NYC Open Permit Close-Out and Letter of Completion Help
Open permits turn up at the worst time: in the title search a few weeks before a closing. Some are recent jobs that were never finished on paper. Many are decades old, filed by a previous owner, for work that may no longer exist.
An open permit means DOB never recorded the job as finished. Buyers’ attorneys, title companies and lenders treat it as an open item, and it is one of the most common reasons a closing gets pushed back.
AM Expediting Drafting & Design Works LLC researches the job, figures out which close-out route DOB will accept for that type and age of filing, and handles the paperwork through to sign-off, withdrawal or a Letter of Completion.
Open permit holding up a sale?
Send the title report or open-permit search, the property address, the job or permit numbers, and your closing date. AM Expediting will review the record and explain the next practical step.
NYC Open Permit Close-Out Services
- Job history research: Pull the application record, including older and pre-computer filings, to see what was approved, permitted and inspected.
- Close-out route selection: Determine whether the job needs sign-off, withdrawal, reinstatement or a new filing based on its type and age.
- Letter of Completion requests: Prepare and submit the Letter of Completion request through DOB NOW, or with a PW7 through eSubmit for BIS jobs.
- Pre-1989 application close-out: Coordinate borough-office close-outs for applications filed before DOB’s Building Information System.
- Abandoned electrical and plumbing jobs: Review old trade permits marked abandoned and coordinate what DOB requires to sign them off.
- Sale and title support: Give attorneys and title companies a clear written status while the close-out is in progress.
Which Close-Out Route Applies
The route depends on when and how the job was filed. For DOB NOW jobs, the owner or applicant requests a Letter of Completion once permits are signed off and required documents and inspections are complete. For older BIS jobs, the request is made with a PW7 form through DOB’s eSubmit system.
Applications filed before BIS came into use (May 1989 in Queens) follow a different path. Under DOB Operations Policy and Procedure Notice #03/03, DOB does not reinstate or amend these jobs, and borough offices may issue an administrative no-work permit to sign off a job whose work was completed. Where the work was never done or was later removed, the job may need to be withdrawn or addressed with a new filing.
More AM Expediting Services Available for New York City Properties
Many urgent property issues involve more than one agency or filing path. To help clients find AM Expediting before competitors, this page also connects New York City searches to the broader services AM Expediting already provides across the website.
- Open permit and closing support: Open permit searches, expired permits, missing inspections, permit closeout, title company issues, refinancing delays, and closing deadline problems.
- Certificate of Correction filing: Support organizing correction proof, affidavits, photos, permit references, and same-day Certificate of Correction filing needs where available.
- Certificate of Occupancy issues: CO applications, inspection scheduling, legal occupancy questions, and occupancy problems that may block a sale, refinance, tenant turnover, or project closeout.
- FDNY, DOT, and sidewalk violations: Review of fire-code notices, FDNY inspection issues, DOT sidewalk violations, curb conditions, and related compliance documentation.
- Design, drafting, and permit drawings: In-house design and drafting support for architectural plans, drawings for DOB filings, drawings for corrections, and permit-ready documentation.
- Alteration, new building, demolition, and trade permits: Alt 1, Alt 2, Alt 3, new building, plumbing, mechanical, electrical, demolition, and renovation permit coordination.
- Solar permit-ready PE plans: Permit-ready PE plan coordination and solar installation filing support for New York and additional states where AM Expediting can file.
- Code compliance and Local Law review: Building-code, zoning, Local Law, pre-purchase, portfolio, and proactive compliance review for owners, managers, brokers, and title professionals.
- Realtor, title company, attorney, and property manager support: Fast review for pending sales, title objections, portfolio compliance, complex multi-violation cases, and urgent real estate transaction deadlines.
How AM Expediting Helps New York City Clients Move Faster
- Record review: AM Expediting reviews the notice, agency record, property address, photos, permit history, title issue, or deadline.
- Issue classification: The matter is organized by agency issue, filing need, correction proof, inspection concern, title concern, or professional coordination need.
- Next-step plan: The owner receives a practical explanation of what may be needed next, including documents, photos, filing coordination, inspections, or correction support.
- Follow-up coordination: AM Expediting helps coordinate the practical path so owners are not left guessing while deadlines, closings, or project schedules are moving.
Common Open Permit Situations We Review
Typical cases include decades-old alteration and equipment applications that were approved but never signed off, plumbing and boiler jobs with a missing final inspection, electrical permits DOB marked abandoned, and newer DOB NOW jobs missing a final cost affidavit or technical report.
A frequent one: the work described in the old permit no longer exists, or never happened. Those can often be closed, but DOB needs the right documentation, and the route is different from a normal sign-off.
Related AM Expediting Service Pages
For connected issues, review Queens Open Permit Close-Out, Permit Expediting, NYC Stop Work Order Removal, NYC ECB and OATH Violation Help, NYC Certificate of Correction, Violation Removal, NYC FDNY Violation Removal, NYC DOT Sidewalk Violations, NYC Certificate of Occupancy Help, NYC Letter of No Objection. The website is amexpeditingdraftinganddesignworks.com.
Helpful Official Record Sources
DOB explains Letter of Completion requests on its Letter of No Objection or Completion page, and its policy for pre-BIS jobs is in OPPN #03/03. Job records can be checked on the DOB Building Information System (BIS) and DOB NOW.
Official agency records should always be checked directly before any filing, closing or construction decision.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is a Letter of Completion?
A DOB letter confirming a job was completed and signed off. It is commonly requested for work that did not require a new or amended Certificate of Occupancy.
The permit is from the 1960s and the work is gone. Can it be closed?
Often, yes. Pre-1989 jobs follow DOB’s pre-BIS policy, and the route depends on whether the work was completed. AM Expediting reviews the record and prepares the documentation the borough office needs.
Will this be done before my closing?
That depends on the job and on DOB. We give an honest timeline after reviewing the record, and a written status your attorney can share with the buyer’s side while the close-out is pending.
Does AM Expediting serve every NYC borough?
Yes. AM Expediting serves Queens, Brooklyn, Manhattan, the Bronx and Staten Island.
Contact AM Expediting
Phone: 718-725-0059 | 718-971-0617 | 718-487-4802
Email: amexpeditingservice@gmail.com
Office: 86-47 125th Street, Richmond Hill, NY 11418