Permits and licenses for NYC renovations: DCWP, DOB and the trades
Which City agency licenses which part of a renovation: the DCWP home improvement contractor, DOB permits, and licensed master plumbers and electricians.
A renovation in New York City involves more than one licensing system, and it is easy to confuse them. A contractor can hold a valid DCWP home improvement license and still not be allowed to do your plumbing, or do the work without a permit. This guide sorts out who is responsible for what.
Two agencies, different jobs
The Department of Consumer and Worker Protection (DCWP) licenses the business that sells and performs home improvement work on homes with up to four units. Its license exists to protect consumers: it carries a trust fund, insurance information and contract rules. The Department of Buildings (DOB) regulates the construction: permits, plans, inspections, and the licenses of the skilled trades such as master plumbers and master electricians. A DCWP license does not authorise work that the law reserves for another licensed profession, which is the point of the City’s own wording on the license.
Trade work needs trade licenses
According to DOB’s project requirements, plumbing work must be filed and supervised by a Licensed Master Plumber, and electrical work must be filed and supervised by a Licensed Master Electrician (a New York City licensed electrical contractor). Even when the main task in your project does not need a permit, related plumbing or electrical work may still need its own. Ask your contractor who the licensed master plumber or electrician on your job is, and check that person on the DOB website. Gas work, boilers and heating systems have their own licensing rules, so ask.
Do I need a permit?
Many alterations need a DOB permit, and some, such as certain repairs and finishes, do not. The answer depends on the work, the building type and the DOB requirements for that work, so ask your contractor to state in writing whether a permit is needed and who will file it. DOB publishes project requirements by type of work for owners and for industry professionals on its site. Unpermitted work can lead to violations, problems when you sell or refinance, and an insurance claim that is denied. Do not accept “we don’t need one” without seeing the DOB requirement or filing.
Checking the paperwork
- DCWP license. Confirm the business is active using the City’s check-a-license page, or the listings on this site.
- Permits. Ask for the job or permit number and look it up on the DOB site. The permit should be for your address and your kind of work, and should be displayed at the site where required.
- Trade licenses. For plumbing or electrical work, ask for the name and license of the master plumber or master electrician who will file the permits.
- Insurance. DCWP licensees must provide workers’ compensation information, or a certificate of exemption, to the department. Ask for a certificate for your own file, and check with your building manager if your co-op or condo requires proof of insurance before work starts.
Co-ops and condominiums
If you own a co-op or condo unit, the board or managing agent usually needs to approve an alteration agreement before work begins. That is a building rule, separate from any City permit, and it often requires the contractor’s insurance certificate. Ask your managing agent for the requirements first; a contractor who has worked in the building can help.
Homes built before 1978
If your home was built before 1978, renovation work that disturbs painted surfaces can create lead dust. The US EPA’s Renovation, Repair and Painting (RRP) rule requires firms doing this work in most pre-1978 homes to be EPA-certified and to follow lead-safe practices. Ask a contractor whether the firm is certified before you hire it for such work.
Where to complain
Complaints about a licensed home improvement business go to DCWP through 311; complaints about unsafe or unpermitted construction go to DOB. Our trust fund and complaints guide explains what DCWP can do and what the Trust Fund covers.