FISP Repairs in NYC
Your report is filed and the dates are set. We turn your QEWI’s list of SWARMP items into a permitted, scheduled repair job, finish the work before each due date, and hand your inspector the records that prove it.
What Counts as a FISP Repair?
FISP repairs are the fixes a filed Local Law 11 report calls for. Most are SWARMP items: conditions that are safe today but need work within the timeframe your QEWI sets, which DOB’s facade rule requires to be at least one year and no more than five. Typical items include displaced brick, deteriorated mortar joints, rusted lintels, loose railings and worn sealant.
The deadline is the date printed in the report, not your next inspection. A SWARMP item still open at the next exam has to be reported as Unsafe, and the same condition can’t carry a SWARMP rating for two cycles in a row. Unsafe items follow a much shorter 90-day clock, covered on our Unsafe facade repair page.
Paperwork That Speeds Up Repairs
- The filed FISP report, with every SWARMP item, location and due date
- Your QEWI's photos and written repair recommendations
- Open DOB permits, ECB violations and any sidewalk shed permit
- The building's Landmarks status, if it has one
- Contacts for roof, apartment and courtyard access
What a FISP Repair Job Includes
- Line-by-line scope
We go through the report item by item and price each location, so nothing on the list gets missed.
- Permits and approvals
We file the DOB work permits our scope needs and line up Landmarks review when the building is designated.
- Access and protection
Scaffold, rigging, netting or a shed, placed so each setup reaches as many items as possible.
- Repairs by report item
Each SWARMP item is fixed to your QEWI's recommendation, from repointing and brick replacement to lintel work and re-anchoring.
- Phasing by elevation
Work is grouped wall by wall, so a setup clears everything it can reach before it moves.
- Records for certification
Dated before-and-after photos, permit and job numbers, and sign-off dates for your QEWI.
Four Ways SWARMP Repairs Get Delayed
Waiting for the Next Cycle
The due date is in the report, not at the next exam. Miss it and the item comes back rated Unsafe.
Fixing Items One at a Time
Separate visits mean separate setups and permits. Grouping items by elevation cuts access costs.
Starting Before Landmarks Signs Off
Facade work on a landmarked building usually needs a Landmarks Preservation Commission permit before DOB will issue its own. Start that review early.
Skipping the Paper Trail
Your next QEWI has to certify every correction. Without dated photos and permit numbers, that certification gets harder.
Planning SWARMP Repairs Around Your Deadline
Every SWARMP item carries its own date. These four steps keep the earliest one from catching you off guard.
Sort the Report by Due Date
List every item with its location and date, then flag the earliest. That date sets the whole schedule.
Scope, Price and Permit
We price each item, file the permits the work needs and start any Landmarks review. Approvals take weeks, so this step starts first.
Build In Weather and Access Time
Masonry slows in freezing weather and sealant needs dry days. Book access for the season you need, not the month the date falls in.
Close the Loop With Your QEWI
Share photos, permit and job numbers as each item is finished. If a date is going to slip, DOB has to be told, with your QEWI's support for a new timeframe.
Splitting the Work: Owner, QEWI and Our Crew
Swipe sideways to see every column.
| Task | Owner | Inspector (QEWI) | Our Team |
|---|---|---|---|
| Deadlines | Tracks each SWARMP date and approves the schedule | Sets the repair dates and recommendations in the report | Builds the work plan around the earliest date |
| Permits | Signs permit applications and owner authorizations | Advises on scope when a repair needs a design | Files the DOB work permits our scope needs |
| Repairs | Gives access and approves any change in scope | Reviews conditions found once walls are opened | Does the masonry, steel and anchoring work |
| Records | Keeps every record for the next filing | Certifies each correction at the next exam | Delivers photos, permit numbers and sign-off dates |
Got a report full of SWARMP items? Send it and we’ll price every line before your first due date.
FISP Repair Costs: The Five Biggest Factors
We price every report line by line after a site visit. These five things move the total most.
- Number and spread of items
Ten items on one wall cost far less than ten spread across every elevation.
- Setups per elevation
Each scaffold or rig setup is its own cost, so grouping the work matters.
- Hidden conditions
Rusted steel or failed wall ties found once a wall is opened can add scope.
- Permits and Landmarks review
DOB and LPC approvals add time and fees to the job.
- Season
Cold-weather masonry needs heat and enclosures, which add cost.
Next Stage: Close Out Your FISP Report
Once the work is done, records and reports decide what DOB sees. See how close-out and amended reports work.
FISP Repair Questions, Answered
Can a SWARMP due date be extended?
Only with a reason and paperwork. DOB's rule makes the owner responsible for telling the Department about any change to the timeframe, and a new date needs supporting documents from your QEWI. Plan around the original date.
Do I have to tell DOB when SWARMP repairs are finished?
An amended report isn't required for SWARMP items. Your QEWI certifies the corrections at the next exam, and you can choose to file a subsequent report showing the revised conditions within the same cycle. Keep every record until then.
Can SWARMP repairs be done in winter?
Some can. Masonry slows in freezing weather and may need heated enclosures, and sealant needs dry, mild days. Steel and anchoring work often carries on. If your date falls in spring, book over the winter.
Should all repairs be done at once or in phases?
It depends on the dates. Grouping items by elevation usually costs least, but an early date on one wall can justify a first phase there. We lay out both options with prices.
What happens if repairs uncover worse damage?
Opened walls sometimes reveal rusted steel or failed ties. We stop, photograph it and bring in your QEWI. Anything hazardous is made safe right away.
Will DOB show my building as Safe once repairs are done?
Not on its own. The building keeps its SWARMP classification on DOB's record until a new report shows the corrections, either a subsequent report within the cycle or the next cycle's filing.
Do FISP repairs need an architect or engineer?
Many like-for-like masonry repairs follow your QEWI's recommendations. Structural work, such as replacing a lintel or rebuilding a parapet, may need drawings before a permit is issued.
Start Your FISP Repair Plan
Send your filed report and we’ll come back with a line-by-line scope, a schedule built around your earliest due date, and the permits the work needs.