NYC Building Owner's Parapet Inspection Checklist for 2026
A step-by-step parapet inspection checklist for NYC building owners in 2026. Pre-inspection prep, what to document, annual maintenance schedules, and how to keep your compliance records organized year-round.
Local Law 126 requires annual parapet inspections for most NYC buildings. That much is straightforward. But the owners and managers who stay ahead of compliance year after year share one thing in common: they treat inspections as a repeatable process, not a last-minute scramble.
This checklist gives you that process. From the documents you should gather before your inspector arrives to the maintenance tasks that prevent costly findings, everything here is designed to make your 2026 parapet inspection as smooth and productive as possible.
If you need a full primer on the law itself, start with the complete guide to Local Law 126 parapet inspections. This article assumes you already understand the basics and need a practical roadmap for execution.
How to Use This Checklist
This guide is organized chronologically. It follows the timeline of a typical inspection year from start to finish:
Pre-inspection preparation
What to do before the inspector arrives
Day-of inspection readiness
Physical and logistical setup
Inspector documentation
Verify completeness of the work
Post-inspection action items
What to do with the report
Year-round maintenance
Monthly and seasonal tasks
Record-keeping system
Organize for long-term compliance
Print this out, bookmark it, or share it with your property manager. The goal is to make this the one resource you come back to every year.
Part 1: Pre-Inspection Preparation Checklist
The work you do before your inspector sets foot on the roof directly affects the quality of the inspection and the usefulness of the report. These steps take 30 to 60 minutes but save hours of complications later.
Gather Your Documentation
Pull together these documents before scheduling your inspection:
Why it matters: Having last year's report on hand is especially valuable. It gives the inspector a baseline to compare against. They can check whether previously noted conditions have changed, improved, or worsened. Without it, every inspection starts from scratch.
Verify Your Building's Requirements
Confirm these details about your specific building:
Understanding the overlap between LL126 and FISP is critical for buildings subject to both. The parapet inspection vs. FISP comparison explains exactly when one report can satisfy both requirements.
Schedule Strategically
Timing matters more than most owners realize.
Need help selecting an inspection company? The guide to choosing a parapet inspection company covers credentials, pricing, and questions to ask.
Prepare the Physical Space
Make your inspector's job easier (and the inspection more thorough) by prepping the site:
A clean, accessible roof means the inspector can cover every parapet section efficiently. Obstructed areas may require a follow-up visit, which adds cost and delays the report.
Notify Building Occupants
Depending on your building type and access requirements, you may need to let occupants know about the inspection:
Part 2: Day-of Inspection Readiness
When the inspector arrives, you want the process to go smoothly. These items ensure there are no delays or incomplete observations.
Access and Logistics
Information to Have Ready
Safety Considerations
The inspector is responsible for their own safety on the roof, but you can help create a safer working environment:
Part 3: What Your Inspector Should Be Documenting
You are paying for a professional inspection and a detailed report. Knowing what a thorough inspection covers helps you evaluate whether you are getting what you paid for.
This section covers what to expect during the physical inspection. For a broader overview, see what to expect during a NYC DOB building inspection.
Physical Inspection Elements
A complete LL126 parapet inspection should cover every parapet section that faces or overhangs a public right-of-way. For each section, the inspector should be evaluating:
Documentation the Inspector Should Produce
The inspection report must include:
Important: If the report you receive is missing any of these elements, it may not meet LL126 requirements. A report that fails a DOB audit is the same as having no report at all.
Red Flags During the Inspection
Watch for these signs that the inspection may not be thorough enough:
If you suspect your inspection was inadequate, learn about the signs your building may need immediate parapet repairs so you can spot problems yourself.
Part 4: Post-Inspection Action Items
The inspection itself is one step. What you do with the results determines whether you are truly compliant and protected.
When You Receive Your Report
Do these things within one week of getting the report:
If All Sections Are Classified as Safe
If Any Section Is Classified as SWARMP
A SWARMP classification means the parapet is currently safe for public use but has conditions that need repair or ongoing monitoring to prevent further deterioration.
SWARMP conditions can escalate to Unsafe if left unaddressed. The full breakdown of what happens after a failed inspection explains the timeline and costs involved.
If Any Section Is Classified as Unsafe
An Unsafe finding triggers an immediate compliance timeline:
For the complete Unsafe timeline and step-by-step recovery process, see what happens if you fail a parapet inspection.
Part 5: Year-Round Parapet Maintenance Schedule
Annual inspections catch problems. Year-round maintenance prevents them. This schedule covers the key tasks by season to keep your parapets in the best possible condition between inspections.
January & February: Winter Damage Watch
March & April: Post-Winter Assessment
Look for the warning signs outlined in 5 signs your building may need immediate parapet repairs.
May & June: Inspection Season and Repairs
July & August: Peak Repair Season
September & October: Pre-Winter Preparation
Water infiltration through parapets causes some of the most expensive damage in NYC buildings. The guide to preventing water infiltration covers protective strategies.
November & December: Year-End Compliance
Part 6: Record-Keeping System
Good records are your best defense in a DOB audit, a liability dispute, or an insurance claim. They also make every future inspection faster and more useful because the inspector can track conditions over time.
What to Keep
Maintain a dedicated parapet compliance file (physical and digital) containing:
How to Organize It
Use this folder structure (digital or physical):
[Building Address] / Parapet Compliance
Reports / [Year] -- annual inspection reports
Photos / [Year] -- inspection and repair photographs
Repairs / [Year] -- contractor quotes, invoices, before/after docs
FISP / [Cycle Year] -- FISP reports, if applicable
Correspondence / DOB -- official correspondence, violations
Insurance -- certificates from inspectors and contractors
Reference -- LL126 text, checklists, contact list
How Long to Retain Records
Keep parapet inspection records indefinitely. There is no statutory limit on how far back the DOB can look when reviewing compliance history. In a liability case, the entire history of inspections and maintenance becomes relevant. At minimum, retain all records for at least 7 years, which aligns with general NYC record retention guidance and covers the full FISP cycle. But the best practice is to keep everything, especially in a digital format where storage costs nothing.
Digital vs. Paper Records
Digital records are strongly recommended:
If you receive paper reports from your inspector, scan them immediately and file both the physical and digital versions. Going forward, request digital deliverables (PDF reports, high-resolution photos) as standard.
Common Mistakes Building Owners Make
After working with hundreds of NYC buildings, these are the patterns that cause the most problems:
Waiting until Q4 to schedule inspections.
By October, every inspection company in NYC is booked solid. You end up overpaying for rush service or missing the deadline entirely. Book in Q1 for a Q2 inspection. Every year.
Not keeping previous reports.
If your inspector cannot compare this year's conditions to last year's, they are working blind. Year-over-year comparison is how emerging problems get caught early, before they become Unsafe findings.
Ignoring SWARMP classifications.
SWARMP does not mean "fine for now." It means "safe today, but deteriorating." Building owners who ignore SWARMP recommendations for consecutive years often end up with Unsafe findings, sidewalk sheds, and repair costs that are three to five times what they would have spent addressing the issue when it was first flagged.
Treating the inspection as a one-day event.
The inspection is one piece of a year-round process. Without ongoing maintenance and monitoring, you are just documenting a building that is slowly falling apart instead of actively preventing deterioration.
Not documenting repairs.
You spent $15,000 repointing a parapet wall, but you have no before-and-after photos, no contractor invoice on file, and no record of what was done. That undermines the value of the repair and the inspection.
Storing records in only one location.
A single filing cabinet or a single hard drive is a single point of failure. Keep copies in at least two places: one physical, one cloud-based.
Using a different inspector every year without transferring history.
If you switch companies, provide the new inspector with copies of all previous reports. Continuity matters. Without it, patterns get missed.
Special Considerations for Multi-Building Portfolios
Property managers and building owners with multiple buildings face unique challenges that a single-building checklist does not fully address.
Create a Portfolio-Wide Compliance Calendar
Standardize Your Process
Assign Accountability
Budget for Compliance as a Line Item
The cost guide for parapet inspections provides ranges you can use for budgeting by building size.
Quick-Reference Summary: The Complete Checklist
Here is the full checklist in condensed form. Use this as your go-to reference each year.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need a separate checklist for FISP compliance?
FISP (Local Law 11) has its own requirements that go beyond parapets to cover the entire building facade. However, in years where your FISP cycle and LL126 overlap, a single comprehensive inspection can cover both. This checklist focuses on LL126, but many of the principles (documentation, scheduling, record-keeping) apply to FISP as well.
How long does a typical parapet inspection take?
For a standard-sized building (6 to 12 stories, four-sided), a thorough inspection takes 45 minutes to 2 hours on site, depending on the number of parapet sections, access complexity, and extent of findings. Smaller buildings may take 20 to 30 minutes. Larger or more complex buildings can take a full half day.
What if I just bought a building and have no previous inspection history?
Start fresh. Schedule an inspection as soon as possible and let the inspector know there are no prior reports available. They will establish a complete baseline. Going forward, you will have a starting point for year-over-year comparisons. Also check DOB BIS records for any past filings or violations related to the building exterior.
Can my superintendent do the inspection instead of hiring a company?
Local Law 126 allows building superintendents to perform parapet inspections. However, the report must still meet all documentation requirements, and a superintendent may not have the technical background to identify structural issues or produce a DOB-defensible report. For most buildings, hiring a qualified inspection company with licensed professionals is the safer choice.
Is there a specific form I need to use for LL126 reporting?
The DOB has specific requirements for what the report must contain, but as of 2026 there is not a single mandatory form. The report must include all required elements (property identification, inspector credentials, dated photos, classifications, repair recommendations, etc.). Most professional inspection companies use their own report template that meets these requirements.
What if my building had Safe findings last year? Do I still need to do the maintenance tasks?
Absolutely. A Safe classification means the parapet was in acceptable condition at the time of inspection. It does not mean maintenance is unnecessary. Year-round upkeep is what keeps the classification Safe from one year to the next. Buildings that skip maintenance between inspections are the ones that see conditions degrade from Safe to SWARMP.
How should I handle parapet maintenance for a co-op or condo board?
The board should designate a building committee member or the managing agent as the compliance coordinator. Inspection reports should be shared with the board and included in board meeting minutes. Budget for inspections and a maintenance reserve as part of the annual operating budget. Keep all records accessible in a shared digital location that multiple board members and the managing agent can access.
Your 2026 Action Plan
If you take one thing from this checklist, let it be this: parapet compliance is a year-round process, not a once-a-year event. The building owners who do this well treat it like any other operating responsibility. They schedule early, document everything, address findings promptly, and build institutional knowledge that compounds over time.
The checklist above is your blueprint. Adapt it to your specific building, share it with your property manager and superintendent, and revisit it at the start of every year.
Start by scheduling your 2026 inspection if you have not already. The earlier in the year you get it done, the more time you have to address anything the inspector finds.
Schedule Your 2026 Parapet Inspection
VetraCheck provides comprehensive Local Law 126 parapet inspections across all five NYC boroughs. Licensed engineers, detailed reports, and full compliance support.