Learning About New Building Vault Approvals

 

You have to obtain the appropriate approvals from the DOT any time you are looking to construct or repair vaults under the sidewalks of New York City streets. To make the process of gaining new building vaults approval in New York City a little bit easier, it is crucial to understand the actual permitting and approval process.

The first thing to know is that there are two types of vaults: building vaults and transformer vaults. Today, we are going to focus specifically on the building variation. So what exactly is a building vault? It is any type of opening located below the surface of the street that projects outside of the property line and is covered over.

To get approval for constructing, altering, or repairing this type of vault, you must provide an NYC DOT permit, approval from the LPC or the MTA, as well as approval and a permit from DOB. A vault license from the NYC DOT’s Office of Franchises, Concessions, and Revocable Consents is also required for new construction.

Each application is then reviewed on a case-by-case basis. The permit office will determine exactly what types of permits and licenses you need to proceed with your project. Once this information is gathered and approved, you can begin construction. This can be a lengthy and cumbersome process without the aid of a permit expediter, so we recommend working with one.