New York City requires an annual inspection of every low-pressure boiler in residential buildings with six or more apartments, SRO buildings, and mixed-use and commercial buildings. The inspection must be done by a DOB-licensed boiler inspector or an authorized insurance company inspector between January 1 and December 31, and the report is filed in DOB NOW: Safety. If defects are found, they must be corrected and an affirmation of correction filed within 180 days. Nationwide Plumbers schedules the licensed inspector, preps the boiler, repairs any defects as a NYC licensed master plumber (License #2023) and makes sure the paperwork closes out on time.
Which boilers need an annual NYC inspection?
The NYC Department of Buildings (DOB) requires a yearly inspection for:
- Low-pressure boilers in residential buildings with 6 or more apartments
- Low-pressure boilers in Single Room Occupancy (SRO) buildings
- Low-pressure boilers in mixed-use and commercial buildings, including stores, offices, restaurants, churches and schools
- H-stamp domestic hot water heaters over 350,000 BTU in residential, mixed-use and commercial buildings
High-pressure boilers need two inspections each year, one internal and one external, about six months apart, done by an authorized insurance company inspector.
Which boilers are exempt?
- Boilers in residential buildings with 5 or fewer apartments, including most brownstones and two and three family houses
- Individual boilers that heat a single apartment
- Low-pressure boilers with an input of 100,000 BTU or less
Exempt does not mean ignore it. A boiler in a two family house still needs a yearly cleaning and safety check, and our NP Care maintenance plans include one.
Deadlines and DOB penalties
The inspection cycle runs from January 1 to December 31 every year. After the inspection, the report is filed online in DOB NOW: Safety. If the inspector finds defects, the owner has 180 days from the inspection date to fix them and file an affirmation of correction. Until that second filing is in, the boiler is not in compliance.
The DOB charges late fees per boiler for each month a report is late, and a $1,000 penalty per boiler when a report is never filed or the affirmation of correction misses its deadline. Unfiled inspections also show up as open items on the building's DOB record, which slows down refinancing, sales and co-op board approvals.
What our boiler inspection service includes
- We schedule the inspection with a DOB-licensed boiler inspector and coordinate access with your super or management office.
- We prep the boiler before the inspector arrives: clean and check the burner, test the low-water cutoff and pressure controls, check the relief valve, gauge glass, flue and combustion air, and look for leaks.
- We are on site for the inspection so questions get answered on the spot.
- We repair any defects the inspector writes up. As a NYC licensed master plumber we pull any permits the repair needs.
- We get the affirmation of correction filed well inside the 180 day window and send you copies for your records.
- We remind you next year so the building never falls out of the cycle.
Boiler inspections, LL152 and LL151 in one visit
Most buildings that need a boiler inspection also need Local Law 152 gas piping inspections, and steam buildings now also need Local Law 151 steam radiator inspections. We handle all three, plus boiler repair and boiler replacement, so one company keeps the whole boiler room in compliance.
Schedule your boiler inspection
Do not wait until December, when every building in the city is trying to get an inspector. Call 718-748-2727 or use the form below. We serve Brooklyn, Manhattan, Queens, Staten Island and the Bronx.
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Annual Boiler Inspections in Brooklyn and NYC: FAQ
Does my building need an annual boiler inspection in NYC?
Yes if the boiler is a low-pressure boiler in a residential building with 6 or more apartments, an SRO, or a mixed-use or commercial building, or if it is an H-stamp water heater over 350,000 BTU. Boilers in buildings with 5 or fewer apartments, single apartment boilers and boilers of 100,000 BTU or less are exempt.
When is the NYC boiler inspection deadline?
The inspection cycle runs January 1 to December 31 each year. The inspection report is filed in DOB NOW: Safety after the inspection, and any defects must be corrected with an affirmation of correction filed within 180 days of the inspection date.
Who can perform a NYC boiler inspection?
Only a DOB-licensed boiler inspector or an inspector from an authorized insurance company. High-pressure boilers must be inspected by an authorized insurance company. Nationwide Plumbers schedules the licensed inspector, preps the boiler and makes the repairs.
What happens if I miss the boiler inspection?
The DOB charges late fees per boiler for each month the filing is late and a $1,000 penalty per boiler for a report that is never filed or an affirmation of correction filed after the deadline. The open item also stays on your building's DOB record.
What are common boiler inspection defects?
Low-water cutoffs that fail to shut the burner down, leaking or missing relief valves, broken gauge glasses, flue and chimney connector problems, poor combustion air, leaks and missing or outdated controls. We repair all of these.
Do high-pressure boilers have different rules?
Yes. High-pressure boilers need two inspections a year, an internal and an external, about six months apart, performed by an authorized insurance company. The DOB must be notified before the internal inspection.
Is the boiler inspection the same as Local Law 152?
No. The annual boiler inspection covers the boiler itself and is filed with the DOB every year. Local Law 152 covers the building's gas piping every four years. Many buildings need both, and we handle both.
