Roof Maintenance Plans
Scheduled spring and fall visits to clear drains, check seams and flashings, and fix small defects before they become ceiling leaks.
Learn moreAnnual parapet observations for New York, NY buildings
Since 2024, New York City buildings with a parapet facing the street need it observed every year. We do the observation, write the report you keep on file, and repair what it finds.
- We answer 24/7
- Written observation report
- Repairs if unsafe
Quick answer: The annual parapet observation in New York, NY is a close-up look at every parapet facing a street, sidewalk or public right-of-way, done once in each calendar year. The owner keeps the report for six years. Unsafe conditions are reported to the Department of Buildings, the public is protected, and repairs are made within 90 days.
What the job involves
What the rule requires
The requirement comes from Local Law 126 of 2021 and applies to buildings of any height with a parapet along a street, sidewalk or other public right-of-way. Detached one- and two-family homes are exempt. The observation is an up-close look at the whole parapet from the roof or a fire escape, not a glance from the sidewalk.
Nothing is filed with the city when the parapet is safe. The owner keeps the report and produces it if the Department of Buildings asks. When an unsafe condition is found, the department is notified, protection such as a shed, fence or netting goes up, and the condition is corrected within 90 days.
What is included
What the observation report records
- Building address and the parapets observed
- Date of the observation and who performed it
- Condition of the masonry, joints and coping
- Any leaning, bulging or displacement
- Condition of flashing and anything fastened to the parapet
- Photos of each parapet section
- Any unsafe condition and the action taken
- Recommended repairs, even where nothing is yet unsafe
Variations of the job
What the observation service covers
Yearly observation report
We walk the full length of each qualifying parapet, photograph it, and note cracks, bulges, loose coping, open joints and anything leaning, in a dated report for your records.
Unsafe condition follow-up
If the observation finds a hazard, the required notice goes to the Department of Buildings, public protection is arranged, and the repair is scheduled inside the 90-day window.
Six-year record keeping
Reports come as dated PDFs with photos, so your building records hold the six years of observations the rule requires, ready for any request from the department.
Local conditions
Why low-Rise parapets now get a yearly look
Low-rise walk-ups sit outside the city's five-year facade inspection cycle, so until 2024 their street-facing parapets could go unexamined for years at a time. The annual observation now covers them in New York City whatever their height. It is simplest to meet by pairing it with a regular roof check, since whoever inspects the roof is already standing beside the parapet.
How it runs
How the observation runs
- 1
Confirm what qualifies
Which parapets face a street, sidewalk or public right-of-way.
- 2
Observe up close
The full length, from the roof or a fire escape.
- 3
Photograph and record
Dated photos of every section and condition.
- 4
Report
A written observation report for your files.
- 5
Follow up if unsafe
Notice, protection and repair inside 90 days.
Cost factors
What an observation costs depends on
Length of parapet
Street-facing frontage on one or more sides.
Access
Roof access, fire escapes and building height.
Combined visit
Pairing it with a roof inspection or maintenance visit.
Report format
A dated PDF with photos for your records.
Findings
Repairs, if any, are quoted separately.
Protection
Sheds, fences or netting if an unsafe condition is found.
Timing
Timing: the calendar year and the 90-Day window
Each observation has to happen within the calendar year, between January 1 and December 31. Scheduling it in spring, alongside the post-winter roof check, leaves time to repair anything found before the next winter.
If the observation finds an unsafe condition, the clock starts: protection goes up right away and the condition has to be corrected within 90 days. Masonry work in winter is slower, which is another reason not to leave the observation until December.
Questions we hear
Parapet observation questions
If it has a parapet facing a street, sidewalk or other public right-of-way, very likely yes, regardless of height. Detached one- and two-family homes are exempt.
No. You keep it on file for six years and provide it if the department asks. Only unsafe conditions trigger a notice.
The rules allow a competent person, not only an engineer or architect. What matters is an up-close look at the whole parapet and a proper written record.
An unsafe condition is reported, the public is protected with a shed, fence or netting, and the condition is corrected within 90 days.
No. The facade inspection program runs on a five-year cycle and leaves out low-rise buildings. The parapet observation is yearly and covers street-facing parapets at any height.
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Learn moreParapet observation due this year?
Call to schedule it with your roof check and get the report for your records.