The owner's guide
If your building is taller than six stories, New York City requires you to inspect, file, and repair its facades on a five-year clock. Here's how the program works, what the statuses mean, what it costs to ignore — and how to get ahead of it.
Local Law 11 of 1998 — administered today as the Facade Inspection & Safety Program (FISP) — requires every NYC building taller than six stories to have its street-facing facades physically inspected by a Qualified Exterior Wall Inspector (QEWI), a licensed engineer or architect, once every five years. The QEWI files a report with the Department of Buildings classifying the building's condition.
The current cycle is Cycle 10 (2025–2030). Your exact filing window depends on the last digit of your block number — miss it and penalties start automatically.
No conditions threatening people or property. File and you're done for five years.
"Safe With A Repair & Maintenance Program" — problems that must be fixed before your next filing. The same condition can't be SWARMP twice.
Hazardous conditions. Protection (shed) goes up immediately, repairs are mandatory, and monthly penalties accrue until you're refiled SAFE.
| Violation | Penalty |
|---|---|
| Failure to file a report | $5,000/year civil penalty |
| Late filing | $1,000/month |
| Failure to correct UNSAFE conditions | $1,000/month (plus shed costs while it stands) |
| A facade incident with no valid filing | Liability exposure no premium wants to cover |
We routinely see buildings carrying $50,000–$400,000+ in accumulated FISP penalties — money that stopped nothing, fixed nothing, and could have paid for the repairs several times over.
Type your building's address and we'll look up its current FISP filing status in the city's records. No sign-up, no phone call.
FISP applies to buildings greater than six stories. Six exactly is generally exempt — but parapets have their own annual observation requirements regardless of height, and prudent boards inspect anyway.
A Qualified Exterior Wall Inspector — the licensed engineer/architect who inspects and files. We don't replace them; we work with your QEWI: they define the conditions, we price and repair them, they verify and refile. If you don't have one, we can recommend engineers we've closed dozens of filings with.
It varies with scope and rigging, but the sequence is consistent: protection first (days), scope with your engineer (1–2 weeks), then repairs (weeks to months). The penalties and the shed rental stop only at refiling — which is why sequencing matters more than anything.
Often, yes — by elevation. That's exactly how we scope: elevation by elevation, quantity by quantity, so the board can see what must happen now versus what can be planned. You rig the building once, not three times.
Your current filing status, cycle deadline, any open SWARMP or UNSAFE conditions and accrued penalties from the DOB record — plus a plain-English read on what it means and what it might cost to resolve. No obligation.
We'll review your building's complete FISP record and walk you through it, free. If work is needed, you'll get a scope by elevation — not a scare quote.
Request the free building check