Parapet Inspections?

Someone was giving out flyers today on my block of single-family PLG brownstones about “mandatory” paraprt wall inspections. AFAIK these aren’t required for single famly houses like ours (or two famly houses, for that matter). Am I correct?

BobMarvin

in Dept. of Buildings (DOB) 8 months ago

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BobMarvin | 8 months ago

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So, my <1 Ft. limestone ledge isn’t a "fence"but, if I don’t have a parapet I needn’t worry about that (I hope).

jenniferchen | 8 months ago

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Where are folks seeing the term “inspection”? The city’s documents state that annual “observations” are required, and observations do not need to be filed unless there’s a problem.

https://www.nyc.gov/assets/buildings/pdf/parapetobservation-in.pdf

Also, any person “competent to inspect parapets can perform the observation. This includes, but is not limited to a bricklayer, building superintendent, handyman, mason or a person in a similar constructionrelated trade, a NYS-licensed architect or engineer, a NYS-authorized building inspector or an inspector working for a NYS-authorized insurance company, or any other individual capable of identifying hazards on the parapet.”

So there’s no need to pay $500+ to one of the new parapet inspectors coming out of the woodwork.

timpietrzak | 8 months ago

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In just about every rowhouse in Brooklyn the facade has an attached wood cornice with a flat roof. This section of the front facade is raised and the “flat”roof declines on an angle towards the rear where there is a drain of some sort. Is this considered a parapet wall? I know on more modern buildings and older corner buildings the parapet wall rises straight up 90 degrees and may even have some sort of railing to prevent falls. On 18c rowhouses, is this style roof considered a parapet or not?

Also, what if my building has a fence, wall or other barrier?
“Buildings with a continuous barrier within a perpendicular distance from the exterior wall that is equal to or less than half the height of the exterior wall must be inspected. Buildings with a continuous barrier beyond half the height of the exterior wall need not be inspected.”

So am I correct in thinking a 30′ tall building would have to have a continuous fence that is greater than 15′ from exterior wall does not have to file an inspection report? Every row house on our street is set back +-12′ from their fence. So the entire block will require inspections???

Brownstone Home Inspection | 8 months ago

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….not a row with a fence.

Also wish we could edit our posts.

Brownstone Home Inspection | 8 months ago

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I have the law and it sounds like 1 and 2 family with a fence. Not row with a row with a fence.

BobMarvin | 8 months ago

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As Putnamdenizen points out, not all row houses have a parapet. .In my house, and the others I can see from my roof, the roof surface gently curves up to the top rear of the cornice, so I think I’m safe to say I don’t have a parapet. There’s no wall “entirely above the roof line.” Otherwise I’d have to figure out whether the low limestone ledge that separates my front areaway from the sidewalk is enough of a fence.
To Putnamdenizen’s other point, it’s annoying that I have to use Chrome to comment from my computer and cannot do so from Chrome on my iPhone.

greenwoodgoblin | 8 months ago

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I am struggling to understand this verbiage. It seems like exemptions are detached 1-2 family houses OR houses with a fence. I have a parapet, no fence, but am fully detached — so I think I am ok, though my neighbors with the same house design who are attached side by side are not exempt. Brownstones with a fenced front garden probably ok? Seems not entirely logical.

maggie.oldfather | 8 months ago

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“Beginning on January 1, 2024, every building owner must have an observation of the parapet on their building(s) performed in accordance with the requirements of Section 28-301.1.1 of the New York City Administrative Code. This requirement applies to all buildings with parapets fronting the public right-of-way, regardless of height. EXCEPT: Detached 1- or 2- family homes or buildings with a fence or other barrier preventing access to the exterior wall.”
only the detached 1/2 family homes with fences are exempt.

Putnamdenizen | 8 months ago

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{still can’t comment from Safari…] Not all row houses have parapets. According to NYC “1 RCNY 103-15 defines a parapet as the part of any wall entirely above the roof line.” And “Cornices attached to the front wall/roof with no parapet behind do not need to inspected, however, cornices that are attached to parapet walls are subject to annual inspections as they are considered an appurtenance.” And the parapets must be fronting roadways. “The Rule requires that, at a minimum, parapets fronting a public right-of-way be inspected. Other parapets may be inspected at the inspector’s discretion.” All from NYC information site.

Brownstone Home Inspection | 8 months ago

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Roof inspection plus parapet and cornice inspection for typical size row house. $600. One of my competitors is charging $895 just for parapet inspection. My price is good only for peope who have a brownstoner log on.

See review ithaca left of my service two weeks or so ago.

Brownstone Home Inspection | 8 months ago

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They are and i am doing them as i do roof inspections.

Steve
Brownstonehomeinspection.com