LOCAL LAW 11 / FISP · SIDEWALK SHEDS
Getting your sidewalk shed down starts with the façade behind it
We plan for the shed coming down before the first repair starts, and sequence the whole job to get there.
A sidewalk shed over a FISP building comes down once the façade conditions it protects are repaired and DOB accepts your QEWI's amended report. Since 2026, shed permits last only 90 days, new sheds over Unsafe façades carry plan, permit-application and repair milestones, and stalled sheds face per-foot monthly penalties. Banu finishes the repairs, keeps the permit and paperwork current, and takes the shed down.
The 2026 shed rules on one page
| Rule | What it means for you | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Shed permits last 90 days (Local Law 48 of 2025) | Renewals every 90 days, each with a design professional's progress report. No renewal while shed penalties are unpaid. | LL48/2025 |
| Per-foot penalties for idle sheds (LL48) | From the second renewal, a shed with no active work can be charged per linear foot per month: $10 under 3 years, $100 from 3 years to under 4, $200 at 4 years or more. Only that top tier has a cap, $6,000 a month. DOB expects to begin in early 2027. | LL48/2025; 1 RCNY 102-07 |
| Repair milestones for Unsafe façades (Local Law 51 of 2025) | For sheds first permitted since January 12, 2026: construction documents filed in 5 months, a complete permit application filed and diligently pursued in 8, repairs finished in 2 years. A penalty of $5,000 to $20,000 for each missed milestone. One extension available if the repair contract runs longer. | LL51/2025 |
| New shed design rules (Local Law 47 of 2025) | Taller clearance, approved colors and better lighting, in effect since August 2025. Netting alternatives once DOB's rule is adopted. | LL47/2025 |
Read the full guide: How to get your sidewalk shed down in 2026 →
What we deliver
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A removal date to work toward.
From the start, the schedule shows when each elevation will be finished and when protection can come down.
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Every shed milestone tracked.
Your 5-month, 8-month and 2-year dates and your 90-day permit renewals, all on one schedule.
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Active work you can prove.
The weekly work log, plus photos at key milestones, to show DOB the shed isn't sitting idle.
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The sidewalk back.
The shed dismantled, the sidewalk and curb restored and the frontage cleaned up.
Services and capabilities
01 Take stock
- Your FISP report, shed permit history and open violations, reviewed together
- Your clock dates: first shed permit, renewals, LL51 milestones
- A repair scope planned around getting protection down as early as possible
02 Finish the work
- The façade repairs the shed is protecting (Unsafe repairs)
- Work sequenced by elevation, so your QEWI can request partial removal as each frontage is finished
- Shed permit renewals, progress documentation and the weekly work log
- Netting alternatives once DOB's rule is in effect, where your QEWI agrees
03 Take it down
- Photos and records for your QEWI's amended report
- Shed dismantling once DOB accepts the amended report or approves removal
- Sidewalk, curb and vault repairs where the shed damaged them (sidewalk and vault repairs)
The scale of it
As of August 2026, about 7,400 sidewalk sheds were permitted across New York City. When we counted DOB permit data on October 1, 2026, Manhattan had about 3,000 buildings with an active shed permit, Brooklyn about 1,700, the Bronx about 1,200 and Queens about 800. Those numbers include construction sheds as well as façade work.
Sources: NYC Mayor's Office, August 2026; NYC Open Data, DOB NOW: Build – Approved Permits. See the data →
Questions about sidewalk sheds
Why can't we just take the shed down?
Because it's protecting the public from a condition your QEWI reported. Protection over an Unsafe façade has to stay up until the condition is repaired and DOB accepts your QEWI's amended report, or until DOB approves your QEWI's signed and sealed request to remove it because the conditions are corrected. Taking it down early puts people on the sidewalk at risk and exposes the building to serious penalties.
Our shed has been up for years. Does the 2-year repair deadline apply to us?
No. Local Law 51's 5-month, 8-month and 2-year milestones apply only to sheds whose first permit was issued on or after January 12, 2026, so an older shed isn't on that clock. The Local Law 48 per-foot penalties for sheds with no active work do apply to long-standing sheds, though, starting with the second renewal, and DOB has said it expects to start imposing them in early 2027. Uncorrected Unsafe conditions also carry monthly penalties of their own.
How do the new shed penalties work?
Under Local Law 48 of 2025, starting with the second permit renewal, a shed with no active work can be charged per linear foot per month: $10 a foot while the shed is under three years old, $100 a foot from three years up to four, and $200 a foot from four years on. The $6,000 monthly cap applies only to that last tier. On a 100-foot shed, that's $1,000 a month in the first tier and $10,000 a month in the second. Our penalty chart shows it by shed length.
Can a shed come down in sections?
Sometimes. When the work on one elevation is finished and your QEWI and DOB accept it, protection on that frontage may come down before the rest of the building is done. That's why we plan the work elevation by elevation.
Can netting replace a shed?
Possibly, in some locations. Local Law 47 of 2025 directs DOB to allow containment netting instead of a shed where there's no public access below and on certain adjoining exposures. DOB's rule is still proposed (a public hearing was scheduled for October 5, 2026), so netting isn't an option yet. Once it is, whether it works for your building will depend on the condition, the location and your QEWI's recommendation.
Who renews the shed permit every 90 days?
The registered contractor holds the shed permit. Each renewal now needs a progress report from a design professional, and no renewal is issued while shed penalties are unpaid. We keep the permit, the progress reports and the weekly work log current, so each renewal keeps pace with the job.
Let's talk about your building
Tell us how long your shed has been up
We'll find out what's keeping it there and lay out the work it will take to bring it down.
