Certificate of Occupancy - New York City

New York City

In New York City, in order for a building to obtain a certificate of occupancy, the structure must pass a series of inspections, as well as a walk-through from the Department of Buildings. In most cases, the inspections include, but are not limited to, plumbing inspections, sprinkler inspections, fire alarm inspections, electrical inspections, fire pump pressure tests, architectural inspections (where inspector checks if building was built in accordance with an architect's stamped and approved drawings), elevator inspections, completion of lobby, and an inspection to see if the building complies with the proper number of entrances required for its size. After all inspections are passed, the last step is generally to have a walk-through by a member of the Department of Buildings, who sees that there is no major construction remaining on the job site, that there are no obstructions to the entrances, that there are no safety hazards in the building, and that everything in the building was built according to plan. If the inspector approves his walk-through, a Certificate of Occupancy is usually granted.