Tracking building permits in New York, New York, is essential for architects working in the nation's largest construction market. The NYC Department of Buildings (DOB) handles building permits, plan reviews, and inspections for residential and commercial projects across all five boroughs.
Understanding New York's Permit Process
Before construction begins in New York City, DOB must review and approve job applications. Most work requires a DOB permit. Tracking status depends on when and how the job was filed—NYC currently maintains two online systems while DOB NOW gradually replaces the legacy Building Information System (BIS).
Checking Permit Status Online
According to NYC311 – Building Permit Status, you can get the status of building work permits—including the type of work allowed and the expiration date—online, by phone, or in person.
DOB NOW Public Portal — Use the DOB NOW Public Portal (nyc.gov/dobnow) for jobs filed in DOB NOW. No account is required for public search. Search by address, borough/block/lot (BBL), building identification number (BIN), or job number. On a property profile, open job filings and use the Work Permit (PW2) tab to view permit number, status, permit type, and issued date.
Building Information System (BIS) — Use DOB Building Information Search for older filings submitted through eFiling or a borough office that are not yet in DOB NOW. BIS does not include DOB NOW records; the portal displays a notice directing users to DOB NOW for those filings.
For guidance on which system to use, see the Guide to BIS, DOB NOW & eFiling and DOB NOW Public Portal FAQs. You can also view filings by address on the City's Open Data portal via Building Applications & Permits.
By phone or in person — Call the DOB Borough Office where the property is located, dial 311, or 212-NEW-YORK (212-639-9675). You can also find a DOB Borough Office and visit in person.
Key Permit Types in New York
- New Building (NB): Required for new construction
- Alteration Type 1 (ALT1): Work that changes use, occupancy, egress, or structure; typically requires DOB plan examination
- Alteration Type 2 (ALT2): Work that does not change use, egress, or occupancy; often filed via professional certification
- Alteration Type 3 (ALT3): Minor alterations
- Building Permits: Structural work tied to job filings in DOB NOW: Build or BIS
- Electrical Permits: For electrical installations and modifications
- Plumbing Permits: For plumbing work and modifications
- Mechanical Permits: For HVAC and mechanical system installations
- Demolition Permits: For building demolition projects
- Certificate of Occupancy (CO) and Letter of Completion: Post-construction sign-off through DOB NOW: Build
- Tenant Protection Plan: Required for certain work in occupied buildings
Complex projects may also require coordination with other agencies, such as Landmarks (LPC), FDNY, or DEP.
Typical Review Timeline
New York permit review timelines vary significantly by borough, filing type, and whether objections require resubmittal:
- DOB service level targets: Initial plan review times differ by filing type; check DOB Service Levels and the DOB Service Levels Tracker for borough-specific averages
- ALT2 (professional certification): Often approximately 4–6 weeks when submissions are complete (not a guaranteed timeline)
- ALT1 (plan examination): Often 8–12+ weeks, with additional time for each objection and resubmittal cycle
- Complex and multi-agency projects: Many months; end-to-end approval for some major alterations can exceed 100+ business days when applicant correction time is included
Timelines are among the longest of any U.S. city for complex work—plan ahead and set client expectations accordingly.
Challenges for Architects in New York
Managing permits in New York presents significant challenges:
- Two online portals: DOB NOW and BIS cover different filings; it is easy to check the wrong system
- Borough-based DOB: Property location determines which borough office handles the job
- Long review cycles: Clients expect regular updates during multi-month plan examinations
- Job filing complexity: NB and ALT filing types, registered design professionals, objections, and resubmittals add steps
- Multi-agency coordination: LPC, FDNY, DEP, and others may be involved on the same project
- Large project portfolios: Architects often manage 15+ active permits simultaneously
- Client communication: Keeping clients informed about permit status across multiple projects and boroughs
How Permitful Helps Architects in New York
Permitful is designed specifically for architects who need to track permits across multiple projects and jurisdictions. Here's how it helps:
Centralized Permit Tracking
Track all your New York permits in one place, along with permits from other cities. No more switching between DOB NOW, BIS, and email threads to find permit status.
Save Time with Reduced Communication
Permitful reduces back-and-forth communication by providing public project dashboards that clients can check anytime without needing to email or call you. Instead of fielding multiple status update requests, clients can simply visit their project dashboard to see the latest permit status, milestones, and progress—saving you hours each week.
Public Project Dashboards
Share a live dashboard with your clients showing the status of all permits for their project. Clients can check permit status anytime without calling or emailing you. This is especially valuable for New York projects where review timelines can be very lengthy.
Milestone Tracking
Never miss a deadline. Track key milestones like:
- Permit application submission
- Plan check comments received
- Resubmittal deadlines
- Permit approval
- Inspection scheduling
Calendar Integration
Export permit milestones to Google Calendar or Outlook so you get reminders where you already manage your schedule.
Best Practices for New York Permits
- Search the right portal: Check DOB NOW first for newer filings; use BIS for legacy eFiling and borough-office jobs
- Submit complete applications: Incomplete filings lead to objections and delays
- Respond to objections quickly: Each resubmittal cycle extends the timeline
- Know your filing type: ALT1 vs ALT2 determines plan examination vs professional certification paths
- Track multiple permits together: Many projects require coordinated building, electrical, and plumbing work under one job
- Keep clients informed: Regular updates prevent surprises and build trust, especially given NYC's longer review timelines
Stay Organized with Permitful
Whether you're managing permits for a single New York project or a portfolio of projects across multiple boroughs and cities, Permitful helps you stay organized and keep clients informed. With public project dashboards, milestone tracking, and real-time updates, you'll spend less time managing permits and more time designing.
Ready to streamline your New York permit tracking? Get started with Permitful today.
New York Building Department Resources
- NYC Department of Buildings: https://www.nyc.gov/site/buildings/index.page
- NYC311 – Building Permit Status: https://portal.311.nyc.gov/article/?kanumber=KA-02101
- DOB NOW Public Portal: https://a810-dobnow.nyc.gov/publish/Index.html
- DOB Building Information Search (BIS): https://a810-bisweb.nyc.gov/bisweb/bispi00.jsp
- Phone: 311 or (212) 639-9675 (212-NEW-YORK)