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LL11 / FISP

LL11 / FISP inspection support

Every five years, New York City requires the owner of a building higher than six stories to have its exterior walls inspected and to file a technical facade report with the Department of Buildings. The program is the Facade Inspection & Safety Program (FISP), often still called Local Law 11. Purple Window Cleaning supports your inspection cycle with facade and window cleaning and rope-access work, coordinated with your inspector and building management.

We don't inspect facades or file reports. That's the job of a licensed professional your building hires.

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What FISP requires

The rules below come from the NYC Department of Buildings (Facade & Local Law):

  • Who must comply. Owners of buildings higher than six stories must have exterior walls and appurtenances inspected every five years and file a technical report with the Department (NYC Construction Codes §28-302.1 and 1 RCNY §103-04).
  • Who inspects. The inspections are called critical examinations, and only a Qualified Exterior Wall Inspector (QEWI) may perform them: a New York State licensed Professional Engineer or Registered Architect approved by the Department. The QEWI files the report through DOB NOW: Safety.
  • How the facade is classified. Each report classifies the building as Safe, Safe with a Repair and Maintenance Program (SWARMP), or Unsafe. An Unsafe facade must be repaired, and where public protection is required, such as a sidewalk shed, a fence or netting, each needs a Department permit.
  • When. Filing deadlines run in cycles. The current cycle, Cycle 10, is split into sub-cycles A, B and C, and the last digit of the building's block number decides which one applies.

The Department's FISP Universe Map lists the facades subject to the program, but it's the owner's responsibility to confirm whether a building is covered.

Aerial view of Manhattan and the New York City skyline

Deadlines and repairs

The Department of Buildings sets firm follow-up rules. Property owners must repair unsafe conditions within 90 days of filing a technical report, and file an amended report within two weeks once all unsafe conditions are corrected. Owners who miss deadlines or fail to make timely repairs face violations and penalties. A building with ongoing construction may not be designated Safe, and every report must include color photos and mapping of each observed condition.

None of this is our work to do, but it explains why the timing of cleaning and access work matters to your QEWI.

Where we fit in a FISP cycle

Our service is inspection support and documentation aligned with the FISP cycle:

  • Cleaning before the examination. If your QEWI wants the facade or the windows cleaned before the critical examination, we schedule the work to fit the inspection dates.
  • Work at height. We work on facades using rope access, which reaches upper floors without scaffolding or sidewalk sheds. Your QEWI decides how the examination is carried out and what access it needs, and our rope-access work is coordinated with that plan and with building management.
  • Documentation. We document the cleaning and access work we carry out, so your building has a record of it for the cycle.
  • Between cycles. Regular facade cleaning and window cleaning programs keep the exterior maintained in the years between inspections.
Purple Window Cleaning technician on a window ledge cleaning exterior windows above a New York City street

What we don't do

  • We don't perform critical examinations or give engineering opinions
  • We don't prepare or file FISP reports
  • We don't do structural or masonry repairs

Those belong to your QEWI and your repair contractor. Our part is the cleaning and access work around their schedule.

Planning the work around your cycle

  1. Step 1

    Check your sub-cycle. The last digit of your block number sets your filing window; the Department's sub-cycle diagram and FISP Universe Map show the details.

  2. Step 2

    Talk to your QEWI about what they need before and during the examination.

  3. Step 3

    Request an estimate and add the inspection dates in the notes, along with your building's insurance requirements.

  4. Step 4

    We schedule around the inspection, and the Certificate of Insurance goes to building management before work begins.

FAQ

Frequently asked questions

Can Purple Window Cleaning perform our FISP inspection?

No. Critical examinations may only be performed by a Qualified Exterior Wall Inspector, a licensed engineer or architect approved by the Department of Buildings. We support the cycle with cleaning and access work.

Is my building subject to FISP?

Buildings higher than six stories are. The Department's FISP Universe Map lists covered facades, but confirming whether a building is covered is the owner's responsibility.

How often do inspections happen?

Every five years, in cycles. Cycle 10 is split into sub-cycles A, B and C by the last digit of the building's block number.

Do you work with our engineer?

Yes. Our work is coordinated with your QEWI and your building management, on their schedule.

Do you need scaffolding to clean the facade?

No. Rope access reaches upper floors without scaffolding or sidewalk sheds.

Related

Related services

Plan your FISP support

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