Gas Piping Inspection: NYC Rules for Property Owners

If you are new to property ownership or management for residential buildings in New York City, you may not be familiar with Local Law 152 pertaining to gas piping inspection in NYC. Or, you may have forgotten all about the city’s inspection schedule with all the recent delays and postponements to accommodate COVID. Here’s what you need to know to stay in compliance with the city. You can see when your property is due so you don’t incur citations and fines.

What Are Your Requirements Under Local Law 152?

Law for R-3 dwellings

Local Law 152, which was created in 2016 and put into action in 2019, mandates that all R-3 dwellings, except one- and two-family homes, must undergo regular inspection of their gas piping. This is to ensure safety for building occupants and nearby properties. Inspections make sure the integrity of gas piping is sound and that there is no risk of gas leaking that could lead to health problems, fires, or explosions.

You only need to have your inspection completed once every four years, according to a schedule published by the city’s Department of Buildings. Failure to comply with inspection rules can result in a $10,000 penalty.

If you meet the property size criteria for inspection but do not use gas on the premises, you are exempt from the requirement. However, you must submit signed and sealed documentation from a registered design professional, such as an architect, stating that there is no gas piping on the property. You must submit this certification every four years, on the same schedule required as if you had gas piping.

How Does the Inspection Process Work?

Steps and certification

The inspection looks at all exposed gas piping where your gas supply enters your building. This potentially includes:

• Gas meters
• Hallways
• Lobbies
• Public spaces
• Boiler and mechanical rooms

Only a licensed master plumber (LMP), like Sanitary Plumbing, can conduct the inspection. Once the inspection is complete, the property owner receives a GPS1 Gas Piping Periodic Inspection Report within 30 days. This is to report their findings to you.

Within 60 days of the inspection, you must then file a GPS2 Gas Piping System Periodic Inspection Certification. This form is completed by the master plumber during inspection and is signed and sealed. The Department of Buildings has a free online portal where you can submit it.

You are required by law to keep all records of your gas piping inspections for 10 years. You must make them available to the Department of Buildings upon request.

What Is the Gas Piping Inspection NYC Schedule for Q4 2021 Through 2024?

Schedule by district

Previously, the city granted exemptions to gas piping inspections because of the pandemic. But they have been working to get properties caught up now to get back on the regular schedule by the end of 2021.

The inspection schedule is currently as follows:

As you can see in the chart above, the most urgent inspections are those due by the last day of December this year (2021), which are properties in community districts 2, 5, 7, 13, and 18 in all five boroughs.

New York’s Department of City Planning makes it easy to find out which community district your property is in, in case you don’t know. Enter your address here, and you’ll be given the district information: https://communityprofiles.planning.nyc.gov/.

What Happens If You Fail Your Gas Piping Inspection?

Certification of Correction

It is possible to fail your gas piping inspection. Within 120 days, the licensed master plumber who conducted your inspection must complete a signed and sealed Certificate of Correction indicating any problems have been fixed.

Should repairs take longer than 120 days, you may file an extension for an additional 60 days, for a total of 180 days to correct any issues. However, this must be done initially, when the party who conducts your inspection submits the GPS1 report. You cannot wait until your GPS2 certification is due to ask for an extension. Therefore, you should communicate with your plumber immediately after the inspection or when you receive your GPS1 form so you can coordinate about any repairs that need to be made and if you need an extension.

Occasionally, the inspection findings are so urgent that the situation must be remedied immediately. This can include shutting off the building’s gas supply, evacuating the building, and calling the FDNY and other first responders. The Department of Buildings will be notified by the licensed master plumber performing the inspection if any of these actions occurs.

How Do You Arrange for a Gas Piping Inspection?

Contact Sanitary Plumbing

You can schedule gas piping inspection for your property or multiple properties by reaching out to Sanitary Plumbing. We are licensed master plumbers and are very experienced in inspections for Local Law 152.

You don’t want to wind up being late on your inspection certification filing with the city. You can receive citations and the aforementioned large fine for not adhering to the law. If enough time goes by without submitting the appropriate inspection documents, your building could even be closed.

Additionally, licensed master plumbers tend to get busy during certain seasons of the year. If your inspection is coming due by December 31, 2021, you’ll have better luck scheduling at your convenience if you book right away. Otherwise, you run the risk that we’ll get busy with calls for radiators not heating up and frozen pipes as cold weather sets in.

Give us a call today at 212-734-5000 or use our online form to schedule your appointment.