Who issues building permits in New York City?

The NYC Department of Buildings (DOB) issues building permits in New York City.

How long does a commercial building permit take in New York City?

In the 90 days to October 30, 2026, the median commercial or multifamily building permit in New York City was issued 25 days after the application was filed, across 15,373 permits with an application date. Half took between 5 days and 102 days. Simple trade permits are usually faster than new construction.

How do I look up building permits in New York City?

Search the city's records at https://a810-dobnow.nyc.gov/publish/Index.html#!/ by address or permit number. US Permit Search groups every commercial and multifamily permit at an address into one project page, with the contractor and declared value.

How much does a building permit cost in New York City?

Fees are set by NYC Admin Code §28-112.2 (in Chapter 1, Administration, of the construction codes). New-building fees are charged per square foot of floor area: $0.26/sq ft for non-1-3-family buildings under 7 stories and up to 100,000 sq ft, and $0.45/sq ft for 7+ stories or over 100,000 sq ft. Alteration fees are based on reported construction cost: DOB's Jan 2026 example is $280 for the first $3,000 plus $10.30 per additional $1,000 below 7 floors, and $290 plus $17.75 per $1,000 at 7+ floors. The official schedule: https://www.nyc.gov/site/buildings/codes/2022-construction-codes.page.

How to Get a Building Permit in New York City, NY (2026)

Where to apply and look up permits in New York City

Apply for a permitDOB NOW: Build ↗www.nyc.gov/site/buildings/industry/dob-now-build.page
Look up a permitDOB NOW Public Portal ↗a810-dobnow.nyc.gov/publish/Index.html#!/
FeesOfficial fee schedule ↗www.nyc.gov/site/buildings/codes/2022-construction-codes.page
Open dataNew York City building permit dataset ↗data.cityofnewyork.us/City-Government/DOB-NOW-Build-Approved-Permits/rbx6-tga4

DOB says most construction in the city needs a DOB permit, and a NY-licensed Professional Engineer or Registered Architect must file the plans.

Most permits are now filed in DOB NOW: Build, which is replacing the older Building Information System (BIS). The DOB NOW Public Portal shows only DOB NOW filings; older jobs are still looked up in BIS.

The Mayor's Management Report (FY2026) gives the average days to complete a first plan review in DOB NOW: 9.4 days for new buildings, 8.4 for major renovations (Alt-CO) and 4.4 for minor renovations. Filing to approval averaged 25.4 days, and most of that time sits with the applicant making corrections.

Trade	Permits	Median days to issue	Median declared value
Building	6,631	27	$100K
HVAC / Mechanical	2,967	14	$48.5K
Plumbing	2,892	37	$31K
Fire protection	1,182	39	$50K
Signs	611	3	$2.8K
Solar	181	6	$67.8K
Demolition	154	120	$50K
Roofing	87	56	$57.3K
Elevator	5	23	$65K

How to get a building permit in New York City, New York

Where to apply and look up permits in New York City

How to get a building permit in New York City, New York

Where to apply and look up permits in New York City

How long commercial permits take in New York City, by trade

Most common commercial permit types

Commercial permits per month

Questions and answers