NYC DOB Permit Guide
What a DOB job type or permit type code actually means, how a project moves from filing to Certificate of Occupancy, and the standard forms involved — a plain-English companion to the raw codes shown across Developments and Permits.
The Filing-to-Occupancy Lifecycle
- 1
Job Filing
An architect, engineer, or owner files plans with DOB describing proposed work — the earliest public record of a project.
Future Pipeline → - 2
Plan Review
DOB examiners review the filing against the NYC Construction Codes and Zoning Resolution before anything can be built.
All Developments → - 3
Permit Issuance
Once approved, DOB issues the actual permit(s) — work is now legally cleared to start. A single job can require several permits (e.g. separate plumbing, sprinkler, and equipment permits).
Recently Issued Permits → - 4
Active Construction
Inspections continue through the build. DOB’s own records flag some sites as stalled — permitted but with no recent activity.
The Skyline (Under Construction) → - 5
Certificate of Occupancy
DOB issues a CO once the completed work is inspected and legal to occupy — the formal end of a project’s DOB lifecycle.
Recently Completed →
Job Filing Types
The job_type code on every DOB Job Application Filing — shown as a plain label (e.g. "New Building") throughout the site.
- NB New Building
- An entirely new structure, built from the ground up on a lot that’s vacant or being cleared.
- A1 Alteration (Major)
- The broadest tier of alteration filing — required when work changes a building’s use, egress, or occupancy (e.g. adding units, changing occupancy classification).
- A2 Alteration (Moderate)
- Most renovation and construction work that doesn’t rise to an Alteration Type 1 — the most common alteration filing type by volume.
- A3 Alteration (Minor)
- The lightest tier of alteration filing, for minor work (e.g. certain sign installations, minor plumbing).
- DM Demolition
- Full or partial demolition of an existing structure.
- SG Sign
- Installation, alteration, or removal of exterior signage.
- SC Subdivision/Condo
- Subdivision of a lot or a condominium conversion filing.
- PA Place of Assembly
- Filings for spaces classified as a Place of Assembly (occupancy where large groups gather).
Permit Types, By Live Volume
The separate permit_type code recorded on each individual permit — a job filing often requires several permits of different types. 5,350 permits issued so far this year, by code.
- EW2,056
- PL1,119
- AL803
- NB776
- EQ294
- FO288
- DM14
- EW
- Meaning
- DOB code, not independently decoded
- Permits Issued, YTD
- 2,056
- PL
- Meaning
- Plumbing
- Permits Issued, YTD
- 1,119
- AL
- Meaning
- Alteration
- Permits Issued, YTD
- 803
- NB
- Meaning
- New Building
- Permits Issued, YTD
- 776
- EQ
- Meaning
- Equipment (e.g. cranes, hoists, and other construction equipment)
- Permits Issued, YTD
- 294
- FO
- Meaning
- DOB code, not independently decoded
- Permits Issued, YTD
- 288
- DM
- Meaning
- Demolition
- Permits Issued, YTD
- 14
Only permit-type codes we can describe with confidence are decoded above — the rest are shown as DOB records them rather than guessed at. Counts are year-to-date, issued permits only, queried live from DOB Permit Issuance.
Standard Forms You'll Encounter
- PW1 — Plan/Work Application
- The standard cover form required for most DOB permit applications — identifies the job, the applicant, the property, and the scope of work being filed.
- TR1 — Technical Report: Statement of Special Inspections
- Designates which special and progress inspections a project requires and who's responsible for them, per the NYC Construction Codes.
DOB's current forms library (these two and every other active form) is maintained directly by the Department of Buildings — see nyc.gov/buildings for the authoritative, up-to-date versions rather than a copy hosted here.