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Average days to complete first plan review – New Buildings – All applications (DOB NOW)
Facilitate safe and compliant development. — Promptly review construction plans.
DOB says extended plan-review times for new buildings reflect a mix of more complex filings, lower-quality initial submissions requiring rework, and resource constraints within its review staff. A 2025 city Comptroller audit found similar staffing reductions and diversion of examiners to training and system updates were slowing plan reviews citywide.
Researched July 15, 2026 — DOB, Preliminary Fiscal 2026 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 | 7.7 days |
| FY23 | 6.5 days |
| FY24 | 6.5 days |
| FY25 | 6.3 days |
| FY26 (YTD) | 9.9 days |
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: For plan reviews of new building applications completed in DOB NOW, the average number of business days for jobs to go from status of application processed - completed to either disapproved status or approved status during first review.