New York City Building Department | Permits, Inspections & Contact

The New York City Department of Buildings (DOB) is the municipal building authority for construction and occupancy matters throughout the five boroughs. NYC is a consolidated city, so a property owner should use DOB and the applicable borough office rather than looking for a separate county building department. DOB reviews construction plans, issues permits, performs inspections, enforces the Construction Code and Zoning Resolution, and issues certificates of occupancy.

New York City building permits and plan review

Most construction in New York City requires a DOB permit. New Building, Alteration-CO, and Alteration filings cover the principal construction categories. A New York State registered architect or professional engineer generally files the plans as the applicant of record, and DOB plan examiners review them for code and zoning objections. Most new permit work is filed through DOB NOW: Build; some legacy BIS and eFiling work remains in the older systems.

DOB NOW login, permit search, and inspections

DOB NOW is the main online workspace for filings, payments, permits, renewals, application status, and inspections. Use the DOB NOW Public Portal or the Buildings Information System to search a property’s permits, job filings, violations, inspections, and occupancy information. Development inspection requests are made through DOB NOW: Inspections after account registration; the Department says inspection requests are no longer accepted through the old phone and online request channels.

Zoning, code compliance, and certificates of occupancy

The plan review process checks both construction-code and zoning requirements. A certificate of occupancy states the legal use and permitted occupancy of a building. New buildings and buildings changed in use, egress, or occupancy need a current CO or TCO before lawful occupancy, and final construction sign-offs plus other required approvals are part of the close-out process.

Official contact information

The DOB main phone is (212) 566-5000; call 311 for NYC agency information and complaints. The Department’s published contact information includes 280 Broadway, New York, NY 10007, while customer service and certificate-of-occupancy work are organized through the borough offices. Use the borough office associated with the property for location-specific filings and records.