SAFE, SWARMP or UNSAFE: FISP Classifications Explained

Every NYC building over six stories gets a facade inspection every five years under the Facade Inspection & Safety Program (FISP, commonly called Local Law 11). The filing ends in one of three classifications — and the difference between them is measured in dollars, deadlines and sidewalk sheds.

SAFE

Meaning: the Qualified Exterior Wall Inspector (QEWI) found no conditions requiring repair. What you do: nothing until the next five-year cycle — except maintenance. Most SAFE buildings got there by fixing small items (sealants, minor pointing) between cycles, when they're cheap.

SWARMP — the one that catches boards off guard

Safe With A Repair and Maintenance Program means the facade is safe today, but has conditions that must be repaired before the next cycle's filing — cracked lintels, open joints, spalled brick, deteriorating parapets.

Here's the trap: if SWARMP items aren't fixed by the next filing, the building is automatically classified UNSAFE — mandatory shed, DOB deadlines, penalties. Five years sounds like plenty of time; boards that wait until year four end up doing the work at rush pricing, all at once, from reserve funds that weren't built for it.

The smart play: price the full SWARMP list immediately (we review FISP reports free, line by line), then phase the repairs across 2–3 budget years. Same work, no deadline pressure, no shed.

UNSAFE

Meaning: a condition poses a hazard to people or property — loose masonry, failing lintels, unstable parapet. What happens immediately:

• Public protection goes up now — usually a sidewalk shed, before anything else
• Repairs must begin within DOB deadlines, typically with permits filed within weeks
• Re-inspection and amended filing by the QEWI closes the unsafe status

The penalties for sitting still: $1,000/month for a late or missing filing, plus $250/month for failing to correct unsafe conditions — on top of shed rental running every month the repairs drag. Fast, properly-scoped repairs are almost always cheaper than slow ones.

A Note on Parapets

Since 2024, parapets also carry their own annual inspection requirement under Local Law 126 — separate from the five-year FISP cycle, and applying to nearly all buildings, not just 6+ stories. Parapet defects are among the most common items that flip a building from SAFE to SWARMP, so many owners bundle both. Our LL126 owner's guide explains it →

Got a Report in Hand?

Tekno Construction is the repair side of FISP compliance: we price your FISP report free — line by line — then handle repairs, sidewalk sheds, permits and the coordination with your QEWI through the amended filing. 24-hour response: (718) 772-8498