job is reviewed and how it closes out. Contractors, architects and owners still say “Alt-1”, “Alt-2” and “Alt-3”. In DOB NOW: Build, where most jobs are now filed, the names are different.

The short version

Older name (BIS) What it covers DOB NOW: Build job type How the job closes out
Alt-1 (Alteration Type 1) Major alteration that changes the use, egress or occupancy of the building Alteration-CO (ALT-CO) New or amended Certificate of Occupancy
Alt-2 (Alteration Type 2) Multiple types of work that don’t change use, egress or occupancy Alteration (Alt) Letter of Completion
Alt-3 (Alteration Type 3) One type of minor work that doesn’t change use, egress or occupancy Alteration (Alt) Letter of Completion / sign-off

How DOB NOW decides between Alteration-CO and Alteration

When a filing is created, DOB NOW asks a series of scope questions. If any answer is yes, the job is an Alteration-CO:

  • Is the alteration inconsistent with the current Certificate of Occupancy?
  • Is there a change in occupancy or use?
  • Is there a major change to exits?
  • Is there a change in the number of stories (for 3-family or “other” building types)?
  • Does the alteration need to meet New Building requirements? A yes here makes it “Alteration-CO – New Building with Existing Elements to Remain”.

If every answer is no, the job is an Alteration.

Get this right the first time. Once the job is saved, DOB says the job type can’t be changed. If it needs to change after submission, the filing has to be withdrawn and a new one created.

Examples

  • Converting a two-family house to a three-family house, or commercial space to residential: Alt-1 / Alteration-CO. The use or occupancy changes, so the job ends with a new C of O. See Certificates of Occupancy.
  • An interior renovation with new partitions, plumbing and other work that doesn’t change use, egress or occupancy: Alt-2 / Alteration.
  • A single minor item of work: Alt-3 / Alteration.
  • Plumbers’ smaller jobs may go on a Limited Alteration Application (LAA) instead. See LAA permit filings.

Which filing your job needs is decided by your Professional Engineer or Registered Architect, the applicant of record who files the plans, based on the scope of work.

Closing the job out

Alteration-CO jobs end with a final C of O (or a Temporary C of O while items are still open). Alteration jobs end with a Letter of Completion. In both cases, open violations on the job hold up the close-out.

What we do

S & M Expediting is a Class 2 filing representative and NYC-certified M/WBE, with more than 75 years of combined NYC expediting experience. We work with your PE or RA on Alt-1/Alteration-CO, Alt-2 and Alt-3/Alteration filings in DOB NOW: Build, track objections and sign-offs, and see the job through to the C of O or Letter of Completion. See our Alt-1, Alt-2 and Alt-3 permit filing service and DOB NOW filings and inspections.

Who does the work

We will work with the contractor you have, or if not, we will recommend one from our network.

Contact us to talk through your scope.

Letter of Completion (LOC) in NYC: How to Close Out a DOB Job

Posted on | by sebastian

When a job doesn’t need a new or amended Certificate of Occupancy, it doesn’t end with a C of O. It ends with a Letter of Completion (LOC). DOB issues an LOC for minor alterations to show the job has been completed and closed out. Without one, the filing stays open on the building’s record. Open filings tend to come up in a title search when the property is sold or refinanced.

LOC, C of O or LNO?

What must be done before an LOC can be requested (DOB NOW: Build)

DOB lists these requirements:
1. The application is in Permit Entire status.
2. The Cost Affidavit (PW3) final cost details are verified.
3. All required documents are submitted.
4. The Final Technical Report inspection is certified (if applicable).
5. All permits have been inspected and are Signed Off.
6. All After Hours Variance (AHV) permits are in approved status.

The owner or the applicant of record requests the LOC from the DOB NOW: Build dashboard (+Requests, or “Request LOC” in the Filing Action column). Once it is approved, the LOC is emailed to the stakeholders on the filing, and anyone can view it on the DOB NOW public portal.

Temporary construction equipment

Construction fences, sidewalk sheds, supported scaffolds, support of excavation, and protection and mechanical methods don’t need a final technical report. Any stakeholder on the filing submits a removal notification. The permit then shows Signed Off, and the job moves to “LOC Issued” once every permit on the filing is signed off (Local Law 146 of 2021). See our sidewalk shed permit filing page.

Older BIS jobs

For jobs filed in DOB’s older Buildings Information System (BIS), DOB’s PW7 form is the Letter of Completion request. For those jobs, upload it through eSubmit with the request type set to LOC. The PW7 lists the usual reasons a request is disapproved: unpaid fees, missing sign-offs, missing items or forms, open ECB/DOB violations, and pending audits. Very old filings may first need to be reinstated by an architect or engineer. See closing out old permits or filings.

Violations hold up the LOC

DOB won’t issue an LOC (or a C of O) while DOB violations on the job are active. Clear them first; see violation removal.

What we do

S & M Expediting is a Class 2 filing representative and NYC-certified M/WBE, with more than 75 years of combined NYC expediting experience. We check what is still open on the filing (sign-offs, the PW3, documents, technical reports, AHVs, violations), prepare the missing paperwork, and prepare the LOC request for the owner or applicant of record to submit.

Who does any remaining work

We will work with the contractor you have, or if not, we will recommend one from our network.

Contact us with the address or job number.

Temporary Certificate of Occupancy (TCO) in NYC

Posted on | by sebastian

A Certificate of Occupancy (C of O) states the legal use and type of occupancy of a building. New buildings need one. Existing buildings need a new or amended C of O when the use, egress or type of occupancy changes. No one may legally occupy a building until DOB has issued a C of O or a Temporary Certificate of Occupancy (TCO).

DOB issues a TCO when it determines the building is safe to occupy, but some outstanding items still have to be resolved before a final C of O can be issued.

How long a TCO lasts

DOB says TCOs typically expire 90 days after issuance. If the outstanding items aren’t resolved by then, the TCO may be renewed. If the space sits unoccupied for more than 30 days, a new TCO is needed before it can be re-occupied.

A TCO is meant to be temporary. If your property has one, DOB’s advice is to have a licensed Professional Engineer or Registered Architect determine what is still needed for the final C of O. See our Certificate of Occupancy guide for why buyers and lenders care.

What DOB requires for a TCO

  • Temporary or final construction inspection sign-off
  • Temporary or final plumbing inspection sign-off
  • Temporary or final electrical inspection sign-off
  • Temporary elevator sign-off (if applicable)
  • The DOB TCO fee (unless the job is fee-exempt)
  • An approved Schedule of Occupancy in DOB NOW: Build

The required sign-offs are listed on the Certificate of Occupancy request in DOB NOW: Build. The request is filed in DOB NOW: Build for both BIS jobs and DOB NOW jobs. DOB’s technical and operations staff review it.

Getting from TCO to final C of O

A final C of O has no expiration date. DOB issues it only when all of these are in place:

  • final construction, plumbing, elevator and electrical sign-offs
  • a final building survey and a final Builders Pavement Plan (where required)
  • the owner’s cost affidavit (PW3)
  • an approved Schedule of Occupancy
  • no open applications and no open violations on the property

In DOB NOW, one building (BIN) has one C of O. If a building has more than one open Alt-1/Alteration-CO job, signing off one of them gets the building a TCO, not a final C of O. The final C of O comes when the last open job is signed off.

TCO, LNO or Letter of Completion?

  • TCO: the work changes use, egress or occupancy and isn’t fully closed out yet.
  • Letter of No Objection: a building from before 1938 with no C of O, where you need proof of the existing legal use. See our Letter of No Objection service.
  • Letter of Completion: minor alterations that don’t need a new or amended C of O. See Letter of Completion in NYC.

What we do

S & M Expediting is a Class 2 filing representative and NYC-certified M/WBE, with more than 75 years of combined NYC expediting experience. We review what is open on the job, track the sign-offs and the Schedule of Occupancy, and work with your PE or RA on the C of O request in DOB NOW: Build. Open violations hold up the final C of O; see violation removal.

Who does the remaining work

We will work with the contractor you have, or if not, we will recommend one from our network.

Contact us with the address and job number.

NYC building facade

Painting your Landmark Building in NYC

Posted on | by sebastian

Do I need a permit to paint a landmarked building?

Did you know that you need a permit from the Landmarks Preservation Commission (LPC) if you want to change the color of the façade of your building? This is necessary if it is in a landmarked district. If you didn’t, we hope to save you the headache of violations. Possible fines can occur if you re-paint without first obtaining a permit from LPC. 

When deciding to paint your façade, you must make sure that the color adheres to the historic character of the district. If your façade was originally a dark gray, and more than half of the buildings in the district are also a dark gray, the likelihood of the LPC approving you to paint the façade white is nil. 

It is possible that a previous owner painted the façade prior to your purchase. It might not be approved by Landmarks today. You would need to check the historic tax photos available from the NYC Department of Records & Information Services. This helps you obtain a photo of the property taken in the 1940s. Another source of information for your historic façade is the LPC designation report for your district. It can be found on the LPC website. 

Other Considerations

If there are architectural features on your property, you will need to check with Landmarks. This is to find out if you can paint it without affecting the historic significance of said feature(s). 

Before starting any work on your property, reach out to S & M Expediting. We can assist you with obtaining a permit from the Landmarks Preservation Commission. We can also consult with you on what work requires permitting from LPC and file for approvals on LPC’s Portico portal. 

Painting is one kind of Landmarks filing. Other exterior work is on our NYC Landmarks Permit Filing page.

three bathroom fixtures in a cellar

Three Fixture Bathroom in Cellars

Posted on | by sebastian

Can I add a Three Fixture Bathroom?

In NYC, it is possible to add a three-fixture bathroom in a one- or two-family house.  This type of bathroom typically includes a toilet, a sink, and a shower or bathtub. These provide essential facilities for convenience and functionality. Such layouts are ideal for maximizing space efficiency in cellar renovations or additions. For example, this includes a three fixture bathroom in cellars. However, this being New York City, there are requirements you have to check. You need to find out if your property can have a 3-piece bathroom added. 

Bathroom in a Cellar.

The Department of Buildings created a Building’s Bulletin which pinpoints the requirements for such a bathroom addition to a cellar.  The first of which is that the cellar must be open without partitions. There are exceptions for enclosures for a boiler room, a laundry room, and/or windowless storage or utility rooms that measure 60 square feet or less. Another states that the cellar must be connected to the unit above via an unenclosed stair. It must also have direct access to the outdoors via stairs and an operable door. For a successful addition of a three fixture bathroom in cellars, compliance with all these regulations is crucial. 

Once your cellar meets the criteria for a three-fixture bathroom, you will need to hire an architect or engineer to draw up the plans. These need to be filed with the Department of Buildings (DOB).  While waiting for the plans to be approved, you will also need to file a restrictive declaration with the city registrar’s office. This declaration states that the cellar will not be rented or used independently from the unit above. It is particularly important when planning a three fixture bathroom in cellars. 

S & M Can Help Expedite the Process

If you are ready to add a new bathroom in the cellar of your one- or two-family house, feel free to give S & M Expediting a call.  We can guide you through the process. We also assist with the filings, ensuring your three fixture bathroom in cellars project proceeds smoothly.