We file the DOB permits your sidewalk shed, scaffold and site protection needs, then install what the permit covers. All five boroughs, since 2004.
DOB requires a permit before any sidewalk shed goes up. A supported scaffold generally needs a permit at 40 feet or taller, or when it exceeds another applicable exemption limit. Applicable scaffold and shed filings go through DOB NOW: Build.
Looking for a renovation or alteration permit? We file for the equipment we install.
| Equipment | Permit? | How It Files |
|---|---|---|
| Sidewalk Shed | Yes, before it goes up | DOB NOW: Build |
| Supported Scaffold | Yes, once it passes 40 feet | DOB NOW: Build |
| Suspended Scaffold | Depends on the setup and applicable exceptions | DOB NOW: Build when required; installation and removal notifications may also apply |
| Construction Fence | Check for your site | DOB NOW: Build, as its own job |
DOB measures a supported scaffold’s height from the supporting surface. When it stands on a sidewalk shed, the shed’s height counts toward the 40-foot limit. When it stands on a roof or setback, the measurement starts from that surface rather than the permanent structure below. The extra height is easy to miss during planning.
Suspended scaffolds have specific filing and notification requirements. See our suspended scaffolding service page for equipment-specific requirements and service details
Post every permit in a visible place at the work site for the full length of the job.
DOB issues sidewalk shed permits to Registered General Contractors. That rule shapes every shed job.
| Job | Who Files | Engineer Needed? |
|---|---|---|
| Standard BSA Shed | A registered general contractor | No. A registered contractor can file in place of a Registered Design Professional when the drawings follow an approved Board of Standards and Appeals standard design. |
| Custom Shed | A registered general contractor | Generally yes. A Registered Design Professional prepares the construction documents. |
| Supported Scaffold Under 40 Feet | A licensed contractor | No, within DOB's limits: no hoisting equipment over 2,000 lb rated capacity and no load over 75 psf. |
| Taller or Heavier Supported Scaffold | A licensed contractor with an RDP | Yes |
| Suspended Scaffold | Licensed rigger, sign hanger or RDP | Depends on the filing. |
Our filing authority. We confirm the applicable registration and design-professional requirements for each filing before work begins.
Not sure whether you need an engineer? Send us the address and what is going up. We tell you what the filing needs.
We file the shed permit and install the shed. One call: (718) 256-2828.
Once a supported scaffold exceeds the applicable exemption limits, a permit and the required design documents are needed. Our pipe scaffolding crews install the systems most often permitted at this height.
DOB treats the scaffold and shed as one stack for height. It also requires a Loads Imposed Letter, signed, sealed and dated by a registered design professional, showing the shed can carry the scaffold’s weight.
You file in DOB NOW: Build and submit installation and removal notifications there too. See suspended scaffolding.
New sidewalk shed renewal and enforcement requirements took effect in August 2026. On August 20, the Mayor’s Office also announced six proposed shed designs. Here’s what matters for your permit:
NYC Mayor’s Office, August 20, 2026. We check DOB’s current rules against every filing, and we update this section when the designs become final.
A shed, scaffold or fence already up without the required approval may need correction before DOB lets you close the job out. That work, plus the filing that proves it, belongs to our page on clearing open violations.
Yes. DOB requires one before you erect any sidewalk shed. DOB Scaffold & Shed Permit.
A supported scaffold needs one once it passes 40 feet. A scaffold standing on a shed counts the shed's height toward that line.
Not for a shed built to an approved BSA standard design. A registered contractor can file those. A custom design generally needs a Registered Design Professional. DOB registrant requirements.
The general contractor does. When no GC exists, the contractor doing the work does. When no work is active, the building owner does.
Every 90 days under DOB's August 2026 rules, with a repair-progress report each time.
No. We file for the scaffolds, sidewalk sheds and site protection we install. DOB handles renovation and alteration filings directly.
Send the address, the equipment and your target start date. We’ll tell you what the filing needs and what happens next.
