Parking garages in N.Y. State will have to be inspected every three years

Owners of parking garages in New York State will soon be required to have the structure undergo a condition assessment by a qualified professional engineer every three years, according to Hoffmann Architects.

The new rule will require these assessments as early as next fall. An on-site structural evaluation is required, and the engineer must submit a condition assessment report to the governing authority, which could be the city, town, county, or other governmental unit.

All parking garages in the state including private, municipal, and state-owned facilities, are subject to this new code. This includes freestanding parking structures as well as portions of buildings, unless the only parking is on grade. Small garages for one- or two-family houses or townhouse units are exempt.

New parking garages must undergo an initial condition assessment before being issued a certificate of occupancy or certificate of compliance.