PIPS – Local Law 126
Garage Inspection Services in New York City
Under Local Law 126, all parking structures in New York City must undergo at least one garage inspection every six years to ensure structural integrity and public safety. These inspections are mandated by the NYC Department of Buildings (DOB) and are part of the Parking Structure Inspection Program. Failure to comply can result in violations, fines, and potential safety hazards for residents and visitors.
Contact UsLL126 Cycle 1 Deadlines
Cycle 1 of Local Law 126 began in January 2022 and runs through the end of December 2027, with deadlines based on garage location. If your garage hasn’t been inspected yet, now is the time to act. Timely LL126 compliance helps avoid costly penalties and ensures your structure remains safe and operational.
Subcycle 1A
Manhattan Community Districts 1 thru 7
Filing Opens: 1/1/22
Deadline: 12/31/23
Subcycle 1B
Manhattan Community Districts 8 thru 12, Brooklyn
Filing Opens: 1/1/24
Deadline: 12/31/25
Subcycle 1C
Bronx, Queens, Staten Island
Filing Opens: 1/1/26
Deadline: 12/31/27
Our Inspection Process
Our team of licensed Qualified Parking Structure Inspectors (QPSI) provides the specialized oversight required for NYC parking garage safety. Under NYC Department of Buildings (DOB) Local Law 126, a QPSI—a registered professional engineer with specific structural experience—is the only professional certified to perform and submit these mandated inspections. Our firm’s engineers carry this specific QPSI certification, ensuring your parking structure is evaluated with the highest level of technical expertise.
Our licensed QPSI engineers and architects conduct comprehensive NYC garage inspections in accordance with DOB LL126 requirements. Our team can:
- Review prior reports and the structural history of the garage to identify recurring issues.
- Perform visual and hands-on assessments of all structural components.
- Document findings with detailed, annotated photography for clear reporting.
- File inspection reports directly with the NYC DOB to maintain compliance.
- Oversee repairs or restoration to ensure the safety and longevity of the structure.
Whether you need a Local Law 126 garage inspection, a parking structure compliance review, or full project oversight, our certified QPSI team ensures your property meets all NYC Periodic Inspection of Parking Structures (PIPS) standards.
Local Law 126 – Parking Garage Inspections
An essential piece of city life, garages can be one of the most vulnerable pieces of infrastructure on your property. Water intrusion coupled with road salt from cars can contribute to observable deterioration occurring within garage’s concrete at a faster rate compared to other areas along the property. Left untreated, this can lead to corrosion of the support rebar and foundation of the structure, potentially compromising the integrity of the entire property.
Overview – Local Law 126 / Periodic Inspection of Parking Structures (PIPS) Program
Passed in 2021 and effective as of January of 2022, the New York City Department of Buildings (DOB) has rolled out Local Law 126 (also known as the Periodic Inspection of Parking Structures [PIPS] program), calling for a routine garage inspection program, similar to that of the Local Law 11/FISP currently in place for building facades. Several incidents have prompted the creation of this program, such as neglect of a garage caused the foundation of a Florida building to become unsafe and collapse, as well as other garage collapses such as the one in Johnson City, New York in 2015. Now, an inspection is required on parking garages once every 6 years, followed by the implementation of any repairs to ensure the garage and its structural components are maintained in a safe condition.
New York City’s Local Law 126 of 2021 introduced a framework to enhance the safety and integrity of parking structures within the city, which are particularly susceptible to structural failures due to factors such as accelerated aging due to heavy vehicle usage, corrosion from moisture and deicing salts, and insufficient maintenance. Given the ever-increasing demand for parking spaces and the potential risks associated with aging or inadequately maintained structures, this legislation is vital in maintaining safety. A thorough understanding of the mandatory parking inspections rule can help parking structure owners navigate the inspection process, fulfill their compliance responsibilities, prevent penalties, and maintain the safety of their structures, customers, employees, and the public at large.
Inspection Requirements
Under the new law, parking structure owners must engage a New York State licensed professional engineer who has also been designated as a Qualified Parking Structure Inspector (QPSI) by the DOB to perform the assessment. A QPSI must have a minimum of three years of relevant experience in parking structures and undergo the DOB’s formal certification process. Along with the assessment, the QPSI will file a condition assessment report with the DOB that classifies the structure as either Safe, Safe with Repairs and/or Engineering Monitoring (SREM), or Unsafe.
As part of the inspection and assessment process, the following relevant information will be reviewed (if available):
- Structural design and/or repair drawings
- Type of construction
- Age of construction
- Maintenance and repair history
- Environmental conditions
- Existing appurtenances
- Past and/or current violations
- Façade Inspection Safety Program (FISP) reports (where applicable)
Note: Once the second PIPS cycle begins (and for all subsequent cycles), additional materials will be reviewed such as the previous report along with annual observation checklists completed since the prior cycle.
All parking structure inspections are performed via a combination of visual and hands-on evaluations including:
- Utilization of high-powered binoculars (where necessary) and high-resolution cameras
- Physically inspecting (at a minimum 10% of each type of structural element (e.g. beams, columns, slabs) within the parking structure
- Sounding, load tests, samples (where applicable), etc.
Note: The facade of the parking structure is excluded if the building is already subject to FISP requirements, or the parking structure takes up less than 50% of the total building square footage.
Report Requirements
The condition assessment report will be compiled following the necessary inspection(s) to include documentation of the following:
- Existing conditions
- Description of the structure’s load-resisting system
- Maintenance & Repair history since the previous inspection cycle
- Recommendations
- Timetables for each repair item
- Photographs of representative conditions
- A site plan indicating inspected areas (and required repair locations)
The QPSI will also design a custom tailored “annual observation checklist” during the structure’s initial condition assessment that will outline specific items that must be inspected annually, or at more frequent intervals if deemed necessary. This and all of the information described above is submitted on the DOBNOW for review and approval, similar to a FISP report.
Annual Inspections & The Annual Observation Checklist
The new law specifies that all parking structures must perform an annual inspection based on the annual observation checklist developed during their initial condition assessment. This inspection must be performed by (or under the supervision of) a QPSI. If unsafe conditions are observed during these inspections, they must be reported to the DOB immediately. Copies of each completed annual observation checklist must be maintained at the parking structure for a minimum of 6 years after they are completed.
Filing Classifications – SAFE / UNSAFE / SREM
Parking structures can be classified one of three ways for the PIPS program as follows:
- SAFE: No further action required under this classification
- UNSAFE: Conditions designated this way must be addressed within 90 days from the submission of the compliance report with documentation
Note: Once a building has filed an Unsafe Report, owners must either complete required repairs to correct any unsafe conditions within 90 days, or (as with the FISP) submit an extension request to the DOB if that 90-day period is not sufficient. Additional extensions can be requested as needed, until the work is completed. As long as these extensions are submitted, approved, and maintained, the DOB will not assess any fines.
- Safe with Repairs and/or Engineering Monitoring (SREM): Any condition deemed safe at the time of inspection, but capable of developing into an unsafe condition within the next six years, must be filed as SREM. For each condition classified this way, the QPSI will recommend repairs as well as a specific repair time frame in which they must be completed to avoid deteriorating in.
Note: Parking structure owners must ensure all SREM conditions are corrected within the specific repair time frame that is recommended. A report must be filed with the applicable two-year filing window. The QPSI must file the report within 60 days of the final inspection date.
As with the FISP, SREM conditions cannot be carried over from one inspection cycle to the next. Any condition reported as SREM that is not corrected by the next cycle inspection will automatically be deemed unsafe.
Filing Windows & Report Submission Deadlines
Inspections and their subsequent reports must be performed and filing within specific “sub-cycles” that span a two-year period within the overall six-year period of the cycle. These sub-cycles have been assigned based on the Borough and Community District that the parking structure resides within. The filing windows for the 1st Cycle are as follows:
Sub-Cycle A:
- Manhattan Community Districts 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, and 7
- This includes 59th Street and below, and the Upper West Side to 110th Street
- Reports must be filed between January 1, 2022, and December 31, 2023
Sub-Cycle B:
- Manhattan Community Districts 8, 9, 10, 11, 12 & Brooklyn
- This includes the Upper East Side above 59th Street and all of Upper Manhattan above 110th Street
- This includes all Brooklyn Community Districts
- Reports must be filed between January 1, 2024 and December 31, 2025
Sub-Cycle C:
- Reports must be filed between January 1, 2026 and December 31, 2027
- All Bronx, Queens, and Staten Island Community Districts
Filing Fees
The filing fees associated with the PIPs program are paid through the DOBNOW and are as follows:
Extension Request Applications: $65
Initial Report Filing: $305
Amended/Subsequent Filings: $85
Penalties / Failure or Late To File Fees
Penalties and/or fines associated with not adhering to the PIPs program requirements are as follows:
Failure to Correct SREM Conditions: $2,000
Late Filing: $1,000 per month past the deadline.
Failure to File: $5,000 per year past the deadline.
Failure to Correct Unsafe Conditions: $1,000 per month until unsafe conditions(s) are corrected and an acceptable Amended Report has been filed, or an extension of time to complete the repairs was granted.
About Local Law 126
Local Law 126 (LL126) requires that garages be inspected every 6 years by a Qualified Parking Structures Inspector. LL126 dictates that upon inspection, property owners must begin repair of unsafe conditions within 90 days of filing their report.
What Properties Are Not Affected?
- 1-2 family homes with attached garages
- Townhouse units with exclusive parking garages
- Single-story parking garages on the ground level purely for parking (such as a parking lot)
- Autobody and automotive repair shops, automotive showrooms, and automotive service stations
- Loading docks
- Garages with occupancy of fewer than three cars
- Unenclosed, unattached outdoor parking lots
When Does My Property Need To Be Inspected/Filed By?
Cycle 1 of Local Law 126 began in January 2022 and runs through the end of December 2027, with deadlines based on garage location. If your garage hasn’t been inspected yet, now is the time to act. Timely LL126 compliance helps avoid costly penalties and ensures your structure remains safe and operational.
What Are The Next Steps?
To learn more about Local Law 126, and how AMR can help keep your garage in compliance, please contact us today to schedule a call or site visit.
As part of the inspection and assessment process, the following relevant information will be reviewed (if available):
- Structural design and/or repair drawings
- Type of construction
- Age of construction
- Maintenance and repair history
- Environmental conditions
- Existing appurtenances
- Past and/or current violations
- Façade Inspection Safety Program (FISP) reports (where applicable)
Note: Once the second PIPS cycle begins (and for all subsequent cycles), additional materials will be reviewed such as the previous report along with annual observation checklists completed since the prior cycle.
All parking structure inspections are performed via a combination of visual and hands-on evaluations including:
- Utilization of high-powered binoculars (where necessary) and high-resolution cameras
- Physically inspecting (at a minimum 10% of each type of structural element (e.g. beams, columns, slabs) within the parking structure
- Sounding, load tests, samples (where applicable), etc.
Note: The facade of the parking structure is excluded if the building is already subject to FISP requirements, or the parking structure takes up less than 50% of the total building square footage.
Schedule Your Garage Inspection
Stay ahead of your LL126 inspection deadline. Contact us today to schedule your NYC garage inspection with a licensed QPSI and ensure your parking structure remains safe, compliant, and fully operational.
Contact Us