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Average days between electrical inspection request and inspection
Facilitate safe and compliant development. — Promptly schedule development inspections.
DOB attributes longer waits for electrical inspections to ongoing budget constraints and reduced inspector staffing capacity, the same explanation the agency gives for slower inspection turnaround across other trades. A 2025 city Comptroller audit similarly found DOB staffing reductions contributed to slower processing times.
Researched July 15, 2026 — DOB, Fiscal 2025 Mayor's Management Report, NYC Comptroller, Audit of the New York City Department of Buildings' Enforcement of Building Codes (Apr. 21, 2025)
* Year to date — this fiscal year isn't complete, so it's not compared against prior years in the target/trend status above.
View as table
| Fiscal year | Actual |
|---|---|
| FY22 | 2.8 days |
| FY23 | 3.3 days |
| FY24 | 4.6 days |
| FY25 | 12.8 days |
| FY26 (YTD) | Not available |
Why this is tracked
Beyond enforcing rules after the fact, DOB's plan-review and permitting functions are meant to catch safety and zoning problems before construction even starts, since fixing a badly built structure later is far costlier and more dangerous than reviewing plans up front. The agency describes its goal as striking a balance between safety and development, aggressively enforcing the Construction Codes, Zoning Resolution, and the state Multiple Dwelling Law to protect workers and the public while still allowing a dense, growing city to build.
NYC Department of Buildings - Building Applications & Permits, NYC Mayor's Management Report - Department of Buildings
Source: DOB NOW — via NYC Open Data: Mayor's Management Report, Agency Performance Indicators
Coverage shown: FY22–FY26, reported monthly.
Definition: Appointment wait time is the average number of business days between the receipt of a request for an electrical inspection and the first available date that an inspector can visit a job site.