FISP Cycle 9: Deadlines, Sub-Cycles, and What to Do If You’re Late

Every building in New York City that is six stories or taller must have its facade inspected and a report filed with the Department of Buildings under Local Law 11 / FISP. The city divides these buildings into groups and assigns each group a filing window. That grouping system is called a cycle. We are currently in Cycle 9.

This page explains how the cycle system works, how to determine your building’s sub-cycle deadline, and what happens if you miss it.

How the Cycle System Works

FISP inspections run on a five-year cycle. The city staggers filing deadlines across three sub-cycles — A, B, and C — so that roughly one-third of the city’s facade-obligated buildings file each year within the five-year window. Your building’s sub-cycle is determined by the last digit of its BIN (Building Identification Number).

The BIN is a unique seven-digit number assigned to every building in the city by the DOB. You can look up your building’s BIN on the DOB BIS website by entering the address.

Cycle 9 Sub-Cycle Deadlines

Important: The exact start and end dates for each sub-cycle window are set by the DOB and published in Technical Policy and Procedure Notices (TPPNs). Check the DOB FISP page for the current schedule. The BIN-to-subcycle mappings above are based on prior cycle conventions and must be verified against the current TPPN.

How to Check Your Building’s Sub-Cycle

1. Go to the DOB BIS website.
2. Enter the building address or borough/block/lot.
3. Find the BIN in the building profile. It’s a seven-digit number.
4. Take the last digit and match it to the table above.

If your building is six stories or taller and you cannot find a BIN, the building may be incorrectly classified in the DOB system. Contact the DOB directly or consult with your QEWI.

What Gets Filed

For each building in your sub-cycle window, a Qualified Exterior Wall Inspector (QEWI) must:

1. Perform a close-up inspection of all exterior walls and appurtenances.
2. Classify each observed condition as Unsafe, SWARMP, or Maintenance.
3. Prepare and submit a FISP report through DOB Now, including photo documentation, defect inventory, severity classifications, and the QEWI’s professional certification.

See How to File an LL11 Report for a step-by-step walkthrough of the filing process.

What Happens If You’re Late

Missing your sub-cycle deadline is not theoretical. The DOB issues violations for late or missing FISP filings, and the consequences escalate:

• DOB violation and fines. The city can issue ECB violations with per-day penalties that accumulate until the report is filed.
• Sidewalk shed requirement.If a building is classified as Unsafe or has no filing on record, the DOB can require a protective sidewalk shed — which costs the building owner thousands of dollars per month in rental and permit fees.
• Compounding liability. A late filing does not erase the obligation. The building still needs to be inspected and filed. Meanwhile, any incident involving falling facade material creates legal exposure for the building owner and managing agent.

Late Filing Process

If you’ve missed your window, the process is still the same: hire a QEWI, perform the inspection, and file the report. The report itself is identical — the DOB doesn’t distinguish between an on-time filing and a late one in terms of report content. The difference is the violation and any associated penalties.

Some buildings in violation can cure the violation by filing the report and paying the penalty. Others — particularly those with Unsafe conditions — may require emergency repairs before the violation can be resolved.

The Bottleneck Is Not the Inspection

Most QEWIs can perform the physical inspection of a building in a day. The bottleneck is what comes after: reviewing hundreds of drone photographs frame by frame, classifying every defect, cross-referencing against the prior cycle’s report, and assembling the filing. For a 20-story building, that review process can take a working engineer most of a week.

When you multiply that by 30, 40, or 100 buildings in a cycle, the math becomes the constraint — not the expertise.

Cycle History

For context, the FISP cycle system has been running since Local Law 10 was enacted in 1980, following a fatal incident involving falling facade material. The law was strengthened as Local Law 11 in 1998 and renamed the Facade Inspection Safety Program (FISP) in a subsequent revision. Each cycle runs approximately five years, though the DOB has occasionally extended deadlines.

For the full history and legal background, see the Local Law 11 guide.