New York City Building Code requires that railings and parapets around stairwells, balconies, roofs and other railings in similar locations shall be designed to resist the simultaneous application of a lateral force of 50 pounds per linear foot (plf) and a vertical load of fifty 50 plf, both applied to the top of the railing. ​ On September 6th, 2013, the DOB issued an amendment Memo to rule RCNY §103-04, which specifically requests that balcony railings and connections be ch

NYC is not the only city with strict facade ordinance regulations, like Local Law 11. Cities around the United States have taken facade health seriously to proactively recognize and correct unsafe conditions that can put pedestrians at risk of injury or cause property damage. While the specific demands of each city’s ordinances differ, all regulations require that inspections be conducted at regular intervals. Below are the cities with mandatory facade ordinance laws: BOSTON

Why were we on a telescoping broom lift, inspecting a Mott Street building on a Saturday? For a Local Law 11 inspection on this primarily glass curtain wall (masonry wall on the back), the Department of Transportation permit was required for a lift parked in the street can potentially disrupt traffic. For Chinatown inspections, they only allow it during the weekend. These steps are sometimes overlooked and can cause unnecessary fines while you are trying to address exterior m