Jersey City recently mandated the following new inspection requirements, intended to assure the safety of the buildings within its jurisdiction:

• Structural inspections of all concrete buildings every ten years. The inspection must include all foundations, balconies, structural members, and waterproofing. The initial inspection must be completed by December 31, 2022.
• Facade inspections of all exterior walls of buildings six stories or more in height, or those consisting of a masonry facade four or more stories in height, every five years. The initial inspection must be completed by December 31, 2023.

In each case, inspections must be conducted by a registered architect or professional engineer.

The measures were adopted on August 18^th as amendments to Jersey City’s Property Maintenance Code. Specific rules detailing inspection, reporting, and repair requirements will be promulgated under the direction of the Construction Code Official.

These measures came as a response to the recent collapse of the Champlain Towers South Condominium in Surfside, Florida, and were modeled on established facade inspection ordinances in New York and other major cities.

SUPERSTRUCTURES has performed thousands of facade and structural inspections since the inception of New York City’s first facade inspection law, Local Law 10 of 1980 (now the Facade Inspection & Safety Program, or FISP).

We’ll provide additional information as it becomes available. Meanwhile, get in touch to discuss how we can assist with these safety inspection programs for your building.