Local Law 152 Gas Piping Inspections and the 2026 Deadline

Buildings that must comply

The law covers every building except one- and two-family homes and other buildings classified in Occupancy Group R-3. A three-family house is generally covered (opens an external site), with a lower penalty than larger buildings.

Buildings with the following Department of Finance classifications are exempt: A0 through A9, B1, B2, B3, B9, CM, M3 (with two or fewer permanent dwelling units), M4 (with 20 or fewer occupants), N2, S0, S1, S2 and V. The classification appears on the property profile. If it is wrong, the owner can ask the Department of Finance to correct it.

A building with no gas piping files a certification of no gas piping, signed by a registered design professional or a licensed master plumber. A building with piping but no active gas service and no connected appliances files a utility statement and supporting documents instead of an inspection.

Deadlines by community district

The inspection year depends on the building's community district. The same district numbers apply in all five boroughs.

Search the address on the Department of City Planning website to find the community district. DOB also publishes an address search and a downloadable list (opens an external site) of properties subject to Local Law 152 with their deadlines. A new building whose certificate of occupancy was issued on or after December 6, 2016 has its first inspection in the tenth year after the certificate was issued, then follows the district schedule.

An owner who cannot meet the deadline may request a one-time 180-day extension for a $35 filing fee. The inspection must still be completed before the extension expires.

Who inspects and what they look at

The inspection must be performed by a licensed master plumber (opens an external site), or by a registered journeyman plumber working under the direct and continuing supervision of a licensed master plumber. The journeyman plumber must have completed a DOB-accepted training program of at least seven classroom hours. The DOB License Search tool shows whether a plumber's license is active. The plumber must notify DOB at least two days before the inspection. We schedule the inspection with our licensed partner master plumber and arrange access to every required space.

• Exposed gas piping from the point of entry into the building, including the meter area, through the point of connection to gas appliances.
• Exposed piping in public spaces, hallways, corridors, mechanical and boiler rooms and on rooftops.
• A combustible gas detector survey of the air along the presumed path of concealed piping in public spaces, hallways and corridors on floors with gas piping or gas equipment, up to the tenant space.
• Exposed gas piping and gas appliances in commercial tenant spaces, added by Local Law 142 of 2025. Spaces classified S0, S1 and S2 are excluded.
• Piping, appliances and connections inside dwelling units are not part of the inspection.

If any required area cannot be reached, the inspection cannot be certified as complete and must be repeated in full. Arrange access to boiler rooms, meter rooms, roofs and commercial tenant spaces in writing before the inspection date.

Filing, corrections and fees

Since July 27, 2026, every Local Law 152 filing, including certifications, extension requests and inspection notifications, goes through DOB NOW: Safety (opens an external site); the paper GPS2 is no longer required. Each certification, correction certification and extension request carries a $35 filing fee. A certification submitted more than 60 days after the inspection does not count, and a new inspection is required.

Findings that lead to a gas shutoff

• Atmospheric corrosion on older black steel piping, most often in basements and meter areas.
• Connections that do not meet code, such as flexible connectors run through walls or unpermitted dryer and range lines.
• Missing or inaccessible shutoff valves.
• Gas leaks at fittings or along the piping path.
• Minor non-hazardous items, such as bushings at meters, which the plumber notes in the comments of the filing.

When the inspection turns up an unsafe or hazardous condition, the plumber must immediately notify the owner, the gas utility and DOB, and the owner must correct it under any required permits. The utility may shut off and lock the gas supply until the repair is made.

Restoring service generally takes several weeks. It requires the repair under a DOB permit by a licensed master plumber, the related gas inspections, and the utility's own restoration visit. Buildings with a gas-fired boiler should schedule the inspection outside the heating season where the deadline allows, and owners should decide in advance how tenants will be informed if service is interrupted.

Penalties, waivers and cost

Failure to file the certification by the due date can bring a civil penalty of $1,500 for a three-family building and $5,000 for other buildings. A penalty can be challenged in writing within 30 days with proof of a timely filing. Waivers exist for defined cases: a new owner who acquired the building after the penalty was incurred, bankruptcy, a declared state of emergency, conversion or misclassification as R-3, demolition, a building sealed or vacated by government order, and permitted gas work in progress.

The cost of an inspection depends on the number of meters, risers and floors, the number of commercial tenant spaces and how easily each area can be reached. Correction work is priced separately from the findings. A building that plans to convert its boiler or cooking to electric may be able to remove its gas service before the deadline and file the no-gas documentation instead; DOB charges $375 for a certification of no gas piping and $480 for documentation of no gas service.

We confirm the building's deadline and classification, schedule the inspection with our licensed partner master plumber, coordinate access with tenants and building staff, and manage corrections and the follow-up certification inside the 120-day window. The inspection and certifications are signed and sealed by the licensed master plumber. For buildings weighing electrification of a boiler or cooking equipment, we price that work alongside the gas corrections.