Local Law 152 compliance is a major concern for pre-war building owners in NYC. Failure to file an Inspection Certification will result in a civil penalty of $10,000.
Since Local Law 152 went into enforcement in 2020, Weber Realty Management successfully passed 7/7 inspections.
These inspections took place in buildings constructed between 1880 to 1929. Weber Realty understands the intricacies of maintaining old building systems and prepared the inspector with all preliminary information, advisory and access.
The gas safety ruling was created as a response to the fatal 2015 gas explosion in the East Village (building located at 121 Second Ave). The explosion was the result of an illegal scheme to tap the main gas line (serving their ground-floor restaurant) with hoses to siphon gas to the above residential units. The explosion resulted in 2 deaths and the responsible parties were charged with negligent homicide.
The local law dictates that building owners must hire a Licensed Master Plumber to inspect all exposed gas lines for evidence of excessive atmospheric corrosion or piping deterioration that has resulted in a dangerous condition, illegal connections, and non-code compliant installations.
Generally, inspection costs can range from $500 to $2,500. However, repairs with filings and closeout costs do not fall under the price of an inspection.
If an inspection reveals any unsafe or hazardous condition, the licensed master plumber must
immediately notify Con Edison, who will subsequently shut down gas service to the entire property. The building owner must then take immediate action to correct the condition(s) in compliance with the NYC Construction Codes and obtain required permits.
If your building does require corrective measures, it could cost a significant amount of money, time, and even tenant loss due to a gas shutdown. If a gas system needs to be brought up to code, it goes beyond the scope outlined for the plumber, so an engineer, contractor, and architect have to get involved.
For instance, when a shareholder of an 8-unit co-op in Chelsea, managed by Weber Realty, began gut-renovating his apartment in 2018, a pressure test of the cooking-gas line revealed a potential for leaks. With gas pipe inspections looming, the co-op installed a new gas line through a single master meter in the basement. They were able to run a single riser outside the elevator, then run a pipe from the riser to each cooking device. The job cost about $150,000 for plumbers, contractors, engineers and architects.