What should be decided first when planning a roof replacement on an occupied building?

The access and material-handling method. It determines whether a sidewalk shed is required (BC 3307.6.2), whether scaffold and hoist permits are needed (BC 3314.2 and DOB's temporary hoist process), whether the Tenant Protection Plan must address occupied dwelling units, and whether site safety requirements apply. At 401 East 65th Street, Altius CM used a single hoist so nothing moved through the building interior, and the project avoided a sidewalk shed and site safety.

Is a sidewalk shed required for roof work in NYC?

BC 3307.6.2 requires a shed where the sidewalk is immediately below a scaffold, mast climber or chute. It exempts work confined to the roof of an existing building when the roof edge is enclosed by a solid parapet at least 42 inches high that can resist accidental impact, the work does not exceed the parapet height or is set back from the edge by at least half the height of the work, and no work or storage occurs on the parapet. Any shed that is installed needs its own permit.

What wind limits apply to hoisting equipment on a roof?

BC 3316.7.8 applies to hoisting equipment located on a roof or setback, on a working deck or in an area with an unenclosed perimeter, with cranes and derricks excluded. An operator may not start a pick when the 3-second gust wind speed exceeds 30 mph, or the lower threshold set by the equipment manufacturer or the plans, and must safely land a pick in progress at the same limit. Assembly and disassembly is subject to a similar wind limit.

What is a Tenant Protection Plan and when is it required?

Under NYC Administrative Code §28-104.8.4, construction documents for alterations of buildings in which any dwelling unit will be occupied during construction must include a Tenant Protection Plan. It must address egress, fire safety, health requirements including dust, debris, pests and noise, compliance with housing standards, structural safety, noise restrictions and maintenance of essential services such as heat, water, gas and electricity. Owners must notify DOB 72 hours before beginning work in a building with a TPP.

Where can roofing materials be stored on a roof?

BC 3303.4.5.2 requires material and equipment not in use to be stored at least 10 feet from all unenclosed perimeters, with exceptions where it is secured against dislodgement. BC 3303.4.5.1 separately requires material and equipment on a roof to be secured against wind, vibration and accidental impact. BC 1511.2 also requires the roof structure to carry the material and equipment loads encountered during installation.

ROOFING

Sequencing a Roof Replacement: Access, Scaffold, Hoisting and Tenants

Q: Can the roof and the facade work share one setup?

Often, because the sidewalk protection, scaffold and tenant plan serve both. 111 Hudson Street is a combined roofing and facade restoration contract, and 150 West 56th Street ran its envelope work, including an emergency penthouse roof replacement, under a sidewalk shed with a Tenant Protection Plan. Whether a shared setup is required or allowed depends on the filing and the scope, so confirm it with the registered design professional.

Published November 8, 2026

How do you sequence a roof replacement around access, scaffold, hoisting and tenants?

Pick the access method first. It decides whether you need a sidewalk shed, which scaffold and hoist permits apply, what the tenant plan must say, and whether site safety rules come into play. Everything else in the schedule follows from that one choice.

This guide lays out the NYC rules that attach to each piece, using Chapter 33 of the 2022 NYC Building Code and DOB pages, and shows how Altius CM has handled it on real roofs. The permit and filing basics are in the process guide.

Which approvals does each access choice trigger?

Sidewalk shed. BC 3307.6.2 requires one where the sidewalk is immediately below a scaffold, mast climber or chute, installed before that equipment and kept until it is dismantled. Its exception for roof-only work requires a solid parapet at least 42 inches high that can resist impact, work no higher than the parapet or set back from the edge by at least half the work height, and no work or storage on the parapet. A shed needs a permit (BC 3307.6.1).
Scaffold. BC 3314.2 requires the installer to obtain a permit before a scaffold is installed and used. DOB NOW: Build has separate filing types for sidewalk sheds and supported scaffolds, suspended scaffolds and cranes.
Hoist. DOB’s temporary hoist requirements: the registered design professional files an ELV-1 with the Elevators Division, high-rise installations also need a Materials Handling Plan, and a registered hoist company obtains the permit.
Site safety. Since December 11, 2024 a major building means 7 or more stories or 75 feet or more in height (DOB service notice). BC 3310.12 lets DOB rules assign site safety monitoring on facade or roof-only projects to a qualified person under supervision.

How should materials get to the roof?

By a route that keeps tenants and the public out of the way. DOB’s hoist process is the formal path. Once equipment is on the roof, BC 3316.7.8 sets wind limits: an operator may not start a pick when the 3-second gust exceeds 30 mph, or the lower threshold set by the equipment manufacturer or the plans, and must safely land a pick in progress at the same limit. Cranes and derricks are covered by separate rules. Wind is therefore a schedule input, not a surprise.

At 401 East 65th Street, a single hoist handled removal and delivery for a 6,500 sq ft tear-off and replacement, no material went through the building interior, and the project avoided a sidewalk shed and site safety. The access plan did the work of cutting disruption.

What do tenants need to be told, and when?

If any dwelling unit stays occupied, Admin Code §28-104.8.4 requires a Tenant Protection Plan in the construction documents, posted on the plans’ cover page, and DOB must be notified 72 hours before work begins. DOB’s TPP page says it must cover:

Egress that stays unobstructed.
Fire safety.
Health: dust control, debris disposal, pest control, sanitary facilities and noise, with a statement of compliance on lead and asbestos.
Housing Maintenance Code and Multiple Dwelling Law compliance.
Structural safety.
Noise Control Code limits on working hours, where they apply.
Maintaining heat, hot water, cold water, gas and electricity, with any expected disruption and its duration stated.

Roof work sits above occupied floors, so dust, debris and noise belong in the plan from the start.

What happens on the roof itself?

Staging is regulated. BC 3303.4.5.2 requires material and equipment not in use to be stored at least 10 feet from all unenclosed perimeters, unless secured against dislodgement, and BC 3303.4.5.1 requires material and equipment on a roof to be secured against wind, vibration and accidental impact. BC 1511.2 requires the roof structure to support the material and equipment loads during installation, so pallets of material and hoisting equipment count toward that load.

For suspended scaffold, BC 3314.10.2 requires support devices to rest on roof or parapet structure able to carry at least four times the load imposed, and BC 3314.10.7 bars masonry units and rolls of roofing felt as counterweights. DOB’s plan examination guidelines also require roof plans to show the 6 foot FDNY path on a flat roof, so staging has to be laid out around it.

Often. 111 Hudson Street is a combined roofing and facade restoration contract, with a new sloped roof, PMMA at skylights and counterflashing at parapet walls. At 150 West 56th Street, the envelope work, including an emergency penthouse roof replacement, ran under a sidewalk shed with a Tenant Protection Plan and site safety covering roof protection. Shed permit and renewal rules are in our Local Law 48 guide, and the shed and scaffold side is on our scaffolding and shed page.

What does a workable sequence look like?

Roof survey and the deck question that decides the permit path.
Access decision: shed or no shed, scaffold type, hoist or crane, staging area.
Filings and permits for each, plus the TPP and 72-hour notice where dwelling units are occupied.
Tenant notices tied to the TPP, including noise hours and any service interruption.
Mobilize, protect, stage inside the perimeter setback.
Tear-off, then insulation, membrane, flashings and drains.
Demobilize and hand over warranty paperwork (roof warranties explained).

See roof repair and replacement, the roofing hub, the scale of work page, or contact us to plan access before the drawings are final.

Sources

Last verified: November 8, 2026. Code section numbers are from the 2022 NYC Building Code. This is general information, not legal advice; your registered design professional and DOB determine the requirements for your project.

Need facade restoration work scoped?

Contact Altius CM