Remote Video Inspections (RVI) will be offered to eligible applicants and owners from March 19 to April 30. The RVIs are only open to Staten Islanders seeking a construction final inspection (CO-NB-ALT1). In Brooklyn, the RVIs will be offered for Rescission of Stop Work Orders issued for Construction Work without Permit.
The DOB will be able to identify operational challenges and address any new processes needed to provide long-term remote presence, it said. It is treating the RVI inspections the same as in-person inspections, it said.
Remote Video Applications will be conducted using Microsoft Teams, it said. Eligible applicants are encouraged to download the Microsoft Teams application to their smartphones and test the application prior to the scheduled inspection.
In order for an inspection to take place, DOB expects the following:
- Reliable and adequate internet connection;
- A device with a camera that can easily move through the facility;
- Adequate lighting;
- Tape measure and flashlight;
- Approved plans and associated documents;
- The ability to take pictures and email them to DOB during the inspection.
ONLINE TOOL LAUNCHED TO VIEW PERMIT STATUS
The New York City Department of Buildings (DOB) launched a new online tool last year that allows homeowners to see all active construction projects, permit approvals and more in real time. Too often, homeowners and the public don't have the tools necessary to understand where DOB fits into the timeline of a project. For this reason, the new Service Levels Tracker allows News Yorkers to see average wait times for DOB services all in one place.The Service Levels Tracker allows the public to view a variety of metrics, which are updated monthly, to help them understand expected timelines for projects both citywide and by borough. The performance metrics calculate average timelines for: plan submission reviews; inspection requests; appointments around plan approval; general customer service; construction safety compliance and enforcement.
In the past, DOB customers could expect to wait more than a week for new building and major alteration plan reviews, and almost five days for most inspection requests.
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