Home Improvement Contractor Disclosures

Online comments: 2

• Anonymous

  My objections concern the “disclosure of which permits are required”, and “what actions need to be taken”.

  1. Contractors do not dictate required permits for a project. This is determined by registered design professionals. To create a payment schedule like this will require contractors to overstep their duties into the architect/engineer’s domain.

  2. Regulatory agencies that issue permits have fluid timelines, sometimes requiring a contractor to hire a third-party expeditor. The DOB and LPC, are hopelessly understaffed. This may require a third-party expeditor to honor agreed timelines at additional cost. This causes undue stress on contractors as penalties are inevitable in this case- either from the contract or a regulatory agency.

  3. Regarding actions to be taken, this point implies a timeline, which again is impossible because of current structures as well as review processes. There are many aspects of a project that are only determined AFTER plans are submitted to DOB. Generally the home improvement contract begins BEFORE any of that.

  Comment added March 25, 2026 2:36pm

• Anonymous

  I agree with the previous commenter and would like to respectfully add and clarify my concerns—based on over 25 years as a NYC Home Improvement Contractor—regarding the proposed rules as they relate to the presentation of permit requirements, associated costs (design/architectural fees, filing fees, DOB fees), timelines for filings, approvals, inspections, sign-offs, and required actions.

  In practice, these proposed rules extend beyond the typical role, knowledge base, and control of a Home Improvement Contractor.

  Also of note, the proposed rules do not take into account the enourmous role that building property managers and boards play all across the city in the determination of permit requirements and related fees for required design professionals, drawings, filings, etc.

  These determinations and related costs take place AFTER our proposals of scope and cost.

  1) which permits are required; who is responsible for obtaining the permits; • what actions need to be taken to obtain the permits, including the estimated fees for such permits;

  Objections
  – Permit requirements are determined by both the scope of work in relation to NYC Code and ultimately governed by the building’s property manager, building architect, alteration agreements, and board—not the contractor.

  -Contractors may advise, based on experience, which permits are likely; however, final determinations are made through building and DOB review.

  -Clients should be encouraged to coordinate early with building management to confirm requirements tied to their proposed scope.

  -Home improvement contractors typically do not file permits and are not positioned to reliably advise on associated costs (architects, expeditors, filing/DOB fees), nor should they be required to do so.

  -While contractors may present fees for filings / expediting / permits / inspections / sign offs handled by subcontractors (e.g., LAA or electrical permits), for larger DOB permits, architects, design professionals, and expeditors are generally retained directly by the client, and their fees vary significantly. We have no firm knowledge of these costs.

  -Permit approval / inspection scheduling / sign off by DOB timelines are inherently fluid and subject to DOB workflow and staffing; accordingly, contractors cannot reasonably commit to fixed timelines tied to permit approvals, inspections, or sign-offs, etc. as these are outside their control.

  2) and how owners can verify the status of any permits through city databases such as the buildings information system.

  Clients are able to verify via the public portal.

  Comment added April 8, 2026 11:30am