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Limited Alteration Applications

 

The Limited Alteration Application (LAA) is used for plumbing work, fire suppression piping replacement and repairs, and oil burner installations that do not include construction work. Generally, with the exception of some minor new installations, LAA work is restricted to repair and/or replacement of existing equipment and does not require a Professional Engineer (P.E.) or a Registered Architect  (R.A.).

The following Skilled Trades may submit a LAA1 Form:
  • Licensed Master Plumbers
  • Licensed Master Fire Suppression Piping Contractors
  • Licensed Oil Burner Installers.

Licensed Master Plumbers can use the LAA1 Form to install minor plumbing work for repairs and replacement appliances.


New Installation Guidelines

Replacement Installation Guidelines


The LAA must be signed and sealed by the Licensed Contractor, and include all applicable filing fees, at the time the application is submitted.

LAA1: can be filed in person or by mail to:

New York City Department of Buildings
Limited Alteration Application/Permit Renewal Unit
280 Broadway, 5th Floor
New York, NY 10007
9:00 am to 4:00 pm (M - F)

OR

Through the NYC Development Hub & Electronic Filing System

On occasions when a licensee cannot file a LAA, but has to respond to an emergency or hazardous condition, the Contractor may file an Emergency Work Notification (EWN).  When emergency work is necessary, Licensed Master Plumbers, Licensed Master Fire Suppression Piping Contractors, and Licensed Oil Burner Installers may file an EWN and perform the work prior to filing a Limited Alteration Application (LAA1).

Emergency work includes

  • Repairs to address an emergency or hazardous condition that needs immediate attention
  • Restoration of gas for cooking purposes in 9 or more residential dwelling units
  • Restoration of heat and hot water
  • Maintain sanitary conditions
  • Restore fire suppression systems to proper working conditions

 The following must be included on the Emergency Work Notice:

  • Address where the work is occurring
  • Nature of the emergency or hazardous condition
  • Name, license number, telephone and fax number, and/or e-mail address of the licensed contractor performing the work


NOTE: A statement that a LAA1 will be filed within 5 business days and, if necessary a Plan Work Application (PW1) along with the associated permit application will be filed and approved within 60 days.
 
File an Emergency Work Notice via 

Fax: (212) 566-5823
Faxes must include the licensee's signature and seal.
Email: DOBEWN@buildings.nyc.gov
In-person: New York City Department of Buildings
LAA/Permit Renewal & HUB Authentication Unit
280 Broadway, 5th Floor

Monday through Friday, 9:00 am to 4:00 pm


Work Scopes that Cannot be Electronically Filed

There are some restrictions on which type of Limited Alteration Application work can be filed electronically. The following scopes of work are prohibited from eFiling through the LAA process:

  • Relocation of a Siamese connection or when a sprinkler/standpipe system is required to be shut off for eight hours or more
  • Relocation of sprinkler heads*
  • Additional meters for one- or two-family homes
  • Adding heating appliances or increasing the BTUs of appliances by more than 25%
  • Direct vent appliances
  • LAA Withdrawals
  • LAA Renewals
  • Superseding LAAs
  • Heating appliances and boilers over one million BTUs*
  • Oil tanks over 330 gallons*
  • Grease traps (DEP approval required)
  • Oil separators (DEP approval required)
  • Cutting/capping of sprinkler/standpipe systems
  • Legalization/removal of violations for illegal fixtures/work
  • Work Without a Permit Violations/Stop Work Orders
  • Cooking in basement/cellar locations and Single Room Occupancies
  • Establishing new bathroom settings with two new fixtures*
  • PW1 to follow*
  • Replacement/testing of dryers except for one- and two-family occupancies
  • Temporary heating installations
  • Installing commercial gas dryers*
  • Condensing boilers
  • Establishing new heating installations*
  • Installing generators*
  • Sprinkler/standpipe work associated with a building demolitions
  • LAAs filed in conjunction with Emergency Work Notifications
  • Post Approval Amendment for LAAs
  • Replacement burners over 2.8 million BTUs*
  • BBQ grills/commercial cooking
  • Premises with pending Vacate Orders and/or Unsafe Building Violations
  • Fire/Jockey Pumps*

*P.E./R.A. required

Get printable version.

NOTE: Work cannot begin without an approved LAA. Construction work is not permitted under a LAA. Upon approval, both electronically and manually filed LAA permits (Filing Instructions) can be downloaded from the property profile.

Licensed Contractors seeking to perform minor plumbing and oil burner installations/repairs or sprinkler and standpipe work can obtain a LAA if the job meets the criteria as a Category 1 or Category 2 limited alteration.

NOTE: Only one category and one work type can be filed per LAA.

With the implementation of the 2014 Code revision the LAA1 now includes:
 
Category 1 – Limited to an estimated cost of $35,000 per licensee within a 12 month period.
Category 2 – No estimated cost limitation or time period restriction.

Limited Plumbing Alteration

An alteration to a plumbing or fuel gas piping system that is limited in scope which a plumbing contractor can perform. These alterations fall into one of the following categories:

CATEGORY – 1
There is a $35,000 cost limitation in any 12 month period and only the following work can be done:

CATEGORY 1
$35,000 cost limitation per building including appliance and labor in any 12 month period

  1. Addition of Plumbing Fixtures or Connections: Add five or less within any 12-month period

  2. New Sprinkler Heads: Installation of up to five new off of an existing domestic water system within any 12-month period

  3. Piping: Installation of new plumbing or fuel gas piping - Not including Category 2 work

  4. Rearrange Sprinkler Heads: Rearrange not more than 20 sprinkler heads in areas classified in light hazard occupancy, in restaurant service areas, or in mercantile areas

  5. Standpipe Piping and Parts: In-kind replacement of piping and parts required for the operation of a standpipe provided that a sprinkler is not connected

  6. Standpipe System Parts: Replacement of parts required for the operation of a standpipe system that is not a combined standpipe system



CATEGORY – 2
No cost and time period limitation, but only the following work can be done:

CATEGORY 2
No cost limitation, must include all appliance and labor costs
  1. Backflow Preventers: Install or replace primary backflow preventers

  2. Direct-vent Appliances: In-kind replacement with direct-vent gas-fired boilers, hot water heaters and furnaces servicing one or two family dwellings four stories or less

  3. Direct-vent Gas Dryer (Domestic): Install new single domestic direct-vent gas dryer servicing one or two family dwellings four stories or less

  4. Gas Burners: Replace gas burners [2.8 million Btu/h (821 kW) or less]

  5. Gas-fired Boilers: Replace gas-fired boilers [1 million Btu/h (293 kW) or less]

  6. Piping: Reroute existing plumbing or fuel gas branch piping to serve the same number of existing fixtures and appliances

  7. Relocate Existing Fixtures: Relocate and mount new fixtures on existing roughing, not falling under a minor alteration or ordinary plumbing work

  8. Relocate gas burner/boiler: Relocate gas burner/boiler within the same unaltered fire-rated enclosure, or room

  9. Replace Fixtures: In-kind replacement of plumbing fixtures and gas appliances, not falling under a minor alteration or ordinary plumbing work

  10. Sprinkler Heads: Replace up to thirty existing sprinkler heads, off of a domestic water system, and their orifice size, type, and deflector must remain the same

  11. Temporary Gas-fired Boiler: Placement of a registered gas fired temporary boiler at a site for emergency heat


For use only with LAA Applications submitted on or after December 31, 2014.

 

Limited Sprinkler

An alteration to a sprinkler system that is limited in scope that a licensed Fire Suppression Piping Contractor can do, falling into one of the following categories:


CATEGORY – 1
There is a $35,000 cost limitation in any 12 month period and only the following work can be done:

CATEGORY 1
$35,000 cost limitation per building including appliance and labor in any 12 month period

  1. Changes that do not alter the type of sprinkler system

  2. New Sprinkler Heads: Install up to five new sprinkler heads off of an existing sprinkler system.

  3. Rearrange Sprinkler Heads: Rearrange not more than 20 sprinkler heads in areas classified in light hazard occupancy, in restaurant service areas classified in Group 1 ordinary hazard occupancy, or in mercantile areas classified in Group 2 ordinary hazard occupancy

  4. Relocation of piping that does not affect the operation of the sprinkler system

  5. Replacement of parts required for the operation of a sprinkler system

CATEGORY – 2

No cost and time period limitation, but only the following work can be done:
 
CATEGORY 2
Estimated cost of unlimited work, must include all appliance and labor costs

  1. Sprinkler Heads for Existing Sprinkler System: Replacement of sprinkler heads, provided that orifice sizes, type and deflector positions remain the same


For use only with LAA Applications submitted on or after December 31, 2014.

 

Limited Standpipe Alteration

An alteration to an existing combined standpipe system that a licensed Fire Suppression Piping Contractor can do:

CATEGORY – 1

There is a $35,000 cost limitation in any 12 month period and only the following work can be done:


CATEGORY 1
$35,000 cost limitation per building including appliance and labor in any 12 month period
  1. Relocate Hose Source and Cabinets: Relocation of standpipe auxiliary hose sources and cabinets within 10 ft. of original location provided existing covered area is not affected

    Relocation must comply with the NYC Code requirements for a new installation.

  2. Replace Parts: Replacement of parts required for operation of a combined standpipe system

 


CATEGORY – 2
No cost and time period limitation, but only the following work can be done:

 
CATEGORY 2
Estimated cost of unlimited work, must include all appliance and labor costs

 N/A 



For use only with LAA Applications submitted on or after December 31, 2014.

 

Limited Oil-Burning Alterations

An alteration to an oil burner/boiler system that is limited in scope that a licensed Oil Burner Installer can do, falling into one of the following categories:

CATEGORY – 1
There is a $35,000 cost limitation in any 12 month period and only the following work can be done:

CATEGORY 1
$35,000 cost limitation per building including appliance and labor in any 12 month period

  1. Replace Equipment or Piping: Replacement of oil equipment or oil piping including oil tanks with 330 gallons (1250 L) or less capacity

Replacement Tanks must have a UL listing or labeling or meet the alternative tank design and construction standards contained in section 1305.14 of the NYC Mechanical Code

 

CATEGORY – 2
No cost and time period limitation, but only the following work can be done:

CATEGORY 2
Estimated cost of unlimited work, must include all appliance and labor costs
  1. Relocate oil burner or oil-burning boiler or water heater: Relocate within the same, unaltered fire-rated enclosure or room

  2. Replace oil burners: Replacements with heat input of 2.8 million Btu/h (821 kW) or less

  3. Replace oil-burning boilers or water heaters: Replacements with heat input of 1 million Btu/h (293 kW) or less

  4. Temporary oil fired mobile boiler: Placement of a temporary Department of Buildings registered oil fired mobile boiler at a site for emergency heating


For use only with LAA Applications submitted on or after December 31, 2014.

Note: Please read 28-101.5 of the Administrative Code for complete details.

Registering Replacement Appliances

Include the following when registering the replacement of an appliance such as a boiler and a hot water heater on a LAA:
  • Provide the Appliance’s specification (Make, Model, BTU’s, Certified Listing Agency Name and Identification number)
  • Indicate how the appliance(s) will be vented
  • Provide the location of where the appliance will be installed
  • The estimated cost must  include the cost of the unit being registered 
  • An ACP5 Asbestos report is required for buildings built prior to April 1, 1987
NOTE: The applicable filing fees are required for all LAA submissions.

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