InstaBidsWhat is a New York City facade inspection, and when are repairs due?
Use the building inspection report to organize the facade repair plan and confirm the applicable filing requirements. Read the city guidance below before scheduling work, and keep the repair scope connected to the reported conditions.
Source: NYC Department of Buildings, Facade & Local Law, read 23 October 2026.
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Key facts
- City facade program guidance: "To keep buildings safe, owners of properties higher than six stories must have exterior walls and appurtenances inspected every five (5) years – and they must file a technical façade report with the Department."
Source: NYC Department of Buildings, Facade & Local Law, read 23 October 2026.
- City facade condition descriptions: "Safe. A condition of a building wall, any appurtenances thereto or any part thereof not requiring repair or maintenance to sustain the structural integrity of the exterior of the building and that will not become unsafe during the next five years. Safe with a repair and maintenance program (SWARMP). A condition of a building wall, any appurtenances thereto or any part thereof that is safe at the time of inspection, but requires repairs or maintenance during the next five years, but not less than one year, in order to prevent its deterioration into an unsafe condition during that five-year period. Unsafe. A condition of a building wall, any appurtenances thereto, or any part thereof that is hazardous to persons or property and requires repair within one (1) year of completion of critical examinations. In addition, any condition that was reported as SWARMP in a previous report and that is not corrected at the time of the current inspection must be reported as an unsafe condition."
Source: NYC Department of Buildings, Facade & Local Law, read 23 October 2026.
- City facade repair guidance: "Property owners must repair unsafe conditions within 90 days of filing a technical report. Once all unsafe conditions have been corrected, owners must file an amended report within two weeks."
Source: NYC Department of Buildings, Facade & Local Law, read 23 October 2026.
- City facade protection guidance: "With an Unsafe classification, the QEWI must indicate the type and location of public protection, if required. The owner must immediately install protection, such as a sidewalk shed, construction fence, etc."
Source: NYC Department of Buildings, Facade & Local Law, read 23 October 2026.
Which buildings does the city facade guidance address?
Start with the city guidance on buildings and examination intervals, quoted below.
City facade program guidance, read 23 October 2026: "To keep buildings safe, owners of properties higher than six stories must have exterior walls and appurtenances inspected every five (5) years – and they must file a technical façade report with the Department."
Source: NYC Department of Buildings, Facade & Local Law, read 23 October 2026.
What do the facade condition classifications mean?
Read the condition descriptions together when reviewing the inspection report.
City facade condition descriptions, read 23 October 2026: "Safe. A condition of a building wall, any appurtenances thereto or any part thereof not requiring repair or maintenance to sustain the structural integrity of the exterior of the building and that will not become unsafe during the next five years. Safe with a repair and maintenance program (SWARMP). A condition of a building wall, any appurtenances thereto or any part thereof that is safe at the time of inspection, but requires repairs or maintenance during the next five years, but not less than one year, in order to prevent its deterioration into an unsafe condition during that five-year period. Unsafe. A condition of a building wall, any appurtenances thereto, or any part thereof that is hazardous to persons or property and requires repair within one (1) year of completion of critical examinations. In addition, any condition that was reported as SWARMP in a previous report and that is not corrected at the time of the current inspection must be reported as an unsafe condition."
Source: NYC Department of Buildings, Facade & Local Law, read 23 October 2026.
How soon does the city say unsafe conditions need repair?
Use the repair and filing passages to organize the schedule with the report preparer.
City facade repair guidance, read 23 October 2026: "Property owners must repair unsafe conditions within 90 days of filing a technical report. Once all unsafe conditions have been corrected, owners must file an amended report within two weeks."
Source: NYC Department of Buildings, Facade & Local Law, read 23 October 2026.
What does the city say about immediate protection?
Address protection alongside the repair scope; the city guidance is quoted below.
City facade protection guidance, read 23 October 2026: "With an Unsafe classification, the QEWI must indicate the type and location of public protection, if required. The owner must immediately install protection, such as a sidewalk shed, construction fence, etc."
Source: NYC Department of Buildings, Facade & Local Law, read 23 October 2026.
How can an owner request bids against a facade report?
Base the requested repair work on the inspection report and its supporting photographs. This is practical reasoning, not legal advice and not a finding from any agency.
- Attach the relevant report pages and identify each condition the contractor is being asked to address.
- Ask bidders to identify access equipment, public protection, repair materials and finish work separately.
- Coordinate proposed work and documentation with the report preparer before setting a completion schedule.
Who sees your contact details when you post on InstaBids?
Contact details stay hidden until the homeowner picks a contractor and they confirm the connection.
Source: InstaBids process and privacy, live-page excerpts, read 23 October 2026.
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