How can I tell if the after-hours or weekend construction work on my NYC block is allowed?
After-hours construction is permitted when work is deemed safer or less disruptive to a neighborhood.
Construction on your New York City block at night or on the weekend can be disruptive, but short of walking up to the construction site and checking out the permits (which is not always feasible), how do you know if the crew is really allowed to do work—and disturb your peace?
The Department of Buildings says it has a tool that can help. It’s launched a new interactive map that shows the location of all of the current 1,056 building construction projects across NYC where work is allowed outside of normal business hours.
The map is updated daily and includes links to the Department’s Buildings Information System public database, where you can find out what type of work is being done, the hours work is scheduled, and why the after-hours permits were granted.
After-hours construction is permitted when work is deemed safer or less disruptive to a neighborhood, for example, construction near a school or heavily trafficked area.
The DOB will also introduce weekly reports on after-hours permits to local elected officials and community boards.
If you need to report illegal after-hours construction without a permit you can make a complaint by dialing 311.
In 2018, the DOB issued 18,866 initial after-hours permits, a 24 percent decrease from the 25,005 permits issued in 2012. That year, the DOB received 3,729 complaints via 311 regarding construction work illegally performed after hours.
