If you own or manage a tall building in New York City, Local Law 11 is already on your calendar — or it should be. Most property managers know it as the city’s facade inspection rule. What’s less obvious is how it ties into routine building care, including window cleaning. Local Law 11 doesn’t require you to clean your windows. But the inspections, the repairs, and the access equipment that come with FISP work change the way smart property teams plan their cleaning schedules.
This guide explains Local Law 11 in plain terms, walks through the Cycle 10 timeline that began in 2025, and shows where high-rise window cleaning naturally fits in. All facade and FISP details are pulled directly from the New York City Department of Buildings.
What Local Law 11 Actually Is
Local Law 11 is the common name for New York City’s Facade Inspection & Safety Program (FISP). According to the NYC Department of Buildings, owners of buildings taller than six stories must have the exterior walls and appurtenances inspected every five years and must file a technical facade report with the Department. The legal basis is in NYC Construction Codes §28-302.1 and 1 RCNY §103-04.
The point of the law is simple: keep falling masonry, loose terra cotta, and failing facades from hurting people on the sidewalk below. It’s been on the books since 1980 and has been refined several times. The current Facade Rule was last revised on November 11, 2021.
Which Buildings Are Subject to Local Law 11
Per NYC.gov, FISP applies to any building in New York City with more than six stories. That sweeps in most mid-rise and high-rise residential buildings, office towers, mixed-use buildings, hospitals, schools, hotels — anything that crosses that height threshold.
It’s the building owner’s responsibility to confirm whether their property is covered. The DOB maintains a FISP Universe Map with subject facades and their assigned filing cycle, but the city explicitly notes that ultimate compliance is on the owner — even if the building doesn’t show up on the map correctly.
Cycle 10 Schedule (2025–2030)
Each FISP cycle runs five years. Cycle 10 began February 21, 2025, and runs through 2030. Within each cycle, the DOB splits buildings into three sub-cycles to spread out the workload and make it easier for owners to find qualified inspectors.
The sub-cycle your building falls into is determined by the last digit of its block number, per the DOB’s Cycle 10 Sub-Cycle Diagram. Filing windows are staggered, so missing your sub-cycle deadline matters — you can’t quietly slide into the next one.
The DOB strongly encourages owners to start the inspection process well before their filing window closes. Qualified inspectors get booked up, scaffolding companies get backed up, and last-minute scrambles cost more than planned ones.
The Three FISP Classifications
Once an inspection is done, the Qualified Exterior Wall Inspector (QEWI) — a New York State licensed Professional Engineer or Registered Architect approved by the DOB — has to file a technical report through DOB NOW: Safety. The report classifies the building as one of three things, per NYC.gov:
- Safe. No repair or maintenance needed to maintain structural integrity for the next five years.
- Safe With a Repair and Maintenance Program (SWARMP). Safe at the time of inspection, but requires repairs or maintenance during the next five years to prevent the facade from becoming unsafe.
- Unsafe. A condition that’s hazardous to people or property and requires repair within one year of completion of the critical examination. Public protection — sidewalk shed, fence, or netting — must be installed immediately.
If your building lands in the Unsafe column, the clock is short. Per the DOB, owners must repair unsafe conditions within 90 days of filing the technical report, and once repairs are done, an amended report has to be filed within two weeks. Miss those deadlines and you’re looking at Environmental Control Board violations and penalties.
Where Window Cleaning Fits Into the Local Law 11 Picture
Here’s where we want to be clear: Local Law 11 is a facade safety law, not a window cleaning regulation. Cleaning windows is not what the law requires. But the two are connected in ways that affect your operating budget and schedule.
First, FISP inspections often surface conditions that touch windows directly — failed sealant around window frames, deteriorated lintels, cracked sills, water infiltration. Those don’t get fixed by a window washer, but they’re usually visible during a high-rise window cleaning visit, and a good window cleaning company will flag what they see.
Second, FISP work is messy. When facade repairs happen — repointing, masonry work, sealant replacement — your windows end up coated in dust, mortar splatter, and construction residue. That’s not the kind of grime a routine cleaning solves. Post-FISP cleanup typically needs a more aggressive approach.
Third, the same access equipment is often involved. Suspended scaffolds, building maintenance units (BMUs), and bosun’s chairs are used by both facade contractors and high-rise window cleaning crews. Coordinating both around the same scaffolding window can save real money and downtime.
How Local Law 11 Work Affects Your Window Cleaning Schedule
If your building is going through FISP work this year, it’s worth thinking about your window cleaning schedule in three phases.
Before the Inspection
A clean facade is easier to inspect. QEWIs aren’t there to grade your housekeeping, but heavy soiling, bird droppings, and grime can mask real conditions. Some property managers schedule a pre-inspection cleaning so issues are visible — not buried under a layer of dirt.
During FISP Repairs
Don’t bother cleaning windows mid-repair. Anything you clean today gets dirty tomorrow. Wait until the work is finished. The exception is high-traffic areas — lobbies, ground-floor storefronts, retail tenants — where appearance affects revenue.
After Repairs Are Complete
Post-FISP cleaning is when professional high-rise crews earn their fee. Construction dust, mortar residue, and sealant overspray don’t come off with a standard cleaning pass. You want a crew that knows the difference between routine grime and post-construction soil — and uses the right approach for each.
Choosing a Window Cleaning Company That Understands High-Rise Work
Not every window cleaner is set up for tall buildings in NYC. Before you hire anyone for a building over six stories, check three things.
- Insurance. General liability, workers’ compensation, and umbrella coverage at amounts that match the risk. Ask for a certificate of insurance with your building listed as additionally insured.
- Training and safety records. High-rise window cleaning is regulated work. Crews should be trained on suspended scaffold operation, fall protection, and the specific equipment they’ll be using on your building.
- Experience with NYC buildings. Working a 30-story building on Park Avenue is different than working a 4-story walkup in Queens. The contractor should have references from buildings similar to yours.
This is exactly the kind of work our high-rise window cleaning service in NYC and NJ is built for. We coordinate with property managers regularly around facade work, scaffolding schedules, and post-construction cleanup. We don’t perform FISP inspections — that’s a QEWI’s job — but we understand the rhythm of buildings going through them.
What Property Managers Should Plan For
If you’re managing a NYC building subject to Local Law 11, a few things are worth getting on your calendar now.
- Confirm your sub-cycle and filing window using the DOB’s Cycle 10 diagram
- Identify your QEWI early — good ones get booked months out
- Budget for both inspection costs and potential repairs (SWARMP findings are common, even on well-maintained buildings)
- Coordinate window cleaning around facade work, not parallel to it
- Keep documentation of all filings via DOB NOW: Safety
Owners with buildings filed as Unsafe should also know that if repairs can’t be finished within 104 days of the original filing date, an extension request is required, per the DOB. Don’t let that deadline sneak up on you.
Schedule Your Building’s Window Cleaning
Local Law 11 compliance is on your team — the engineers, architects, and facade contractors who handle FISP filings. Window cleaning is on us. If you’re a NYC building owner or property manager planning facade work, post-construction cleanup, or routine high-rise maintenance, we’d be glad to help with the cleaning side of the project.
You can request a free window cleaning estimate, learn more about Brightness Window Cleaning, or read about our commercial window washing services. We work with property managers across Manhattan, Bergen County, and the wider NYC and NJ metro.
Disclaimer: Brightness Window Cleaning is a window cleaning and exterior cleaning company. We are not a government agency, law firm, or licensed Qualified Exterior Wall Inspector. The information in this article is summarized from publicly available New York City Department of Buildings resources and is provided for general informational purposes only. It is not legal advice and should not be used as a substitute for guidance from a licensed attorney, registered architect, professional engineer, or DOB-approved QEWI. Building owners and property managers are responsible for confirming Local Law 11 / FISP compliance details directly with the NYC Department of Buildings or qualified professionals.