NYC sidewalk shed renewal (2026 rules): the RDP report, the $220 fee and the weekly log
Since August 13, 2026, renewing a sidewalk shed permit in New York City takes a Registered Design Professional’s in-person examination and progress report, a $90 report fee on top of the $130 renewal fee, and a work-progress log that the contractor updates every week. Who does what at each 90-day renewal, and what a missed step costs.
Last checked: Oct 23, 2026
Key facts
- Every 90 days the shed permit is renewed by hand in DOB NOW; nothing renews itself
- Fee $130 renewal + $90 progress report = $220 per renewal
- The report an RDP’s in-person examination and progress report at every renewal; a $2,500 penalty when no acceptable report is filed
- The log the permit holder for the repair work — usually the contractor — updates a work-progress log at least once a week
- Enforcement rule in effect since August 13, 2026; DOB expects to begin imposing shed penalties in early 2027
What does a sidewalk shed renewal require in NYC?
Shed permits issued or renewed since February 2, 2026 last 90 days and are renewed by hand in DOB NOW. Under 1 RCNY §102-07, in effect since August 13, 2026, each renewal must be filed with an acceptable report from a Registered Design Professional (RDP) who has examined the building in person: the conditions found, the work done since the last permit, the work under way and the expected completion date. The renewal costs $220 — the $130 renewal fee plus a $90 progress-report fee — and an owner who does not file an acceptable report may be liable for a $2,500 penalty. The permit holder for the repair work, usually the contractor, keeps a work-progress log updated at least once a week. Sheds for one- and two-family homes, and sheds for permitted new-building, enlargement or demolition work, need neither the report nor the $90 fee.
Key considerations
Who is covered
Every renewal of a sidewalk shed permit needs the report, whenever the shed first went up (1 RCNY §102-07(c)). The exceptions are sheds for one- and two-family homes and sheds installed for new-building, enlargement or demolition work that has its permit. Since February 2, 2026, the RDP is also a stakeholder on the filing and answers DOB NOW’s questions about the progress of the work when the permit is requested and at each renewal.
The RDP’s in-person examination
Before each renewal the owner hires an RDP — a Professional Engineer or Registered Architect — to examine the building in person. The first examination is done by the RDP; later ones may be done by the RDP or a designee. The RDP first reviews the earlier reports and the contractor’s work log, takes color photos of every elevation and of each type of condition to be repaired, and must notify DOB and the owner at once of any unsafe condition not reported before (1 RCNY §102-07(a), (f)).
What the report must say
The report is filed in DOB NOW with the renewal, sealed and signed by the RDP. It lists the work permits the repair needs (or why none are needed), the work done since the shed went up, the work done since the last renewal, the work in progress, the expected completion date and a description of the building. The first report also sets a schedule of the work expected at each 90-day renewal for the length of the job (1 RCNY §102-07(f)(3)).
When work has stopped
If no work was done since the last renewal because of financial hardship, no access to a neighboring property or trouble getting materials, the RDP gives the reason in the report and confirms that there is no hazard to the public or property; DOB may accept it to renew the permit (1 RCNY §102-07(f)(3)). Without an accepted reason, stalled work is penalized from the second renewal: see Penalties when work stalls.
$220 per renewal, $2,500 without a report
Each renewal pays the $130 renewal fee and the $90 progress-report fee, $220 in total (DOB NOW: Build release notes, August 2026; 1 RCNY §101-03). An owner who does not file an acceptable report with the renewal may be liable for a violation and a $2,500 penalty (1 RCNY §102-07(g)). A shed permit cannot be renewed while shed penalties are unpaid (AC §28-105.8.1).
The contractor’s weekly log
The permit holder for the repair work — or, without one, the contractor doing the work — keeps a work-progress log, updated at least once a week, and shows it to DOB and to the RDP on request (1 RCNY §102-07(e)). It records at least the date the shed went up; the date repair work started; the progress of each trade or work type that needs the shed, with the work still planned and an approximate percentage complete; the floors and elevations where work was done or is under way; a summary of last week’s work; and any change to the shed — removals or additions, with the approximate linear footage and the dates.
Penalties from early 2027
The rule has been in effect since August 13, 2026. DOB is reaching out to owners and expects to begin imposing shed penalties in early 2027 (NYC Mayor’s Office, August 20, 2026). The report and the $90 fee are due at every renewal now.
Keep the log from the field
Most of the log is what a field team already writes down: the work by trade, the floors and drops worked, the photos and the changes to the shed. Kept every week, it turns the RDP’s report into a review instead of a reconstruction the day before the permit expires.
Checklist: every 90-day renewal
- Keep the work-progress log current every week: trades and % complete, floors and elevations, last week’s work, shed changes.
- Book the RDP’s in-person examination early enough to file the report with the renewal, and give the RDP the log.
- Give the RDP the open work permits, the work done since the last renewal and the expected completion date.
- If no work happened, give the RDP the reason (financial hardship, no access to a neighboring property, materials) for the report.
- Check that the report is filed with the renewal and that the $220 is paid.
- Set the next expiration date and the next examination.
Sources
- 1 RCNY §102-07: sidewalk shed permit renewal requirements and penalties (effective August 13, 2026)
- 1 RCNY §101-03: DOB fees (shed progress report $90; facade extension and waiver fees)
- NYC DOB, DOB NOW: Build release notes (February 2026 and August 2026 shed entries)
- NYC DOB Service Notice, “Local Law 48 and Local Law 51 of 2025: Sidewalk Shed Filing and Permit Changes in DOB NOW” (January 8, 2026)
- Local Law 48 of 2025: 90-day shed permits, progress reports and stalled-work penalties (AC §28-105.8.1, §28-220.1)
- NYC Mayor’s Office, “Mamdani Administration Taking Down Sidewalk Sheds and Improving Design of New Sheds” (August 20, 2026)
Checked against the official text on October 23, 2026.
Related guides
- Sidewalk shed permits in NYC: when one is required, and the 90-day ruleA shed is required for facade work more than 40 ft above curb level and whenever a dangerous condition exists. Since February 2026, permits last 90 days, renewals require an RDP progress report, and stalled sheds carry penalties that DOB expects to start imposing in early 2027.
- How long do NYC sidewalk sheds stay up? An analysis of all 111,597 permitsThe median sidewalk shed standing in New York City today has been up 796 days — 2.2 years — and three in ten have stood for more than five years. Computed from every DOB NOW shed permit.
- Safe, SWARMP or Unsafe: what each facade report classification requiresUnsafe starts a 90-day clock. SWARMP sets a firm completion date between one and five years out. What each classification commits the owner to — including the 2025 deadlines for sheds.