Full demolition or alteration
DOB's demolition FAQ (September 2020) draws the line with the Building Code's definitions:
| Job | DOB filing |
|---|---|
| "Full demolition": dismantling, razing or removal of all of a building or structure | Full demolition (DM) job filing |
| "Partial demolition": removal of structural members, floors, interior bearing walls or exterior walls | Alteration application, not DM |
| Gut renovation that keeps the building | Alteration application |
"A DM filing is required to fully demolish a building or structure"; by that definition, removing a detached garage entirely is a full demolition too.
Who files and who holds the permit
From DOB's DOB NOW: Build Full Demolition training deck (March 2023 release) and its Contractors page (read 23 October 2026):
| Role | Requirement |
|---|---|
| Applicant of record, ordinary (non-emergency) demolition | Professional Engineer or Registered Architect |
| Work permit holder | "General Contractors with a demolition endorsement, or they must list a subcontractor who has a demolition endorsement" |
| Contractor registration | "Full & Partial Demolition Work: You must obtain a Safety Registration Number with a Demolition Endorsement" |
| 1-, 2- or 3-family house | The applicant need not be a GC with 1-2-3 family qualifications, but if the permit holder has them, no Construction Superintendent is required |
| Landmark building | Authorization letter from the Landmarks Preservation Commission with the filing |
Check the contractor's registration on DOB's License Search and confirm it shows the demolition endorsement.
The steps
- Filing and plan review. The PE or RA files in DOB NOW: Build, where the Full Demolition Team reviews it. Every full demolition needs a Site Safety Plan or a site safety waiver; for a small building the plan is kept on site for DOB rather than approved in advance.
- Pre-demolition inspection, if DOB requires one, before the work permit is issued.
- Work permit, pulled within a year of plan approval.
- Two-day notice. "DOB must be notified two days before the start of demolition work."
- Post-demolition inspection. When it passes, "the permit is signed off and the LOC is automatically issued by DOB NOW: Build".
Only emergency filings may be made after work starts. Everything else "must be filed prior to beginning work"; legalizing a demolition afterwards triggers a $600 civil penalty for a one- or two-family house, $6,000 for other buildings.
What it costs
DOB's fee for a full demolition is "Building Frontage in Feet x Number of Stories x $2.60", with a minimum of $260; on a corner lot, use the longer frontage (training deck, 2023). A 20-foot, two-story house is $104 on the formula, under the minimum, so it pays $260. That is DOB's fee only; the engineer's and contractor's charges are separate, which is why the filed values below are far larger. Confirm the current fee in DOB NOW when filing, since our source is a 2023 deck.
What 1,736 NYC demolition permits show
| Measure | NYC full demolition, one- and two-family homes |
|---|---|
| Permits, October 2023 to September 2026 | 1,736 |
| Contractors that pulled them | 349 |
| Contractors with a permit in the last 12 months | 190 |
| Usual filed value | $25,000 |
| Middle half of contractors' usual value | $12,500 to $35,000 |
| Signed off (permits a year or more old) | 97.3% |
| Usual days from issue to sign-off | 32 |
| Contractors matched to an active DOB license | 94.8% |
| Contractors matched to a license that is not active | 16 |
| Busiest / quietest month | September (index 123) / January (77) |
Once issued, a house demolition moves quickly: the usual permit was signed off in 32 days, and 97.3% were signed off. Among the 34 contractors with 10 or more permits, even the 10th-percentile one signed off 95.3%, so in this trade an unsigned permit stands out. The busiest contractor, Sken Services Corp, held 10.5% of permits. Prices by house value are on the NYC demolition cost page.
See every NYC demolition contractor by sign-off rate →
Related
Other cities' rules: do I need a permit for demolition. National prices: house demolition cost. Choosing the contractor: hiring a demolition contractor. License checks: NYC contractor license lookup. Older records on the lot: NYC building permit search. NYC counts: NYC permit statistics.
What this does not tell you
Our demolition group is DOB NOW: Build work permits of type Full Demolition on one- and two-family buildings, so partial demolitions inside alterations are not in it. Filed values are the filer's estimate. The fee and process are from DOB's 2023 training deck and 2020 FAQ, the most detailed DOB sources we could read; DOB NOW shows the current requirements when the PE or RA files.
How we know this
Filing rules, roles, steps, fees and penalties are quoted from the NYC Department of Buildings' DOB NOW: Build Full Demolition training deck (March 2023 release), its Demolition Plan Requirements FAQ (September 2020) and its Contractors page, all read 23 October 2026. Counts are DOB NOW: Build approved work permits of type Full Demolition 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 demolition permit in NYC?
Not on your own. DOB's full demolition filing for new work by a private owner lists a Professional Engineer or Registered Architect as the applicant of record, and the work permit goes to a general contractor with a demolition endorsement or one that lists a subcontractor holding one.
- How much is a demolition permit in NYC?
DOB's full demolition fee is building frontage in feet times number of stories times $2.60, with a minimum of $260 (DOB NOW training deck, 2023). A 20-foot, two-story house works out to $104, so it pays the $260 minimum. Legalizing a demolition done without a permit adds a $600 civil penalty for a one- or two-family house.
- Do I need a demolition permit to gut a house in NYC?
Not a demolition (DM) permit. DOB says DM filings are for full demolition of a building, and partial demolition (removing structural members, floors, bearing walls or exterior walls) is filed under an alteration application.
- How long does a demolition permit take in NYC?
Once issued, the usual NYC full demolition permit on a one- or two-family house in our file was signed off 32 days later, and 97.3% of those a year or more old were signed off. Plan review, any pre-demolition inspection and the two-day notice come before that.
- How much does it cost to demolish a house in NYC?
The usual NYC full demolition permit on a one- or two-family house carried a filed value of $25,000, and the middle half of demolition contractors with 3 or more permits usually filed between $12,500 and $35,000.
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 Austin? The 45-year historic review, the pre-demolition inspection and neighbor notice
- Boulder's demolition review for houses over 50 years old: what counts as demolition, the fees, and the 180-day stay
- Cambridge demolition delay and historic district review: the 50-year rule, the 12-month delay, and which certificate you need
- Do I need a demolition permit in Cleveland? Yes: the project review, the $50 minimum fee, drawings, and what demolition firms charge
- Do I need a curb cut permit in NYC? Yes: an engineer or architect files it, and DOT permits the sidewalk
For one city
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- Hiring a solar installer in New York City: the licenses, the DOB permits, and what 19,000 solar permits show
- Hiring an electrician in New York City: the DOB license, the permit, and what 50,000 electrical permits show
- DOB NOW: Build March 2023 Release — Full Demolition (training deck, updated 28 Feb 2023) — NYC DOB (accessed 2026-10-23)
- FAQ: Demolition Plan Requirements and Common Errors (Sept 2020) — NYC DOB (accessed 2026-10-23)
- Contractors — 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)