Boards ask us two things about this law. Is FISP moving to six years? And can we wait? The answers are "possibly, from 2030" and "no." If you have repairs on your current report, our Local Law 11 / FISP repairs page explains how we take a report from filing to sign-off.

What does Local Law 49 of 2025 do?

The mayor approved it on April 17, 2025. It does three things:

  1. It changes how the inspection interval is set. The old text required an inspection at least once in each five-year filing cycle. Under the new text, the DOB commissioner sets periodic intervals by rule, and they must fall between 6 and 12 years.
  2. It moves a new building's first inspection. The initial examination now comes in the eighth year after the exterior wall is erected. It used to be the fifth.
  3. It required a study. DOB had to look at how often exterior walls should be examined and send recommendations to the Speaker of the City Council by December 31, 2025.

The study requirement took effect right away and the rest on October 1, 2026. The law itself never picks a new interval. That job falls to DOB, by rule.

Has DOB adopted a new FISP cycle?

No. As of October 2, 2026, DOB's proposed rules page lists nothing on FISP inspection intervals. The listed rules that touch building exteriors cover sidewalk sheds and containment netting. There is also a proposed rule that would have QEWIs (and parking structure inspectors) register with DOB starting January 1, 2027, but it leaves the inspection cycle alone. Until DOB adopts a new FISP rule, your building runs on 1 RCNY 103-04 and the Cycle 10 schedule.

When a rule does come, DOB will publish it as a proposed rule and open it to public comment before adopting it. You'll have notice.

What did the city's study recommend?

In May 2024 the city brought in the engineering firm Thornton Tomasetti to review the program. The Mayor's Office announced the results in November 2025, and the full report is on DOB's website. These are recommendations. None of them is in force.

  • A six-year baseline cycle for all buildings, instead of five.
  • An abbreviated program for newer, well-maintained façades: visual-only examinations every three years and a hands-on inspection every twelve.
  • Fewer hands-on drops on shorter buildings that can be readily observed from the street, by widening the 60-foot drop spacing to 100 feet.
  • An enhanced program for buildings with chronic deterioration, adding a visual-only examination midway between hands-on inspections.
  • New definitions of Unsafe and SWARMP, based on how severe a condition is rather than how soon it needs repair.
  • A drone pilot to test whether drones can replace some of the hands-on work.
  • Sheds only for conditions that are truly hazardous.

Thornton Tomasetti has said DOB expects to adopt these updates for the next cycle, beginning in 2030. Until DOB publishes a rule, treat all of it as the likely direction and plan on today's rules.

What isn't changing yet?

Rule today Where it stands
Cycle 10 sub-cycles: 10A closes Feb 21, 2027; 10B closes Feb 21, 2028; 10C opens Feb 21, 2027 and closes Feb 21, 2029 Unchanged
Close-up inspections at no more than 60-foot intervals on street-facing walls Unchanged
Prior-cycle SWARMP not repaired must be filed Unsafe, with a $2,000 penalty Unchanged
Unsafe conditions corrected within 90 days of filing (extensions available) Unchanged
Late filing $1,000 a month; failure to file $5,000 a year Unchanged
Local Laws 48 and 51 of 2025: 90-day shed permits, repair milestones, per-foot penalties for idle sheds In effect since January 12, 2026. DOB expects to begin imposing the per-foot penalties in early 2027.

The full schedule is on our Cycle 10 deadlines page, and the shed rules are covered in how to get your sidewalk shed down.

What should your building do now?

Keep to your Cycle 10 dates. If you don't know your sub-cycle, look it up by block or address. A 10A building whose window closes February 21, 2027 has no reason to expect relief.

Fix your SWARMP items. Anything your QEWI flagged last cycle that's still unrepaired gets filed as Unsafe at your next inspection, with a $2,000 penalty, a 90-day repair clock and usually a shed. Handled now as SWARMP repairs, the same condition is a smaller job that runs on your schedule.

Don't put off repairs betting on a longer cycle. A longer interval means more years between close looks at your wall, and rusting steel and open joints don't slow down to match. If anything, a six-year cycle raises the stakes on leaving each inspection with a clean report.

Plan for the cycle you're in. Scope and schedule the work on your current report against your current deadline. If a future rule spaces your inspections further apart, treat that as a bonus and leave it out of the plan.

Watch for the proposed rule. When DOB publishes one, read it with your QEWI.

Sources

This article is general information, not legal advice. Your QEWI and expediter confirm how the rules apply to your building.