Who does what
From DOB's Curb Cuts and Project Requirements for Owner: Curb Cuts pages (read 23 October 2026):
| Step | Who | Where |
|---|---|---|
| Design and plan approval, to confirm the curb cut "meets safety and zoning requirements" | NYS-licensed PE or RA hired by the owner | DOB NOW: Build (mandatory for curb cut filings since 28 August 2017) |
| Work permit | Licensed contractor, after approval | DOB NOW: Build |
| Sidewalk and curb permits; installation to DOT's specifications | Contractor | DOT's Office of Construction Mitigation Coordination |
| Installation | Contractor with a Home Improvement Contractor license from the Department of Consumer and Worker Protection | — |
| Closing out the curb cut job | The owner's PE or RA and contractor | DOB sign-off |
DOB states it plainly: "No Curb Cut installation or construction work can be performed without a Registered Design Professional submitting drawings", and none by a contractor "without the Owner first hiring a Registered Design Professional" and obtaining a DOT permit. The one carve-out is small: a licensed contractor can get a DOT permit directly for minor related sidewalk repair under 25 square feet that is not to remove a violation.
The siting rules
DOB's minimum distances from sidewalk obstructions (Curb Cuts):
| Obstruction | Minimum distance |
|---|---|
| Trees, hydrants, light poles, street signs, utility poles | 7 ft |
| Phone booths | 10 ft |
| Residential zone easements | 5 ft |
| Adjacent driveway edge | Varies with zoning district |
The parking space the curb cut serves must be at least 8.5 by 18 feet, "within your building lines", in a side, front or rear yard as the zoning district allows, and "may not encroach the sidewalk". A front-yard pad that leaves a car over the sidewalk fails that test, whatever the curb looks like.
What it costs and how to check it
DOB's curb cut pages list no fee amounts; the DOB filing fee, the PE or RA's design fee and DOT's permit fees are separate, so ask for all three on the quote. Before you sign:
- Check the contractor's HIC license on the DCWP license page and any DOB license on License Search.
- Ask for the DOB NOW job number and look it up on the DOB NOW Public Portal; the approval should be in place before the curb is touched.
- Older approvals are on curb cut cards, which can be requested as described in the NYC building permit search.
Doing it without the paperwork is expensive: contractors and the homeowners who hire them "can face OATH/Environmental Control Board violations, court appearances, fines and civil penalties".
What 2,045 NYC curb cut permits show
| Measure | NYC curb cuts, one- and two-family homes |
|---|---|
| Permits, October 2023 to September 2026 | 2,045 |
| Contractors that pulled them | 607 |
| Contractors with a permit in the last 12 months | 266 |
| Usual filed value (permits with a value) | $3,000 |
| Middle half of contractors' usual value | $2,000 to $5,000 |
| Signed off (permits a year or more old) | 92.7% |
| Usual days from issue to sign-off | 74 |
| Contractors matched to an active DOB license | 88.5% |
| Contractors matched to a license that is not active | 64 (10.5%) |
| Busiest / quietest month | October (index 122) / February (86) |
Most curb cut permits close: 92.7% were signed off, and among the 42 contractors with 10 or more permits, the 10th-percentile one signed off 78.9%. The license figure is the one to act on: 64 contractors that pulled curb cut permits matched a DOB license that is no longer active, so check the number on your quote rather than the firm's name. The field is spread thin, with 54.0% of contractors pulling a single permit.
See every NYC curb cut contractor by sign-off rate →
Related
Other cities' driveway rules: do I need a permit for a driveway. License checks: NYC contractor license lookup. NYC counts: NYC permit statistics and how long an NYC permit takes.
What this does not tell you
Our curb cut group is DOB NOW work permits of type Curb Cut on one- and two-family buildings; the DOT sidewalk permits are not in it. Only 61.2% carry a value, and the value is the filer's estimate. Zoning may forbid a curb cut on your lot regardless of the distances above; the PE or RA checks that first.
How we know this
Requirements, distances, parking dimensions and penalties are quoted from the NYC Department of Buildings' Curb Cuts and Project Requirements for Owner: Curb Cuts pages, read 23 October 2026. Counts are DOB NOW: Build approved work permits of type Curb Cut on one- and two-family buildings, October 2023 to September 2026. "Signed off" uses permits a year or more old; days run from issue to sign-off. License status is matched to DOB's license file.
Numbers come from NYC Department of Buildings permits and DOB NOW filings on one- and two-family homes (NYC Open Data), data through October 17, 2026. Nobody paid to be on this page and nobody can.
Questions
- Can a homeowner get a curb cut permit in NYC?
Not alone. DOB says you 'must hire a New York State licensed Professional Engineer (PE) or Registered Architect (RA)' to submit the curb cut application in DOB NOW: Build, and the contractor installing it must hold a Home Improvement Contractor license from the Department of Consumer and Worker Protection.
- How far does a curb cut have to be from a tree or hydrant in NYC?
DOB lists minimum distances from sidewalk obstructions of 7 feet from trees, hydrants, light poles, street signs and utility poles, 10 feet from phone booths, and 5 feet from residential zone easements. The distance from an adjacent driveway varies with the zoning district.
- What happens if I put in a curb cut without a permit in NYC?
DOB says contractors who illegally install a curb cut, and the homeowners who hire them, 'can face OATH/Environmental Control Board violations, court appearances, fines and civil penalties', and that illegal curb cuts typically carry multiple violations that must each be corrected.
- How much does a curb cut cost in NYC?
The usual NYC curb cut permit on a one- or two-family home carried a filed value of $3,000, and the middle half of contractors with 3 or more permits usually filed between $2,000 and $5,000. Only 61.2% of these permits carry a value, and the engineer's and DOT's fees are on top.
- How long does a curb cut permit take in NYC?
The usual NYC curb cut permit in our file was signed off 74 days after it was issued, and 92.7% of curb cut permits a year or more old were signed off. Plan approval comes before that, and DOB notes the construction permits have different expiration dates.
Build your own list
Every firm with that kind of permit on record. Pick what you value. The list moves.
Related guides
- Do I need a demolition permit in NYC? Yes: a PE or RA files it, and the contractor needs a demolition endorsement
- Do I need an electrical permit in NYC? Yes, for all of it: who files, the minor-work list and how long sign-off takes
- Do I need an HVAC permit in NYC? Boilers, furnaces, AC and mini-splits: which are exempt and who files the rest
- Building a new house in New York City: the NB filing, who files it, the fee and the Certificate of Occupancy
For one city
- Curb Cuts — NYC Department of Buildings (accessed 2026-10-23)
- Project Requirements for Owner: Curb Cuts — NYC Department of Buildings (accessed 2026-10-23)
- DOB NOW — NYC Department of Buildings (2026-10-23)
- License Search — NYC DOB Building Information System (2026-10-22)
- Home Improvement Contractor License — NYC Business (2026-10-22)