DOB "Notice to Call for Inspection" for self-certified job
In December, we got a notice on our door for an audit/inspection from the DOB. It was right as our architects were closing our mechanical permits, which were Directive 14/self-certified. Looked up our BIS, and it’s been assigned to the special enforcement division, which is now auditing self-certified jobs. Does anyone have experience with this? I’ve seen in other threads that if you ignore the notice, it goes away, but not so sure if our mechanical permits are still open. We haven’t yet called the DOB to schedule the audit. Thoughts welcome.
emmajacob
in General Discussion 8 years and 5 months ago
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emmajacob | 8 years and 5 months ago
A point of clarification after speaking to the DOB: Ours is a Directive 14, rather than Pro-Cert, which means are architects are self-certifying the inspection, rather than the actual work, if that makes sense. Anyway, these are less subject to random audits, but nonetheless still a red flag. Thanks for all of your insights!
robyim1 | 8 years and 5 months ago
I think it’s a good idea for the city to look at this stuff. I wouldn’t want to live next to a neighbor who has done shoddy work on things that are structural or something dangerous like gas pipes.
But on the other side of the coin, I think there are a lot of homeowners would genuinely want to make themselves a nice home and do it the right way. It costs a pretty penny to hire architects, engineers and expeditors and pay the city all these fees. My home was almost done then this guy from this special unit comes and it felt like some of the violations he was nitpicking on stuff. I had to rip stuff out and redo them and then wait months for them to push paperwork and come back. It costs me money I can’t rent with open violations over my head. Doesn’t seem fair when you look out the window and people everywhere are doing unpermitted work.
robyim1 | 8 years and 5 months ago
I think it’s a good idea for the city to look at this stuff. I wouldn’t want to live next to a neighbor who has done shoddy work on things that are structural or something dangerous like gas pipes.
But on the other side of the coin, I think there are a lot of homeowners would genuinely want to make themselves a nice home and do it the right way. It costs a pretty penny to hire architects, engineers and expeditors and pay the city all these fees. My home was almost done then this guy from this special unit comes and it felt like some of the violations he was nitpicking on stuff. I had to rip stuff out and redo them and then wait months for them to push paperwork and come back. It costs me money I can’t rent with open violations over my head. Doesn’t seem fair when you look out the window and people everywhere are doing unpermitted work.
Master Plvmber | 8 years and 5 months ago
Self-certifications have proven to be a terrible idea. They are how all the dangerous, cruddy, amateur work has gotten by the DoB in the last decade or so and have left the homeowners holding the bag long after the contractors have left the job. Self-certs don’t exist for gas anymore in NYC.
*Practically* all of the unlicensed work and awful renovations performed by migrant contractors and fly-by-nights have happened because there is a small number of license holders who, for a fee, cover the unlicensed contractors and file using the Dept of Buildings’ self-cert system.
Yes, I’m hearing the city is going back and auditing some of these jobs and in many cases, finding nightmare scenarios.
Where corrections need to be made, the homeowners are responsible for the alterations and repairs. It gets bad when walls have to be opened.
I can’t tell you how many botched self-cert jobs by others I’ve walked away from in the past few years because they were just too difficult to undo. Pre-despondent customers are never fun to work with and never want to pay because, often rightfu lly so, they feel like something is owed to them.
Bad. Bad. Bad. All of it bad.
That’s all I’m saying.
To the OP, I can’t say that I know what you should do or how you should handle the notice you’ve gotten. I wish I could. I’d think your architect, if you’ve got one, could advise you best.
lgwlcvqt | 8 years and 5 months ago
It’s still faster, simpler, and smoother than not doing a self certification
lgwlcvqt | 8 years and 5 months ago
It’s still faster, simpler, and smoother than not doing a self certification
emmajacob | 8 years and 5 months ago
Freaking headache.
robyim1 | 8 years and 5 months ago
If it’s a major violation ie. something structural he can stop work. If you job was done per the drawings and everything is to code then you’re fine. He didn’t look at small stuff.
robyim1 | 8 years and 5 months ago
If it’s a major violation ie. something structural he can stop work. If you job was done per the drawings and everything is to code then you’re fine. He didn’t look at small stuff.
emmajacob | 8 years and 5 months ago
Also, he has the ability to issue a stop work order for this? It’s the end of the job!
emmajacob | 8 years and 5 months ago
Your job sounds a lot like ours, and I’m now nervous. My architects told me that they’re trying to crack down on Directive 14/self-certification, but I’m so annoyed at them. Maybe I shouldn’t be. Just sucks.
robyim1 | 8 years and 5 months ago
My architectural drawings and plumbing were already closed. We had to have all the drawings and he went through them on site. He was particularly interested in structural things like my extension in the back and a staircase leading up to the roof that we added. The violations he gave me were mostly paperwork related. Said we didn’t have enough detail in our drawings. I still don’t understand how my drawings can be approved but this guy can come in and give me violations but I guess he trumps everybody. After that it’s mostly paperwork that’s dragging it out. If he doesn’t issue a stop work order you can still live there. It’s just a big headache.
robyim1 | 8 years and 5 months ago
My architectural drawings and plumbing were already closed. We had to have all the drawings and he went through them on site. He was particularly interested in structural things like my extension in the back and a staircase leading up to the roof that we added. The violations he gave me were mostly paperwork related. Said we didn’t have enough detail in our drawings. I still don’t understand how my drawings can be approved but this guy can come in and give me violations but I guess he trumps everybody. After that it’s mostly paperwork that’s dragging it out. If he doesn’t issue a stop work order you can still live there. It’s just a big headache.
emmajacob | 8 years and 5 months ago
Go Bed Stuy – Your experience is closer to what I’ve heard… Was yours a mechanical inspection? We also did a full two-family gut (Alt-2). I’m wondering if he’s just going to inspect our mechanical drawings or anything else, even though our other permits are closed out (plumbing, architectural, etc.).
robyim1 | 8 years and 5 months ago
I received a notice for random audit in late 2015. It took quite awhile for the guy from the special unit to come. Once he did he looked over everything was pretty tough. My architect and GC said he’s way more thorough than the regular guys. Got a few violations. I had a full gut 2 family so there was a lot to look at. You have to make sure everything is done to code and done exactly like what was on the approved drawings. He might even come at you with new things. Had everything fixed and filed new drawings and now have to wait to get them back and reinspect so I’m still dealing with it. Good Luck.
robyim1 | 8 years and 5 months ago
I received a notice for random audit in late 2015. It took quite awhile for the guy from the special unit to come. Once he did he looked over everything was pretty tough. My architect and GC said he’s way more thorough than the regular guys. Got a few violations. I had a full gut 2 family so there was a lot to look at. You have to make sure everything is done to code and done exactly like what was on the approved drawings. He might even come at you with new things. Had everything fixed and filed new drawings and now have to wait to get them back and reinspect so I’m still dealing with it. Good Luck.
lgwlcvqt | 8 years and 5 months ago
These random audits don’t go away if ignored. They’re not the complaint based inspections that automatically close.
A healthy amount of self certifications get audited. Tell your architect that is doing the self certification, as it’s part of their job. They’ll have to go point by point on the job with the DOB.
Ignore it and the job never closes and you could lose the permit.
lgwlcvqt | 8 years and 5 months ago
These random audits don’t go away if ignored. They’re not the complaint based inspections that automatically close.
A healthy amount of self certifications get audited. Tell your architect that is doing the self certification, as it’s part of their job. They’ll have to go point by point on the job with the DOB.
Ignore it and the job never closes and you could lose the permit.