NYC facade permits and public records

Identify the property before interpreting records

Start with the borough and exact address, then capture the Borough-Block-Lot (BBL) and Building Identification Number (BIN). These identifiers reduce confusion caused by alternate addresses, corner buildings, hyphenated Queens addresses, renamed streets, or inconsistent abbreviations.

The BBL identifies a tax lot. The BIN identifies a building. One lot can contain more than one building, so neither identifier should be substituted mechanically for the other.

Our building records use BIN as the primary key for matching a contractor project to DOB work. That is a stronger connection than seeing the same address text on two pages.

Choose DOB NOW, BIS, or both

The NYC Department of Buildings explains that BIS contains permits and job applications created before the applicable DOB NOW rollout, while the DOB NOW Public Portal contains newer filings and related records. A building with a long history may require both systems.

Search by address or identifier, then open the job or filing itself. Record lists can contain alterations, equipment, plumbing, facade, sign, demolition, and compliance matters that have nothing to do with the project you are researching.

Separate the filing, permit, and closeout

A job filing describes proposed work and moves through agency review. A permit authorizes a defined participant to perform work under the filing when issued. Inspections, objections, amendments, letters of completion, and sign-off records describe later stages.

These stages should not be collapsed into the project was approved and completed. A filing without an issued permit is different from a permit. An issued permit is different from a closed or signed-off job. A permit status can also change or expire.

Read the limits of a DOB permit before using it as contractor evidence.

Check LPC separately for designated properties

If the property is an individual landmark or inside a historic district, check the Landmarks Preservation Commission map and permit search. LPC states that exterior work affecting a landmark or a building in a historic district generally requires its review, even when DOB does not require a permit for the same work.

LPC and DOB answer different questions. LPC reviews effects on designated architectural and historic character. DOB administers building-code filings, permits, inspections, and related requirements. A project can therefore need both approvals, and one record should not be presented as the other. The brownstone facade restoration guide shows how those checks fit into a condition survey, scope, mockup, budget, and construction sequence.

Match the company to the job with stable evidence

When evaluating a contractor’s claimed project, compare:

• the BIN and BBL;
• job and permit numbers;
• applicant, contractor, permittee, or license identifiers;
• legal and business names;
• scope and work type;
• filing and issuance dates;
• the company’s own project page.

Name text can be truncated, abbreviated, or stored differently across datasets. A license number, phone, exact address, and legal entity can help resolve the match. When the contractor does not appear, report that outcome narrowly: we did not find a permit tying this company to the reviewed project. Residential work may not require a permit, and subcontractors can appear under another party’s filing.

Use the record as evidence, not a verdict

Public records can establish dated facts: an application existed, a permit was issued, a scope was described, a licensee was named, an objection was recorded, or a sign-off appears. They cannot alone establish who performed every task, whether concealed work was done correctly, whether the owner paid in full, or whether the finished work has remained durable.

Use records to ask better questions and identify contradictions. Combine them with a current contractor check, written scope, inspection by an appropriate professional, and the official portal as it exists when your project proceeds.