In New York City, owners of buildings with six or more stories must have the exterior walls (façade) inspected every five years by a qualified exterior wall inspector (QEWI). This is required by NYC rules and regulations pertaining to façades under the Façade Safety Inspection Program (FISP). Deadlines for façade reports are divided into cycles. The Dept. Of Buildings added sub-cycles to make it easier for building owners to hire the necessary professionals. The last digit of a building’s block number determines what sub-cycle a property falls under.
Qualified exterior wall inspector
The QEWI must file an acceptable technical report with the Department of Buildings during the appropriate cycle. If the initial technical report shows findings of unsafe conditions, an amended report must be submitted.
Façade conditions on the technical reports are classified as either Safe, Safe with a repair and maintenance program (SWARMP), or Unsafe.
Of course, the best classification to receive is Safe. If the inspector’s findings trigger a SWARMP classification, repairs or maintenance must be done on the area within five years. This prevents an unsafe condition by the next cycle.
Unsafe findings during a façade inspection require that repairs be made within one year of the critical findings. The QEWI must indicate on the technical report if the property owner must provide protective measures for the public. Such measures include a fence, sidewalk shed, or protective netting. The location of such protection should be specified. Unsafe conditions must be corrected within 90 days of filing a report with an Unsafe status. An amended report must then be filed within two weeks of completing the work.
Property owners who fail to have their façades inspected in a timely manner are subject to penalties. There is also the possibility of having OATH summonses issued.
S & M Expediting can assist with recommendations for a QEWI if you need to have your façade inspected.
