NYC Building Permits — Cost, Timeline & Process

New York City building permits are issued by the NYC Department of Buildings (DOB). Most current construction filings are handled through DOB NOW: Build, where the principal job types include New Building, Alteration-CO, Alteration, Limited Alteration, and Full Demolition. Legacy BIS terms such as Alt-1, Alt-2, and Alt-3 still appear on older jobs and in limited legacy workflows, but they are not the current DOB NOW job-type names.

The current baseline for most new filings is the 2022 NYC Construction Codes. As of September 2026, the newly enacted NYC Existing Building Code does not become effective until July 17, 2027, so alterations and maintenance of existing buildings continue to be governed by the 2022 Construction Codes until that date. The 2025 NYC Energy Conservation Code has been enforced since March 30, 2026.

Current DOB NOW Job Types

DOB NOW uses the following current terminology:

• New Building (NB) — new building construction.
• Alteration-CO — an alteration that impacts the Certificate of Occupancy. DOB states that legacy BIS Alt-1 maps to Alteration-CO in DOB NOW.
• Alteration — alteration work that does not require an Alteration-CO. DOB states that legacy BIS Alt-2 and Alt-3 map to Alteration in DOB NOW.
• Limited Alteration Application (LAA) — a separate limited-work filing type available for qualifying scopes.
• Full Demolition — a separate DOB NOW filing type for full demolition.

Some special legacy workflows still remain outside the standard DOB NOW path, including certain affordable-housing, fee-deferred, and no-work filings. Always use DOB's current filing guidance for the specific project rather than choosing a filing type from an old Alt-1/2/3 chart.

Filing Through DOB NOW: Build

DOB has migrated the overwhelming majority of job filings to DOB NOW, a web-based portal. DOB NOW includes several modules:

• DOB NOW: Build — create/submit job filings, pull and renew permits, schedule appointments, and resolve objections (the main permit module).
• DOB NOW: Inspections — request inspections and view results.
• DOB NOW: Safety — compliance filings (facade, boilers, elevators, etc.).
• DOB NOW: Licensing — license filings.

The core workflow:

1. A Registered Design Professional (RDP) — a New York State licensed Professional Engineer (P.E.) or Registered Architect (R.A.) — submits the job filing in DOB NOW: Build. DOB's current FAQ states that only an RA or PE may submit a job filing.
2. The filing is completed through the DOB NOW forms and tabs, including Plans/Work (PW1) and, when applicable, technical reports and supporting documents.
3. Under Standard Plan Examination, DOB plan examiners review the filing and issue objections that must be resolved before approval. Under Professional Certification, the RDP certifies code compliance and the filing follows the professional-certification review path.
4. After the filing is approved and permit prerequisites are satisfied, the work permit is added through PW2 in DOB NOW and the applicable permit fees are paid.
5. Required progress and special inspections are completed and documented. Jobs requiring occupancy approval proceed through the applicable Certificate of Occupancy process.

Plan Examiner Review vs. Professional Certification

For filings that go through standard review, a DOB plan examiner checks the plans against the NYC Construction Codes, Zoning Resolution, Energy Conservation Code, and other applicable laws. The examiner may issue objections that must be resolved before approval.

Under the Professional Certification Program (Pro-Cert), an eligible P.E. or R.A. certifies that the plans comply with applicable laws and codes. DOB states that professionally certified applications do not go through ordinary Department plan examination, although DOB NOW still includes a professional-certification QA review path and professionally certified plans are subject to DOB audit.

Review Timing

NYC DOB does not publish a single guaranteed time-to-permit table for New Building, Alteration-CO, and Alteration filings. Review time depends on filing completeness, required documents and agency approvals, objections, work types, and whether the filing uses Standard Plan Examination or Professional Certification.

For current status, use the DOB NOW public portal or the filing dashboard. Do not rely on generic estimates such as “2–6 weeks” for an Alteration or “several months” for an Alteration-CO as if they were DOB service standards.

Permit Fees

NYC DOB fees are set by Title 28 of the NYC Administrative Code and DOB rules, and are assessed on factors including:

• Current DOB NOW job type, such as New Building, Alteration-CO, Alteration, Limited Alteration, or Full Demolition, together with the applicable filing/work types
• Initial cost of work (reported on the PW1)
• Floor area, building characteristics, and other project-specific factors where the applicable fee provision uses them
• Number of dwelling units, stories, and trades involved

Additional charges can apply for subsequent filings, permit renewals, After Hours Variances, work types, and other project-specific items. DOB updated several DOB NOW fee calculations effective February 2, 2026, including Alteration filings associated with an Alteration-CO, so use the current DOB NOW calculation and current DOB guidance rather than legacy Alt-1/2/3 fee summaries.

Do not rely on third-party fee calculators. Use the PW1 fee calculation in DOB NOW or the current DOB fee schedule for authoritative numbers.

Inspections and TR1

The Registered Design Professional identifies which progress inspections and special inspections apply at the time of filing, using the TR1 (Technical Report — Statement of Responsibility) form. Typical inspection categories include:

• Foundation and footings
• Structural steel, concrete, masonry
• Fire-resistance-rated construction and firestopping
• Mechanical, electrical, plumbing, sprinkler, standpipe
• Energy code compliance (documented on the TR8 form)
• Final inspection and sign-off

Inspections are requested and tracked in DOB NOW: Inspections. The Progress Inspection Applicant certifies completion of the required progress inspections prior to sign-off.

Common Reasons for Objections or Denial

• Plans do not meet the applicable NYC Construction Codes, the current NYC Energy Conservation Code, or the Zoning Resolution
• Missing or inconsistent drawings, calculations, or RDP stamps
• Zoning conflicts (use group, bulk, FAR, yard/court, height/setback)
• Missing Landmarks Preservation Commission (LPC) approval for landmarked buildings
• Missing required approvals or supporting documents from other agencies
• Contractor licensing, insurance, or other permit prerequisites are incomplete

Official Sources

• DOB NOW: Build: https://www.nyc.gov/site/buildings/property-or-business-owner/dob-now-build.page
• DOB NOW: Build FAQs: https://www.nyc.gov/site/buildings/industry/dob-now-build-faqs.page
• Professional Certification: https://www.nyc.gov/site/buildings/industry/professional-certification.page
• 2022 NYC Construction Codes: https://www.nyc.gov/site/buildings/codes/2022-construction-codes.page
• NYC Existing Building Code status: https://www.nyc.gov/site/buildings/codes/existing-building-code.page
• NYC Energy Conservation Code: https://www.nyc.gov/site/buildings/codes/energy-conservation-code.page

Always verify current requirements, forms, and fees directly with NYC DOB before filing — rules, job-type definitions, and fee schedules change periodically.