Local Law 10/11

The City of New York is a wonderland of an architectural beauty. We as general public find them attractive and fascinating; however, many of these beauties of art also can be dangerous if they are not properly maintained. A pedestrian who was in an unfortunate accident that lost his life for the city officials to step in to create a legislation known as Local Law 11, which requires the building owners to make New York City Buildings safer for pedestrians and to sustain the exterior walls and paraphernalia of any building that is standing above six stories.

With strict new laws a building that is standing six feet or high must be critically inspected of its peripheral façade by supervised and registered architect or professional engineer whom will conclude if there are any paraphernalia that may be in danger to collapse. The appurtenances include cornices, parapet walls, bricks, lintels, copings and even reprehensibly installed air conditioners.

Architects who conduct conducting the Local Law 11 inspection will determine the necessary method of inspection and construction companies, such as my own, will perform the actual inspection. There are three criteria’s in which an inspector or an architect performs an inspection and those are: 1) safe, 2) safe with a repair or maintenance program, and 3) Unsafe. Once the building has be given a rating of being safe under the local law 11, the building then does not require any work of any maintenance for the next five years. Any building that receives a rating of safe with repair or maintenance program under the local law 11 may be safe at the time of the inspections but it will require certain repairs and maintenance within next five years to remain safe. If a building receives unsafe upon completion of the inspection will need to complete any and all repairs within the allotted 30 days of time. A building can only be considered safe if the within the time allotted all the repairs are completed for any person or property.

If you see any conditions that seem dangerous, you should contact the New York City department of Buildings by calling 311 and report it.

In 1980, (LL10/80) law enacted by the New York City which was latterly update due to some façade failures and the new regulation is also known as Local Law 11/98 (LL11/98). This law designed to keep home and property owner beware about facade conditions of the buildings in New York. All building which have six or above stories comes under this law and the owner of the building must have to submit periodical inspection report of their exterior walls and appurtenances from a certified and licensed Engineer/Architect. This report present critical examination of building’s facade deficiencies and must be filed with the New York City Department of Buildings (DOB). This report state the condition is as;