How long do NYC sidewalk sheds actually stay up? We counted all 111,597 permits
The median sidewalk shed standing in New York City today has been up 796 days — 2.2 years. Three in ten have been up more than five years. Numbers computed from every DOB NOW shed permit, not from a press clipping.
How long does a sidewalk shed stay up in New York City?
The median shed with a valid permit today has been standing for 796 days — about 2.2 years. Two thirds have been up more than a year, half more than two years, and 29% more than five years. An individual shed permit runs a median of exactly 365 days, so a shed that has been up two years has been renewed. As of 7 October 2026 there are 7,220 buildings in the city with a valid sidewalk shed permit.
What matters on a real job
7,220 buildings have a shed permit right now
Manhattan 3,223 · Brooklyn 1,850 · Bronx 1,231 · Queens 854 · Staten Island 62. Since DOB NOW opened in October 2017, 41,245 different buildings have had one.
The median has been up 2.2 years
796 days. 66% have been up more than one year, 52% more than two, 42% more than three, and 29% — that is 2,121 buildings — more than five years.
A permit lasts one year; sheds do not
The median individual shed permit runs exactly 365 days. The median standing shed has been renewed three times. One building in the city is on its 52nd shed permit.
Why this matters when you bid
Shed rental is priced per linear foot per month, so the schedule is the cost. If your plan says six months and the city median is 2.2 years, the gap between those two numbers is somebody's margin. Usually yours.
What these numbers do not say
DOB NOW only goes back to October 2017, so "9 years" is the floor the data can see, not the oldest shed in New York — sheds filed in the old BIS system are not in this count. And a valid permit is not proof the shed is physically standing, only that it is licensed to be.
Source: Computed from 111,597 DOB NOW sidewalk shed permits issued 18 Oct 2017 – 5 Oct 2026. NYC Open Data dataset rbx6-tga4. Pulled and aggregated 7 Oct 2026.