NEW YORK (PIX11) -- Don't panic over your parapet inspection. We have an explainer of what's required if you are a homeowner in the five boroughs of New York City.
First, determine if you truly have a parapet or a cornice. The New York City Department of Buildings defines it as part of the exterior wall that extends up past the level of the roof. It is meant to keep people from accidentally stepping off the roof and aids in fire suppression.
Second, a new law requires you to have a parapet inspection once a year. That means you need to get it done by December 31st, 2024.
However, you do not need to pay a licensed contractor hundreds of dollars to get it done. A number of private companies are flooding homeowners' mailboxes with flyers urging them to act now and hire them for an inspection.
Yegal Shamash, the Deputy Commissioner of Enforcement for the City DOB tells PIX11 News that any person competent to inspect parapets can perform the observation.
That includes a building superintendent, a handyman, an architect, or an engineer. Shamash says they should be looking to see "Is the parapet straight up and down, or is it leaning towards the street? Are there cracks in the parapet? Is there any deterioration of the materials?"
No submission to the Department is required. An observation report must be written up and kept by owners for at least 6 years. It must make the reports available to the Department upon request.
There are some exemptions from the mandatory inspections, including detached one or two-family homes or if there's a fence or barrier preventing access to the exterior wall.
Shamash tells PIX11 News the law was passed in part because "over the last 10 years, we've had almost 500 incidents where either a portion of the parapet or the entire parapet has fallen, that's a high rate for us."
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