On April 17, Mayor Adams signed into law a comprehensive package of legislation that significantly reforms New York City’s sidewalk shed regulations. Sidewalk sheds are temporary protective structures installed along buildings to shield pedestrians from potential falling debris. They are a familiar sight throughout the city, especially near buildings undergoing construction or facade repair.

While these structures are critical for public safety, especially during exterior work mandated under the city’s Façade Inspection and Safety Program (FISP), commonly known as Local Law 11, they often stay up long after repairs have stalled or stopped altogether. There are currently over 8,400 scaffolding structures across New York City with the majority concentrated in Manhattan. The average age of scaffolding in New York City is over 500 days old, and 334 scaffolding structures have been in place for more than five years.

Local Law 11 requires owners of buildings taller than six stories to have their façades inspected and maintained at least once every five years, with conditions categorized as safe, safe with a repair and maintenance program (SWARMP), or unsafe. In cases where a façade is classified as unsafe, owners must install a sidewalk shed or other pedestrian protection immediately and keep it in place until necessary repairs are completed.

However, due to delays or lack of enforcement many sidewalk sheds have lingered for years. In many cases, it had been cheaper for an owner to keep the shed in place than to actually fix the building, because the city’s prior rules allowed for permit renewals without proof of progress and penalties for inaction were limited.

To address these challenges, the Adams administration launched the Get Sheds Down initiative in 2023 and has now codified its major goals into law. The newly signed laws bring that initiative into effect, tightening shed permit rules, introducing stricter penalties, and updating the city’s façade inspection requirements.

New Sidewalk Shed Reforms

The legislative package introduces several key changes that will affect how sidewalk sheds are permitted, maintained, and removed across New York City.

• Reduced permit durations (Int. No. 393-A). Sidewalk shed permits for façade repairs are reduced from one year to three months, unless connected to demolition, a building alteration, or new building construction. The DOB may deny permit renewals unless owners submit documentation showing repair progress or valid justification for delays.
• Stricter enforcement, penalties (Int. No. 661-A). Owners who delay facade repairs may now face penalties if they fail to file construction documents within five months, file necessary permit applications within eight months, or complete repairs within two years.
• Design and aesthetics (Int. No. 391-A). DOB must issue design recommendations by Sept. 30, 2025. There will be more color options for sheds, require corresponding construction fences to match the color of the sidewalk shed, increase lighting beneath sidewalk sheds, and raise the minimum height of sidewalk sheds to 12 feet barring areas where exits, light, or ventilation would be obstructed. Finally, DOB is required to publicize rules on the use of containment netting as a sidewalk shed alternative.
• Improved lighting (Int. No. 660-A). Sheds must now be lit using LED fixtures with double the previous brightness standard. And lighting fixtures within a 20-foot radius of a window or glass door will have be adjustable or shielded to prevent excess brightness in surrounding homes.
• Alternative protection methods (Int. No. 391-A). DOB is required to publicize rules on the use of containment netting as a sidewalk shed alternative.
• Extended facade inspection cycle (Int. No. 394-A): DOB is required to review the frequency of the FISP and recommend changes to the City Council by Dec. 31, 2025. For buildings over six stories, the required facade inspection cycle under Local Law 11 will move from a fixed five-year schedule to a range of six to 12 years, based on DOB rulemaking, and delay the first required inspection for any new building from five to nine years.

Revised Façade Inspection Schedule

The extension of the FISP inspection schedule is a major change for owners when it comes to façade compliance under Local Law 11. Owners would have longer periods of time in between FISP inspections, from six to 12 years, providing some relief to the current five-year cycle.

To guide this transition, DOB is conducting a comprehensive study that is expected by Dec. 31, 2025. DOB has partnered with engineering firm Thornton Tomasetti to conduct a data-driven study of existing inspection reports and façade conditions. And the findings will inform the new rules that define the specific intervals within the six- to 12-year range.

It’s not yet clear whether the new law will affect buildings currently filing under Cycle 10 of the FISP. The law officially takes effect on Oct. 1, 2026, about five months before the close of Cycle 10-A. Depending on how DOB chooses to implement the new rules, we could see adjustments to filing deadlines later in Cycle 10 or, more likely, changes that apply beginning with Cycle 11. Additional updates are expected as DOB completes its façade study and releases new rules.