Limited Alteration Applications (LAA) are used for the filing of plumbing work, sprinkler piping replacement/repairs and oil burner installations that do not include construction work. These applications do not require a Professional Engineer (PE) or Registered Architect (RA) and can be submitted (via an LAA1 Form) by the following Skilled Trades:
- Licensed Master Plumbers
- Licensed Master Fire Suppression Piping Contractors
- Licensed Oil Burner Installers
Below is the type of work, for each trade, that can be filed under a Limited Alteration Application:
Limited Plumbing Alterations:
- Category 1 – $35,000 cost limitation per building, including appliance and labor in any 12 month period.
- Addition of Plumbing Fixtures or Connections: Add five or less within any 12-month period.
- New Sprinkler Heads: Installation of up to five new off of an existing domestic water system within any 12-month period.
- Piping: Installation of new plumbing or fuel gas piping – Not including Category 2 work.
- Rearrange Sprinkler Heads: Rearrange not more than 20 sprinkler heads in areas classified in light hazard occupancy, in restaurant service areas, or in mercantile areas.
- Standpipe Piping and Parts: In-kind replacement of piping and parts required for the operation of a standpipe provided that a sprinkler is not connected.
- Standpipe System Parts: Replacement of parts required for the operation of a standpipe system that is not a combined standpipe system.
- Category 2 – No cost limitation. Must include all appliance and labor costs.
- Backflow Preventers: Install or replace primary backflow preventers.
- Direct-vent Appliances: In-kind replacement with direct-vent gas-fired boilers, hot water heaters and furnaces servicing one or two family dwellings four stories or less.
- Direct-vent Gas Dryer (Domestic): Install new single domestic direct-vent gas dryer servicing one or two family dwellings four stories or less.
- Gas Burners: Replace gas burners [2.8 million Btu/h (821 kW) or less].
- Gas-fired Boilers: Replace gas-fired boilers [1 million Btu/h (293 kW) or less].
- Piping: Reroute existing plumbing or fuel gas branch piping to serve the same number of existing fixtures and appliances.
- Relocate Existing Fixtures: Relocate and mount new fixtures on existing roughing, not falling under a minor alteration or ordinary plumbing work.
- Relocate gas burner/boiler: Relocate gas burner/boiler within the same unaltered fire-rated enclosure, or room.
- Replace Fixtures: In-kind replacement of plumbing fixtures and gas appliances, not falling under a minor alteration or ordinary plumbing work.
- Sprinkler Heads: Replace up to thirty existing sprinkler heads, off of a domestic water system, and their orifice size, type, and deflector must remain the same.
- Temporary Gas-fired Boiler: Placement of a registered gas fired temporary boiler at a site for emergency heat.
Limited Sprinkler Alterations:
- Category 1 – $35,000 cost limitation per building, including appliance and labor in any 12 month period.
- Changes that do not alter the type of sprinkler system.
- New Sprinkler Heads: Install up to five new sprinkler heads off of an existing sprinkler system.
- Rearrange Sprinkler Heads: Rearrange not more than 20 sprinkler heads in areas classified in light hazard occupancy, in restaurant service areas classified in Group 1 ordinary hazard occupancy, or in mercantile areas classified in Group 2 ordinary hazard occupancy.
- Relocation of piping that does not affect the operation of the sprinkler system.
- Replacement of parts required for the operation of a sprinkler system.
- Category 2 – No cost limitation. Must include all appliance and labor costs.
- Sprinkler Heads for Existing Sprinkler System: Replacement of sprinkler heads, provided that orifice sizes, type and deflector positions remain the same.
Limited Standpipe Alterations:
- Category 1 – $35,000 cost limitation per building, including appliance and labor in any 12 month period.
- Relocate Hose Source and Cabinets: Relocation of standpipe auxiliary hose sources and cabinets within 10 feet of original location, provided existing covered area is not affected.
Relocation must comply with the NYC Code requirements for a new installation. - Replace Parts: Replacement of parts required for operation of a combined standpipe system.
- Relocate Hose Source and Cabinets: Relocation of standpipe auxiliary hose sources and cabinets within 10 feet of original location, provided existing covered area is not affected.
- Category 2 – No cost limitation. Must include all appliance and labor costs.
- NA
Limited Oil-Burning Alterations:
- Category 1 – $35,000 cost limitation per building, including appliance and labor in any 12 month period.
- Replace Equipment or Piping: Replacement of oil equipment or oil piping including oil tanks with 330 gallons (1250 L) or less capacity.
Replacement Tanks must have a UL listing or labeling or meet the alternative tank design and construction standards contained in section 1305.14 of the NYC Mechanical Code.
- Replace Equipment or Piping: Replacement of oil equipment or oil piping including oil tanks with 330 gallons (1250 L) or less capacity.
- Category 2 – No cost limitation. Must include all appliance and labor costs.
- Relocate oil burner or oil-burning boiler or water heater: Relocate within the same, unaltered fire-rated enclosure or room.
- Replace oil burners: Replacements with heat input of 2.8 million Btu/h (821 kW) or less.
- Replace oil-burning boilers or water heaters: Replacements with heat input of 1 million Btu/h (293 kW) or less.
- Temporary oil fired mobile boiler: Placement of a temporary Department of Buildings registered oil fired mobile boiler at a site for emergency heating.
Click here for more information on installation guidelines and how to file Limited Alteration Applications.