Complaint NYC Building Department 2026: Permits, Inspections & Services

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New York City • 2026 official-source guide

NYC Building Complaints: File the Right Report, Check the Permit and Track What DOB Does Next

If construction next door looks unsafe, work appears to be happening without a permit, an apartment may have been illegally converted, or a building condition worries you, the important first step is choosing the correct NYC complaint route.

In New York City, most Department of Buildings complaint reports begin with NYC311, not by calling a DOB borough office. After the report is submitted, you receive a Service Request number that can be used to follow the case. DOB may then route the condition for an enforcement inspection, referral, follow-up or other action depending on the complaint.

Immediate danger?
Call 911 for an active emergency such as a suspected gas leak, falling debris creating an immediate hazard, a serious accident, or another condition threatening life or property. Do not wait for a normal 311 complaint inspection when the situation is an emergency.
File a DOB-related complaint Use NYC311 for illegal or unsafe construction and improper building use.
Official DOB complaint instructions
Track a complaint Keep the 311 Service Request number you receive after filing.
NYC311 Service Request lookup
Check complaints by property Use BIS to review DOB complaints, violations, applications and inspection information.
NYC Buildings Information System
Check current permit filings Search DOB NOW as well as BIS when researching whether work has an approved filing or permit.
DOB NOW Public Portal

Which NYC agency should receive your building problem?

A common reason complaints get confusing is that not every housing or construction problem belongs to DOB. Use the condition itself—not simply the fact that it happened inside a building—to choose the right service.

Your problem Best starting point What to do
Active construction without a permit DOB through NYC311 Report active or ongoing work and state whether a permit is posted.
Construction appears unsafe or outside approved plans DOB through NYC311 Describe exactly what work is happening and what appears unsafe or beyond the approved scope.
Past illegal basement, attic, apartment or commercial conversion DOB through NYC311 Use the Building Conversion or Occupancy complaint category.
Illegal or unsafe demolition DOB through NYC311 Report demolition without a permit, unsafe shoring/support or other unsafe demolition activity.
No heat, no hot water, apartment repairs or basic housing maintenance HPD through NYC311 Choose the matching housing-maintenance complaint rather than a general DOB construction complaint.
Construction noise, dust or asbestos concern NYC311 Use the matching 311 category. Noise and asbestos matters may be routed to DEP.
NYCHA public-housing maintenance or construction issue NYCHA through NYC311 Use the NYCHA-specific complaint route shown by 311.
Gas leak, falling debris creating immediate danger, serious accident 911 Treat it as an emergency rather than waiting for an ordinary complaint response.

How to file an NYC Department of Buildings complaint online

  1. Identify the exact condition.
    Note whether the issue is work without a permit, after-hours construction, unsafe work, construction beyond approved plans, illegal conversion, demolition, unsafe scaffolding, falling material, blocked egress or another condition.
  2. Open the official NYC311 building complaint service.
    For active construction, start with the NYC311 Building Construction Complaint page. For another issue, use NYC311 Report Problems and select the category that best matches what is happening.
  3. Choose the complaint type that matches the facts.
    Avoid selecting a general construction complaint when the condition is really an illegal conversion, demolition, elevator issue, Stop Work Order violation or another separately listed service.
  4. Enter the property and condition details.
    Provide the correct street address and borough. Explain where the work or condition is located, what is happening, when you observed it and why it appears unsafe or unauthorized.
  5. Submit the report and save the Service Request number.
    That number is your easiest way to check what happens next. If you provide email or phone information where supported, NYC311 may send status notifications as the assigned agency takes action.
Write the complaint so an inspector can understand it quickly. Instead of “illegal work happening,” write something specific such as: “Workers are removing an interior wall on the second floor at 9:30 p.m.; no permit is visible at the entrance.” Clear location, timing and activity details are much more useful than a broad accusation.

Information to collect before filing

  • Complete street address and borough.
  • Apartment, floor, rear yard, roof, cellar, sidewalk or other exact location.
  • Type of construction or building condition you observed.
  • Whether work is currently active or happened in the past.
  • Approximate dates and times.
  • Whether a DOB permit is posted.
  • Job or permit number, if visible or found online.
  • What specifically appears unsafe, unprotected or different from the approved work.
  • For after-hours construction, the hours when work is occurring.
  • For falling material, identify what is falling and from which part or side of the building.

Some NYC311 building reports can be submitted without identifying yourself. However, do not assume every complaint category is anonymous. For example, NYC311 states that a report of active work without a permit in an occupied building with three or more residential units requires contact information.

Before reporting “work without a permit,” check the property record

A quick permit check can make your complaint more precise. NYC is still operating both BIS and DOB NOW, so a single database may not show every filing.

Important 2026 database distinction: 311-generated DOB complaints are shown in BIS, not in the DOB NOW Public Portal. DOB NOW shows filings created in DOB NOW, while BIS continues to contain older filings and other property information. When researching permits, checking both systems is safer than assuming one search tells the whole story.

Check BIS

  1. Open the Buildings Information System.
  2. Under the property search, choose the borough.
  3. Enter the house number and street name.
  4. Open the matching Property Profile.
  5. Review complaints, violations, jobs/applications, permits, inspections and Certificate of Occupancy information shown for the property.

Check DOB NOW

  1. Open the DOB NOW Public Portal.
  2. Search by address, BIN, borough/block/lot, job number or another available field.
  3. Open the matching filing or application.
  4. Compare the approved work with the work you actually see at the property.

A permit being present does not automatically mean every activity at the site is authorized. NYC311 has a separate complaint route for construction that appears to be outside approved plans. If you can identify the job application number, include it in your report.

NYC construction hours and after-hours complaints

NYC311 currently states that ordinary DOB construction is generally allowed Monday through Friday from 7:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. Work outside those hours normally requires an approved After Hours Variance.

NYC311 also describes a limited weekend rule under which owners of one- and two-family homes may perform alterations or repairs from 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday when the home is more than 300 feet from a house of worship.

Before filing an after-hours complaint, check whether the job has an active variance. Even when a variance exists, the permitted scope, days and hours matter.

Open DOB complaint resources and the After Hours Variance tool.

How to check an NYC DOB complaint status

Method 1: Use your 311 Service Request number

  1. Open the NYC311 Service Request Status page.
  2. Enter the Service Request number provided when you filed.
  3. Review the assigned agency, status and available updates.
  4. Keep the number if additional follow-up becomes necessary.

Method 2: Search DOB complaints by building address

  1. Open BIS.
  2. Search the property by borough, house number and street.
  3. Open the Property Profile.
  4. Select the complaint information associated with the property.
  5. Open the individual complaint to review its category, status, inspection information and disposition where available.
Do not confuse a complaint with a violation. A complaint is a report alleging a condition. A DOB or OATH violation is an enforcement record issued when DOB determines that a condition warrants enforcement. A complaint can therefore exist without a violation being issued.

What happens after you submit a DOB complaint?

  1. NYC311 creates the Service Request. Save the reference number.
  2. The complaint is routed. DOB receives complaints involving building construction, use, structural safety and other conditions under its jurisdiction.
  3. DOB categorizes the condition. The category helps determine the appropriate enforcement unit and response.
  4. A field visit or inspection may occur. Whether the inspector can access the relevant area can affect the result.
  5. DOB records a disposition. Possible outcomes include a violation, Stop Work Order, no violation warranted, inability to gain access, referral to another agency or further inspection.
  6. You can follow the record. Use the Service Request lookup and, for DOB property complaints, BIS.

There is no single reliable response time for every DOB complaint. Emergency, non-emergency, specialized equipment, illegal-conversion and other complaint categories can be handled differently. Avoid relying on an unofficial website promising a universal inspection deadline.

Useful DOB complaint and disposition codes

DOB publishes a complaint-category reference and a separate BIS disposition-code guide. The currently linked disposition document is marked Rev. 09/21, so use it mainly to understand codes appearing in BIS records and read the live complaint comments/status for context.

Code Meaning in DOB’s published reference Why it matters
4 After Hours Work – Illegal Used for unauthorized work outside permitted construction hours.
5 Permit – None Relates to work for which the applicable building/demolition permit is absent.
7J Work Without a Permit – Occupied Multiple Dwelling Relevant to unpermitted construction in an occupied multiple dwelling.
83 Construction Contrary/Beyond Approved Plans/Permits Used when observed work is alleged to exceed the approved filing.
A1 Buildings Violation(s) Served DOB recorded that a Buildings violation was served.
A3 Full Stop Work Order Served The disposition indicates a full Stop Work Order was served.
C1 / C2 Inspector Unable to Gain Access The complaint may not have been fully inspected because required access was unavailable.
I2 No Violation Warranted at Time of Inspection The inspector did not find a condition warranting a violation during that inspection.
J1 Follow-Up Inspection to be Scheduled Upon Further Research The matter may require another inspection after additional review.

Official references: DOB Complaint Categories PDF and BIS Complaint Disposition Codes PDF.

Illegal conversion or occupancy complaints

Use the conversion/occupancy complaint route when the construction is no longer actively happening but a room, basement, attic, apartment, commercial space or other part of a property appears to have been converted without DOB approval or is being used contrary to its lawful occupancy.

Examples described by DOB include:

  • Creating an additional apartment in a basement, attic or garage without required approval.
  • Dividing an apartment into unauthorized rooms or units.
  • Using commercial or manufacturing space as a residence without approval.
  • Using property in a way that conflicts with the Certificate of Occupancy or applicable zoning.

You can first use BIS to review the building’s Certificate of Occupancy and existing DOB records, then submit the appropriate 311 complaint if the actual use appears inconsistent.

Official Building Conversion or Occupancy Complaint guidance.

Tenant construction problems: Office of the Tenant Advocate

DOB’s Office of the Tenant Advocate (OTA) coordinates certain issues affecting tenants in occupied buildings, particularly concerns connected with active construction.

The official OTA complaint form specifically asks about issues such as:

  • Blocked egress.
  • Disruption of essential services.
  • Unlicensed contractors.
  • Dust, debris, lead, asbestos or other health and safety concerns.
  • Fire safety.
  • Work without a DOB permit.
  • Other active-construction concerns affecting occupants.
OTA is not the emergency complaint system. The form says emergencies should be reported to 911. It also directs after-hours construction complaints to 311 so an inspector can be routed outside normal business hours.

The current OTA form says it must be typewritten and may be submitted to tenantadvocate@buildings.nyc.gov.
Download the official OTA Complaint Intake Form.

Complaint inspection vs. permit inspection: they are different

Type Why it happens How it starts
Enforcement / complaint inspection To investigate an alleged unsafe, illegal or non-compliant condition. The public generally starts by filing the proper NYC311 complaint.
Development / permit inspection To inspect work performed under an active construction permit. The owner, licensed professional or authorized participant requests the required inspection through DOB’s inspection system.

If you are simply reporting your neighbor’s unsafe construction, you do not need to create a DOB NOW permit-inspection request. File the enforcement complaint through 311.

For your own permitted project, DOB says development inspections are generally requested through DOB NOW: Inspections. DOB NOW: Inspections Plus is being introduced separately and, as of the current 2026 guidance, is available for Electrical Development inspections while additional inspection types are being added over time.

NYC DOB borough offices and Construction Enforcement contacts

File ordinary public complaints through 311 first. Borough offices are more useful when you need help with an existing DOB matter, permit, Certificate of Occupancy, violation, Stop Work Order, enforcement case or another property-specific departmental issue.

DOB lists general borough-office in-person and drop-off customer service hours as 8:30 a.m.–4:00 p.m., Monday–Friday, with phone lines generally open 8:30 a.m.–4:30 p.m., unless a unit states otherwise.

Borough DOB borough office Construction Enforcement
Bronx 1775 Grand Concourse, 5th Floor
Bronx, NY 10453		 (718) 960-4730
Brooklyn 345 Adams Street, 3rd Floor
Brooklyn, NY 11201		 (718) 802-3685
Manhattan 280 Broadway
New York, NY 10007		 (212) 323-8079
Queens 120-55 Queens Boulevard
Kew Gardens, NY 11424		 (718) 286-8380
Staten Island 10 Richmond Terrace, 2nd Floor
Staten Island, NY 10301		 (718) 420-3590
Useful numbers:
Complaints inside NYC: 311
Calling from outside NYC: 212-639-9675
NYC DOB main phone: (212) 566-5000
TTY for complaint assistance: (212) 504-4115

View current DOB borough office information or open the full DOB contact directory.

If the complaint is about your own property

Finding a complaint on your building does not automatically mean DOB issued a violation. Open the complaint record and read the disposition before deciding what action is required.

  1. Search the property in BIS.
  2. Open the complaint record and note the complaint number, category and disposition.
  3. Check whether a separate DOB or OATH violation, Stop Work Order or Vacate Order was issued.
  4. If DOB could not gain access, review whether another inspection attempt is pending.
  5. If a violation exists, follow the correction instructions for that violation rather than treating the complaint itself as the violation.
  6. For a Stop Work Order or enforcement question, contact the appropriate issuing or Enforcement Inspection unit.

Official NYC resources

Frequently asked questions

1. How do I file a complaint with the NYC Department of Buildings?

Start with NYC311. Choose the complaint category that matches the condition, provide the property address and specific details, submit the report and save your Service Request number. For immediate danger, call 911 instead.

2. Can I file an NYC DOB complaint anonymously?

Anonymous reporting is available for various building concerns, but not every complaint category has the same information requirements. NYC311 specifically requires contact information for certain work-without-permit complaints involving occupied buildings with three or more residential units.

3. How do I check the status of a NYC building complaint?

Use the NYC311 Service Request lookup with the number issued when you filed. DOB service-request information and property complaint history can also be researched through BIS.

4. How can I look up DOB complaints by address?

Open BIS, choose the borough, enter the house number and street, open the Property Profile and review the Complaints section. Individual complaint records may show category, status and disposition.

5. Is a DOB complaint the same as a building violation?

No. A complaint is a report alleging a problem. A violation is an enforcement action issued when DOB determines that a condition warrants it. A complaint may be inspected without a violation being issued.

6. How do I report construction without a permit in NYC?

Use the NYC311 Building Construction Complaint service for active work without a permit. State whether people are living in the building, whether a permit is posted and what work is taking place.

7. How do I report after-hours construction in NYC?

Use the after-hours construction complaint option through NYC311. Include the type of work, the hours you observed it and whether a permit is posted. Check for an active After Hours Variance before assuming the work is unauthorized.

8. Where can I check whether a NYC construction permit exists?

Search both BIS and the DOB NOW Public Portal. DOB NOW contains DOB NOW filings, while BIS continues to contain older job filings, permits and other property records. Checking both gives a more complete picture.

9. What happens after I file a DOB complaint?

NYC311 creates a Service Request and routes the condition to the appropriate agency. DOB may assign the matter for a field visit or inspection. Possible outcomes include enforcement, no violation warranted, no access, referral to another unit or agency, or a follow-up inspection.

10. Should I call DOB directly or call 311 for a complaint?

DOB’s official contact guidance says to call 311 for complaints. The DOB main line and borough offices are useful for permits, existing enforcement matters, violations, Certificates of Occupancy and other departmental questions, but 311 is the normal starting point for a new public complaint.

Related New York building guides

Bottom line: For a new NYC building complaint, identify the exact condition, check the permit record when useful, file through the correct NYC311 category and save the Service Request number. Use BIS afterward to understand the DOB complaint record and any inspection disposition. Go directly to 911 when the condition is an immediate danger.

Information reviewed October 23, 2026. This is an independent informational guide and is not the New York City Department of Buildings or NYC311. Official agencies control complaint routing, inspections, enforcement actions, permits and property-specific determinations.

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