The NYC Street Works Manual describes policies governing work on city streets, and presents procedures for notice, approval and execution of such work. These policies and the Manual's presentation of permit procedures are designed to deliver higher quality street surfaces, fewer transportation capacity reductions and a more...
Advance notice and coordination of planned street work is one of the most effective tools for reducing the number of street excavations, especially on streets that are scheduled to be resurfaced or reconstructed. Street excavators, including utility companies and developers, can access New York City Department of...
Advance notice and coordination of planned street work is one of the most effective tools for reducing the number of street excavations on newly resurfaced or reconstructed streets. With advance notice of proposed excavation work, NYC DOT can sequence the timing of the large number of roadway and utility works being undertaken...
With advance notice of NYC DOT's intent to work in a particular location, utility companies and other potential street excavators are better able to make arrangements to minimize potential conflicts or to leverage the opportunity to perform their work before resurfacing or reconstruction is complete. In order to assist the goal...
NYC DOT is working to enhance the coordination of major planned work that impacts the streets with utility companies and other entities that perform street excavations. To this end, NYC DOT has dedicated time and resources to enhance its own systems and coordination efforts. It is important that contractors and utility...
Utility companies, developers, contractors, and excavators who undertake any type of construction that will impact the street or occupy it with equipment, structures or other installations must obtain a permit.
About this Chapter
New York City is brimming with construction activity—from the building of skyscrapers,...
NYC DOT's mission is to provide for the safe, efficient and environmentally responsible movement of pedestrians, goods, bicycles and vehicular traffic on the streets of the city of New York. In addition, the streets serve as the access point for the subsurface infrastructure that provides water, sewer, power, and...
In order to apply for a permit, an applicant must first register with NYC DOT by submitting a completed Permittee Registration Application along with insurance and supporting documents. Although registration is a one-time process, registered applicants must keep all insurance and general information up to date.
The required documents include:
Completed Permittee Registration Application. Click here for a completed Permittee Registration Application. An application can also be found in Appendix B, Forms.
Copy of E.I.N. or Tax I.D. number as provided by the Internal Revenue Service (IRS).
Original insurance certificates for Commercial...
New permittees must first email the Commercial General Liability Policy for review, email the policy to constructionpermits@dot.nyc.gov and await a response.
The completed Permittee Registration Application and other required documents must be submitted to the NYC DOT central Permit Office to complete the registration process....
There is one permit application form that covers Street Opening, Building Operations/Construction Activity, and Sidewalk Construction permits for non-governmental work. These applications can be submitted online using NYCStreets. Applicants who prefer to apply in person may do so using an Application for Roadway/Sidewalk...
Applicants must be registered with NYC DOT and have a Permittee ID Number, except in the case of a Sidewalk Repair Permit taken out by a homeowner, where the work will be performed by the homeowner.
Applicants must submit a completed permit application. Generally, applicants must provide business and contact information;...
Street Opening Permits are required for excavations or other work in a city street that disturbs the street surface.
Outlined below are the basic application procedures for Street Opening Permits. These are in addition to the "Common Requirements" listed at the beginning of this section. Additional requirements are contained in...
Building Operations/Construction Activity Permits apply to construction activities that take place within the street and are generally associated with construction work adjacent to the street. A valid permit issued by DOB is usually required in order to apply for permits in this category. Some of the activities covered include...
Sidewalk Construction Permits apply to any repairs, replacements or new sidewalk installations.
Outlined below are the basic application procedures for Sidewalk Construction Permits. These are in addition to the "Common Requirements" listed at the beginning of this section. Additional requirements are contained in Sections 2-02...
Permit Review is the process by which NYC DOT reviews permit applications and supporting documentation and makes determinations regarding the issuance of permits and permit stipulations. In some cases, applications and supporting documentation must be submitted in person, however the majority of permit applications may be...
All construction-related permits have expiration dates. If a permit is about to expire and the permittee has not completed the work, the permittee must apply for a permit renewal as all work must be performed pursuant to an active permit at all times. The permittee may apply for a renewal online, or in-person by accessing...
Canopy authorizations and permits are required to place a canopy over the sidewalk. Canopy placement must be adequate for public safety and must be suitable to the circumstances of the proposed canopy location and not interfere with the public use of the sidewalk.
Listed in the following paragraphs are some of the requirements...
Application for a canopy installation involves three major steps. First, the applicant must obtain authorization from the Highway Inspection and Quality Assurance (HIQA) unit for the placement of the canopy at the proposed location. Second, after obtaining HIQA's authorization, the applicant must obtain a permit to install the...
A hold is a "do not release" order that can be placed on permits or permittees to prevent the permit from being processed. Any given permit or permittee may be subject to one or more holds. Contact information pertaining to the release of holds by NYC DOT can be found in Appendix C, NYC DOT Contact Information.
Permit Office...
NYC DOT may revoke or refuse to renew a permit for any of the reasons listed below. The Highway Rules, Section 2-02(k) contains additional information.
For failure to comply with the terms or conditions of such permit, the Highway Rules or other applicable law in carrying out the activity for which the permit was issued;...
Suspension of Application Review— NYC DOT may suspend the review of applications for permits pending:
Payment by an applicant of outstanding fines, civil penalties or judgments imposed or entered against such applicant by a court or ECB;
Payment by an applicant of outstanding fees or other charges lawfully assessed by NYC DOT...
In addition to the application procedures for the four categories of permit types, there are some situations or street conditions that require special procedures. These include:
Emergency utility access cover openings and emergency street openings/excavations
Embargoes
Certain circumstances are considered to be emergencies, meaning situations that endanger the public safety or cause or are likely to cause the imminent interruption of service. Special and separate procedures govern emergency work: one for utility access covers (including those for "manholes," valve covers and grates) and one...
OCMC imposes construction embargoes* for significant special events including the New York City Marathon, parades, high profile projects and for the winter holiday season. All active permits in the affected area(s) are suspended during the dates and times of the embargo period and no new permits may be approved, unless a waiver...
This section describes the application and review process for obtaining approvals to construct or repair vaults under the sidewalks of New York City streets. NYC DOT issues permits for two types of vaults: building vaults and transformer vaults.
A building vault, as described in Section 2-13 of the Highway Rules, is any...
PEU performs the initial review of all applications for building vault permits and licenses. A DOB-approved plan must be obtained and submitted to PEU with the application for a final approval and permit. Different from DOB, DOT plans requires 600 PSF live loads on all sidewalk doors, gratings, covers and vault structures.
If...
All applications for construction or repair of a transformer vault must be accompanied by an electric utility company layout, and must comply with the minimum clearance requirements for transformer vaults unless an approval or waiver is obtained from the appropriate agency or utility (more information is available in Appendix B...
The construction of any vault that extends beyond the curb must be authorized under a revocable consent agreement, as required in Section 2-13(c) of the Highway Rules, in addition to approval by PEU. View more information and instructions for obtaining a revocable consent.
Entities that perform work in the streets—from utilities or contractors accessing subsurface infrastructure to property owners repairing sidewalks—must follow certain procedures when undertaking such work and must meet restoration requirements following its completion.
About this Chapter
The way street work is executed...
Call 911 to report a gas odor or a gas leak.
Permits— In order to perform work in the street, it is necessary to obtain a permit from NYC DOT. Permits are available for various types of work, including Street Opening Permits, Building Operations/Construction Activity Permits, and Sidewalk Construction Permits. The requested...
Street excavations must be performed in accordance with Section 2-11 (e) of the Highway Rules
Some of the requirements include, but are not limited to the following, where the applicant must:
Give notice to New York 811*. In accordance with New York State Industrial Code Rule No. 53 relating to construction, for excavation...
New York 811 is a nonprofit organization that acts as a communications link between utility companies and individuals planning any digging activity in the five boroughs of New York City and Nassau and Suffolk Counties on Long Island. New York State law (Article 36 of General Business Law and 16 NYCRR Part 753, AKA Industrial...
Street resurfacing in progress. NYC DOT's street reconstruction and resurfacing programs include nearly 6,000 miles of city streets.
Permanent Restoration—Upon completion of work in a street, permittees are required to restore all street openings/excavations in accordance with the Highway Rules, Section 2-11(e) including, but...
A temporary sidewalk closure while a sidewalk repair is underway.
Upon completion of work, sidewalks must be restored according to Highway Rules, Section 2-09(f)(4) and NYC DOT Standard Highway Specifications. Some of the requirements include but are not limited to:
Expansion Joints— Expansion joints must be placed at 20-foot...
NYC DOT's HIQA unit inspects work sites for compliance with Title 19 of the NYC Administrative Code, NYC DOT Rules and Regulations, NYC DOT specifications and NYC DOT permit stipulations. HIQA performs inspections during active construction through its completion and up to the end of the Guarantee Period. HIQA may also inspect...