DOB NOW: Build Explained for NYC Homeowners

Ask three New Yorkers about their renovation and one of them will say, with some bitterness, "we're waiting on DOB." The Department of Buildings runs the city's construction oversight, and for most alterations its online platform, DOB NOW: Build, is where the process lives. Plans are uploaded, reviewers comment, objections are answered, permits issue and later sign-offs are recorded, all through the same system.

If you are not in the industry the terminology can be dizzying: Applicant of Record, filing representative, NB, Alt, Alt-CO, objections, sign-offs, BIS. This guide translates it into plain English for homeowners, co-op and condo shareholders and small landlords. It covers who files what, how a typical job moves through the system, where delays happen, what is new in 2026 as reported, and what your own role is. Information is current as of October 2026; the DOB updates its procedures regularly, so confirm specifics at the source.

1. What DOB NOW: Build Actually Is

DOB NOW is the Department of Buildings' family of online services. The Build module covers the work most homeowners care about: filing applications for construction, reviewing plans, issuing permits and tracking inspections and sign-offs on active jobs. Other DOB NOW modules handle safety, inspections and licensing, but "Build" is the one your architect or engineer will mention.

In practice it replaced the older paper and BIS-era processes for most new filings. Some functions still sit in the legacy BIS or eFiling systems, notably certain permit renewals and some older jobs. Your filing professional will know which system your job lives in, and it is worth asking, because it determines where you log in and who sees what.

The DOB explains its permit process on its how to obtain a permit page, and its main site links to service updates and forms.

Think of the system as a shared file room with rules about who can open which folder:

• Owner. Owns the property or has the right to authorize work. In a co-op, the shareholder's authority is limited by the proprietary lease and board rules.
• Applicant of Record. The NYS-registered architect or licensed professional engineer who files the application and certifies the plans.
• Filing representative. Someone, sometimes an expediter, who assists with submissions and tracking.
• General contractor or trade licensee. Pulls and holds the permit for the work, depending on filing structure.
• DOB plan examiner and inspectors. Review plans and inspect work.

2. Who Needs to File and Who Does Not

Most construction work needs a permit. That includes gut renovations, relocating walls, changing plumbing or gas lines, replacing electrical systems, structural changes, new windows in some cases, additions, and building a new structure. The DOB's rule of thumb is that if you are altering the structure, egress, use, occupancy, mechanical systems or building envelope, you probably need to file.

Work that generally does not need a DOB permit includes cosmetic work such as painting, minor patching and some flooring replacement. Even then, co-op, condo and landlord rules still apply, and landmarked buildings add their own review. Our Do I Need a Permit tool gives a first answer on the edge cases, and our 10 essential renovation tips for NYC homeowners cover the planning habits that keep a permitted job on track.

A useful distinction:

When in doubt, a design professional can tell you in a short call whether your scope triggers a filing. The cost of that call is small compared with a stop-work order.

3. Application Types: NB, Alt-CO and Alt

Three labels come up constantly.

New Building (NB). For constructing a new structure. Homeowners encounter it when building a new house or replacing one.

Alteration-CO (Alt-CO). Alterations that change use, egress or occupancy and therefore affect the certificate of occupancy. Converting a two-family to a three-family or changing a space's use falls here. These filings draw heavier review and often require a new or amended certificate of occupancy.

Alteration (Alt). Alterations that do not change use, egress or occupancy. Most apartment and house renovations fall under this category, whether they are kitchens, baths, layout changes or gut renovations.

Within those categories, the filing may be broken into work types such as general construction, plumbing, mechanical and others, depending on scope. Your design professional selects the right combination.

A note on codes: Local Law 33 of 2026 enacts a new NYC Existing Building Code, replacing the 1968 code for alterations. DOB says it takes effect July 17, 2027 and will govern alteration applications. Until then current rules apply. If your project spans that date, ask your architect how it is expected to be handled. The DOB lists code resources on its construction codes page.

4. The Process From Start to Finish

Every job is different, but most follow this arc.

1. Define scope. You and your contractor or designer decide what is being built, with a rough budget and schedule.
2. Hire the design professional. A registered architect or licensed PE prepares drawings and acts as Applicant of Record.
3. Gather ownership and building documents. These may include the certificate of occupancy, prior filings, the proprietary lease or deed and board packages.
4. Create or confirm accounts. The owner, Applicant of Record and others have DOB NOW access.
5. Prepare and submit the filing. Plans, forms and required statements are uploaded.
6. Plan review. A DOB reviewer examines the submission and issues objections if something does not comply.
7. Respond to objections. The Applicant of Record revises drawings and resubmits. This can happen more than once.
8. Approval. When the reviewer is satisfied, the application is approved.
9. Permit issuance. Required fees are paid, contractor information and insurance are confirmed, and permits are issued for the relevant work types.
10. Construction and inspections. Work proceeds and inspections occur as required.
11. Sign-offs. Completed work is signed off. Depending on scope, this may involve inspections, special inspections, and a certificate of occupancy update.

Because DOB is online, status can be tracked, but understanding the status labels takes practice. Ask your professional to explain each stage and how long they expect it to take.

5. The 2026 Board-Approval Attestation

For co-op and condo owners, one change draws attention. Industry reports state that DOB reinstated, effective January 26, 2026, a board attestation inside DOB NOW: Build, confirming that alterations are board-approved. In plain terms, the filing may ask the applicant to attest that the board has approved the work where one is required.

Treat that as reported, and verify it. Rules and forms can change, and how the attestation is handled in your filing depends on your building and scope. Ask the DOB and your managing agent what is needed.

What this means in practice:

• Get board approval before filing, not after. In many buildings the alteration agreement is signed before plans are submitted.
• Keep paperwork consistent. Drawings submitted to the board should match what is filed with DOB. Mismatched scopes cause delays.
• Budget for board timelines. Boards often meet monthly. A missed meeting can add weeks.
• Coordinate insurance. Boards and DOB both care about contractor insurance and licenses.

We cover the typical board package in more depth in our renovation tips for NYC homeowners.

6. Where Delays Actually Happen

The permit process is rarely slowed by DOB alone. The usual culprits:

• Incomplete drawings or documents. Missing details lead to objections and resubmissions.
• Mismatched information. Ownership, address or scope that differs between documents.
• Board delays. Waiting on signatures, insurance certificates or meeting dates.
• Scope creep. Adding a bathroom relocation after filing forces a revision.
• Hidden conditions. Open walls revealing unexpected plumbing, asbestos or structural issues.
• Contractor paperwork. Missing licenses, insurance certificates or registrations.
• Slow responses. Objections sitting in an inbox for a week add a week to the schedule.

You cannot control the DOB's queue, but you can control your side. Hire people who respond fast, decide scope before filing and keep every party on the same set of drawings.

7. Costs, Fees and Timelines

Be careful with promises of speed or price. What is reasonable to say as of October 2026:

• Design, engineering, expediting and permit fees often add roughly 15 to 25 percent on top of construction cost, depending on scope. Landmarked buildings often add about 15 to 20 percent to time and budget.
• Simple filings can take weeks. Complex ones, especially those involving structural changes, change of use or multiple objection rounds, can take months.
• Full apartment gut renovations typically run four to nine months including approvals, with kitchens at roughly six to twelve weeks and bathrooms three to six weeks of construction after permits.

These are typical planning ranges, not quotes, and a written itemized quote governs. For a wider budget picture, see our NYC renovation cost guide for 2026 and the renovation ROI calculator, which helps you weigh whether a larger scope is worth the added permitting.

8. Landmarks, Hazmat and Other Parallel Tracks

DOB is not the only agency in your project.

Landmarks. If the building is individually landmarked or in a historic district, the Landmarks Preservation Commission must approve exterior changes and some interior work before DOB issues certain permits. Its permit types are Certificate of No Effect, Permit for Minor Work and Certificate of Appropriateness. See the LPC applications page for process details.

Asbestos and lead. Disturbing suspect asbestos-containing materials in older buildings requires survey, assessment and certified abatement if present. Buildings built before 1987 commonly trigger surveys. Lead rules apply to older paint under the EPA and city rules.

Contractor licensing. Residential remodeling in NYC requires a Home Improvement Contractor license from the Department of Consumer and Worker Protection. Verify your contractor before signing.

Noise and hours. NYC construction is generally limited to weekday daytime hours, and many co-ops restrict further.

Other code changes. Local Law 102 of 2025 requires residential gas detectors near gas-fed appliances from January 1, 2027, and Local Law 47 of 2026 aligns the city energy code with the state code. Ask your design professional whether they affect your scope.

9. Why Use a Contractor Who Knows the DOB Process

10. Neighborhoods and ZIP Codes We Serve

N.Y. Renovation Services works across all of the areas below, and local building stock, board culture and municipal rules change how we scope each job.

The DOB process is the same citywide, but buildings and local rules vary.

• Financial District, Manhattan (10004, 10005, 10006, 10038): office-to-residential conversions and high-rise condos with loading-dock and freight rules. Alteration agreements, building management and after-hours restrictions shape the schedule. See our Financial District luxury apartment renovations.
• Bed-Stuy, Brooklyn (11205, 11206, 11216, 11221, 11233, 11238): brownstones, Stuyvesant Heights and Bedford historic districts, and multifamily buildings. Landmarks review and multiple-dwelling rules often run alongside DOB filings. See our Bed-Stuy luxury apartment renovations.
• Middle Village, Queens (11379): attached and detached homes with large basements, where basement work raises egress, ventilation and moisture questions. Our guide to a smelly basement covers the moisture side.
• St. George, Staten Island (10301): ferry-adjacent apartments and Victorian houses in an LPC district, where landmarks review often precedes exterior work.
• Jericho, Nassau County (11753): colonials and large homes in the Town of Oyster Bay. Note that DOB NOW applies only inside New York City; Long Island permits come from the town or village building department.
• Linden, New Jersey (07036): capes and two-family homes. New Jersey permits come from the local municipal construction office under the Uniform Construction Code, not DOB.

11. Next Steps: Get a Free Written Estimate

James - Lead Renovation Editor. With over 20 years in renovation and construction, James writes and edits our guides. More about James