FISP Compliance Checklist for NYC Building Managers

FISP compliance is not one deadline. It is a building-manager workflow that touches the board file, the QEWI, DOB NOW, repair funding, shareholder communication, and sometimes a sidewalk shed contractor.

Say you manage a 12-story co-op entering Cycle 10B. The board knows "Local Law 11" is coming, but nobody has confirmed the block-number sub-cycle, the owner of record in DOB NOW, or whether the building's prior SWARMP items were actually closed. That is how a routine facade inspection becomes a late filing, a rushed contractor search, or a shareholder panic.

This FISP compliance checklist gives building managers the sequence to follow before, during, and after the facade inspection. It is not a replacement for your QEWI. It is the operating checklist around the QEWI so the report, repair plan, and board record stay clean.

If an Unsafe finding triggers public protection, use the contractor directory to compare scaffolding contractors by verified permit history before the 90-day repair clock starts compressing the bid process.

The Short FISP Compliance Checklist

A building manager should treat FISP as a seven-part checklist: confirm coverage, identify the sub-cycle, hire the QEWI, prepare DOB NOW access, track the report review, respond to the classification, and document every board decision.

Use this quick version as the working file:

1. Confirm the building is subject to FISP.
2. Look up the block number and Cycle 10 sub-cycle.
3. Hire a DOB-approved QEWI and verify filing access.
4. Open the owner, owner-representative, and board record file.
5. Prepare DOB NOW access before the inspection.
6. Track Administrative Review and Plan Examiner Review.
7. Respond to Safe, SWARMP, or Unsafe with the correct repair, filing, contractor, and board-record actions.

For deeper background, use the FISP Cycle 10 guide, the DOB NOW filing guide, and the Safe, SWARMP, and Unsafe classification guide.

Step 1: Confirm Whether the Building Is Subject to FISP

FISP applies to New York City buildings higher than six stories. Owners must have exterior walls and appurtenances inspected every five years and file a technical facade report with DOB through the FISP process [1].

DOB statistics describe the FISP universe as almost 16,000 structures citywide [2]. Most are in Manhattan, but an over-six-story building in Brooklyn, Queens, the Bronx, or Staten Island can carry the same filing obligation.

Your first checklist item is simple:

• Confirm the building height and FISP status in DOB records.
• Pull the block and lot from BIS, ACRIS, or the property tax bill.
• Use the tax block's last digit to match the building to Cycle 10A, 10B, or 10C in the FISP Cycle 10 guide.
• Enter the filing window, board target date, and QEWI proposal deadline in the tracker before requesting proposals.
• Record the last accepted FISP report, classification, and any open facade violations.
• Check whether prior SWARMP items were repaired and certified.

Do not wait for the QEWI to discover a missing prior-cycle repair. If the board file already shows an unresolved SWARMP item, flag it for the QEWI before the inspection schedule hardens.

Step 2: Hire the QEWI and Open the Board File

The QEWI is the professional who performs or supervises the facade inspection and files the report. Under 1 RCNY 101-07, a QEWI is a registered design professional with at least seven years of relevant facade experience on buildings over six stories [3].

Before signing the engagement letter, the manager should collect:

• QEWI name and license type.
• Confirmation that the QEWI is on the DOB-approved QEWI list.
• DOB NOW: Safety filing access confirmation.
• Scope of inspection, including access equipment assumptions.
• Fee proposal and exclusions.
• Timeline from inspection to report delivery.
• Whether amended report support is included if repairs are required.

The board file should open at the same time. Save the QEWI proposal, engagement letter, prior FISP report, DOB status screenshots, board approval minutes, shareholder communication drafts, and funding notes in one dated folder. If repairs become contentious later, the board record matters almost as much as the report.

For more on selecting the inspector, see what a QEWI is and how to hire one.

Step 3: Prepare DOB NOW Access Before the Inspection

DOB NOW access should be ready before the QEWI finishes the report. A technically sound report can still stall if the owner account, owner representative, or Department of Finance ownership record does not line up.

DOB's FISP filing instructions say owners must open a Department eFiling account to give consent to the QEWI's reports, and QEWIs must contact the Facades Unit to be granted DOB NOW: Safety access [4].

Manager checklist:

• Confirm the owner of record matches Department of Finance records.
• Confirm the owner has an eFiling account.
• Confirm the building manager or managing agent is authorized as owner representative.
• Confirm the QEWI has DOB NOW: Safety access before the filing deadline.
• Save the DOB NOW control number and dashboard screenshots.

DOB specifically flags inaccurate owner information as a common filing problem. If owner information does not match Department of Finance records, the FISP unit can mark the submission Incomplete and give only five days to resubmit corrected information [4].

That is the kind of preventable administrative error that turns a good inspection into a late filing.

Step 4: Track the Filing and Technical Review

Once the QEWI submits the report, the manager's job is to track status and clear owner-side actions fast. DOB says submitted facade reports move through Administrative Review, Plan Examiner Review, and then an Accepted or Rejected disposition shown on the QEWI dashboard ribbon [4].

The manager should keep a filing tracker with:

• Report submission date.
• QEWI dashboard status.
• Owner signature date.
• Filing fee payment date.
• DOB review comments.
• Accepted, Rejected, or Incomplete disposition.
• Corrected resubmission deadline if needed.

DOB lists several recurring omissions: missing photos or sketches for SWARMP or Unsafe conditions, missing repair timeframes, missing scaffold drop and location, inconsistent photographs, and inaccurate owner information [4].

Your practical control is not to second-guess the engineer. It is to ask, before submission, whether every SWARMP or Unsafe item has a mapped location, photograph, repair timeframe, and permit note. That one question catches a surprising amount of avoidable back-and-forth.

Step 5: Respond to Safe, SWARMP, or Unsafe

The classification determines the next checklist. Safe means the report can be filed and archived. SWARMP means the board needs a repair plan before the condition deteriorates. Unsafe means public protection, repairs, and amended filing become urgent.

Classification responsibilities come from DOB's facade overview guidance [1].

The underlying classification definitions are set out in 1 RCNY 103-04 [5].

For Unsafe conditions, DOB says owners must immediately install protection such as a sidewalk shed, construction fence, or structural netting when required [1]. Unsafe conditions must be corrected within 90 days, and once corrected, an amended report must be filed within two weeks [1]. Treat the FISP3 Notification of Unsafe Conditions filing in DOB NOW: Safety as the Day 1 anchor for that 90-day repair plan [4].

If repairs cannot be completed and the amended report cannot be filed within 104 days from the FISP3 notification filing date, DOB says the owner must request an extension [1]. Use Day 75 as the internal decision point so the QEWI has time to prepare FISP1 before the 90-day repair window closes.

The FISP1 form requires safety-measure documentation, a signed and sealed PE or RA timetable, permit status, and an owner letter stating the work will be completed within the professional's estimate [6].

Additional extensions use FISP2, which asks for completed work, remaining work, reason for delay, and estimated completion date [7].

For the full Unsafe calendar, use the facade repair timeline after FISP Unsafe filing.

Step 6: Add Fees and Penalties to the Tracker

A clean FISP tracker includes fees and penalties before they become surprises. The fixed DOB fees are small compared with repairs, but they are the easiest numbers to get right.

Fees and listed penalties per NYC DOB Facade Fees and Penalties [8].

Do not cite a third-party fee table if it conflicts with DOB. Some older pages mix up the $305 extension fee with the $425 filing fee. Use DOB's current fee page as the source of truth.

If the building is Unsafe and a shed is installed, add Local Law 48 to the same tracker. Sidewalk shed permits now run on a 90-day cycle, and Local Law 48 penalties can run separately from FISP penalties when a shed stays in place [9]. Use the Local Law 48 penalty calculator before the board debates whether a delayed contractor change is worth it.

Step 7: If a Sidewalk Shed Is Triggered, Move to Contractor Selection

An Unsafe FISP finding turns compliance into procurement. The faster you move from public protection to contractor comparison, the less likely the shed becomes a long-running cost center.

Your shed-trigger checklist:

1. Confirm the public-protection type and location with the QEWI.
2. Ask whether a sidewalk shed, fence, or structural netting is required.
3. Start contractor outreach immediately, not after the next regular board meeting.
4. Compare permit history, borough experience, insurance, references, and active workload.
5. Put the 90-day permit renewal date on the same calendar as the FISP repair deadline.
6. Decide by Day 75 whether the QEWI needs to file FISP1.

A contractor's sales pitch is not enough under Local Law 48. Compare verified records first: DOB license checks, permit history, insurance certificates, and contractor references.

When you need a shortlist, use The Shed Registry contractor directory to compare firms by verified permit volume and borough coverage.

Board Record Checklist

FISP compliance does not end in DOB NOW. For co-ops and condos, the board record should show that the building acted with a clear plan, approved the right spending, and communicated the timeline to shareholders.

Keep these records together:

• QEWI engagement approval and scope.
• Inspection access plan.
• Report classification and DOB acceptance.
• SWARMP or Unsafe repair plan.
• Contractor bid comparison and scoring.
• Funding decision, including assessment or loan approval.
• Shareholder notices and update dates.
• Extension requests and amended report filings.
• Shed permit renewal dates if public protection is installed.

If shareholders are asking what is happening, use the shareholder communication template for scaffolding projects. If the board is still debating how to fund repairs, use the co-op facade repair budget guide.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does the building manager file the FISP report?

No. The QEWI files the technical report through DOB NOW: Safety. The owner consents and pays fees. The building manager or managing agent usually coordinates access, board approvals, DOB NOW owner-representative setup, records, and follow-through after the classification.

What should be in the FISP compliance file?

Keep the prior report, QEWI contract, DOB NOW screenshots, owner-of-record confirmation, inspection access notes, photos and repair map, filing fee receipt, DOB review comments, classification response plan, board approvals, shareholder notices, and any FISP1 or FISP2 extension paperwork.

What happens if DOB rejects the report?

DOB sends review comments and the QEWI must correct and resubmit. If the issue is owner information that does not match Department of Finance records, DOB can mark the filing Incomplete and give only five days to correct it before the original filing date is lost [4].

What if the building is classified Unsafe?

The owner must install required public protection immediately, correct unsafe conditions within 90 days, and file an amended report within two weeks after correction [1]. If the work will not finish in time, the owner needs an extension request.

How much are FISP filing and extension fees?

The initial report fee is $425, amended or subsequent reports are $425, and an Extension of Time to Complete Repairs costs $305 [8]. A Request for Waiver of Penalties costs $140.

When should we start contractor selection?

Start contractor selection as soon as the QEWI sees conditions likely to become Unsafe, and immediately after any Unsafe filing. Waiting for the next routine board meeting can waste two or three weeks inside a 90-day repair window.

What to Do This Week

The strongest FISP compliance file is boring: the right building, the right cycle, the right QEWI, the right DOB NOW access, the right classification response, and the right contractor record. Boring is the point. It keeps the board out of emergency procurement.

This week, confirm your building's FISP status, block number, last classification, owner-of-record match, and QEWI plan. This month, build the board file and assign a single tracker owner. If Unsafe is even plausible, start the contractor shortlist before the report is filed.

When the shed clock starts, you do not want to be searching from scratch. Compare NYC scaffolding contractors with verified permit data, then use the Local Law 48 penalty calculator to show the board what each month of delay can cost.