Category: Recent News

All to often, construction projects and home remodeling jobs can hold up your life due to delays, missed deadlines and poor communication between project managers, property owners, sub-contractors and New York’s Department of Buildings.

If you are managing a project that involves permits, approvals, violations, write-offs or any of the other many requirements of the DOB, you may want to consider hiring a permit expediter to act as your owner representative to city agencies such as the ECB, Department of Transportation, the Landmarks Preservation Society, the Fire Department, the Housing Preservation and Development, and the Parks Department.

An S & M permit expediter can do much more for your project than just permits. We offer a basic consultation with you and your sub-contractors, architects, and engineers. Once your objectives are decided and project completion deadlines are set, we then act as your owner representative, not only at all New York city and state agencies, but also onsite at your project.

Based on your preferences, we’ll establish a “check-in” schedule where we meet with your construction team on a daily, weekly, bi-weekly, or monthly basis to be sure all benchmarks are being met.

For instance, our representatives can save you time and money by making sure walls aren’t sealed until all interior plumbing plans or renovations have been inspected an approved. You’d be surprised how often costly mistakes like this happen due to miscommunication between contractors.

Using S & M Expediting as an owner representative can also help you avoid expensive violations down the line. Many times a job is left open with the DOB as many contractors fail to file the proper paper work to officially close a job. This can pop up as a violation when you try to sell your property.

Our owner representative consulting services are available to all property owners big and small and come with flexible payment options including an hourly rate, flat fee, or per visit charges. For more information call us today!

Basement Conversions in NYC

Converting your basement in New York takes a bit of planning. You cannot simply start renting out your space without making the legal changes required for all basement rental units.

First off, all livable basement spaces need proper emergency escape and rescue openings known as egress requirements. In New York, any habitable space and all sleeping rooms in basements must have a second means of egress with a minimum open area of 5.7 square feet and a minimum height of 24 inches and width of 20 inches. Second egress cannot be more than 44 inches from the floor. This means all windows will be big enough and easily accessible for someone to crawl out of.

If second egress does not exist in the basement you are trying to convert, you are looking at a construction job that will require planning and multiple permits. Other New York City requirements for basement rental spaces include having a toilet, tub and sink as well as it’s own entry and exit.

Your first step in converting your basement to a rental unit, or just to a usable space, is to draw up a plan with an architect and engineer. At S & M we help people with all aspects of drafting, planning and plan approval through the DOB. We can even recommend the right architect for the job.

Once your plan receives approval, your permit expediter can get started on obtaining the right permits for your basement construction project. Plumbing permits, egress permits, and general construction permits are all documents you will need for a basement conversion.

If you happen to own a basement with a rental unit already and you discover it is an illegal basement conversion and the DOB is charging you with a violation, S & M Expediting can also help you with violation removal and reduce your penalty with the DOB.

Hurricane Sandy DOB Fees waived in NYC

This past week, Mayor Bloomberg and the Department of Buildings waived all permit and application fees for Hurricane Sandy–related repair work. Specifically, the fee waiver applies to buildings with significant structural damage in need of demolition, altercation, and restoration permits.

Structures requiring electrical and plumbing systems repairs are also included in the fee waiver. The waiver is in effect until further notice. To expedite the repair process even further, the DOB will be assessing properties with red, yellow, and green placards based on severity of damage and access restrictions.

NYC Contractors can Register Here

If you are a New York State licensed and insured contractor and you want to register to partner with the city on their Hurricane Sandy Rapid Repairs program follow this link.

Once you are registered, you’ll be entered into the Rapid Repair system as a contractor available to perform assessments and repairs on red, green and yellow placard properties; or properties affected by Sandy without any placards whose owners have also registered for the program.

According to Bloomberg’s announcement, “contractors will be given responsibility   for an area hard hit by Sandy.” This approach will allow for streamlined FEMA payments to contractors, sub-contractors, carpenters, plumbers, etc.

Homeowners can apply at one of the city’s restoration centers, which can be found at nyc.gov or by calling 311. A FEMA ID is required for the program, and those are available at DisasterAssistance.gov