TR-1 Raising and Moving of a Building (BC 1704.20.5)

SIGN-ON / Inspect / SIGN-OFF (package)

Raising and moving a building is one of the most dramatic operations in urban construction — and one of the most tightly regulated under the NYC Building Code. Under BC Section 1704.20.5, any work involving the physical elevation or relocation of a building requires a special inspection by a registered agency throughout the operation. EZTR1 provides TR-1 progress inspections for building-raising and moving projects across all five boroughs.

 

What triggers a BC 1704.20.5 inspection?

 

A NYC DOB permit for raising or moving a building is required whenever:

 

• A structure is lifted off its existing foundation to allow underpinning, foundation replacement, or the addition of a new basement or cellar level
• A building is elevated to meet FEMA Base Flood Elevation (BFE) requirements — a common post-Sandy compliance project in the Rockaways (Queens), Staten Island waterfront neighborhoods, Red Hook (Brooklyn), and Gerritsen Beach
• An existing building is physically relocated on the same lot or to an adjacent parcel — common in landmarked historic preservation projects and lot-consolidation scenarios

 

How Building Raising Works in NYC

 

The raising process uses synchronized hydraulic jacks placed at strategic points beneath the building's sill plate, foundation walls, or steel grillage. The structure is incrementally lifted — typically in increments of a few inches at a time — while temporary cribbing (stacked timber or steel blocking) is inserted beneath the building to maintain stability between jack cycles. For relocation, the raised building is then placed on wheeled dollies or rollers and moved along a prepared pathway to its new position.

 

What EZTR1 Inspects Under BC 1704.20.5

 

EZTR1's TR-1 progress inspectors monitor the following throughout the raising or moving operation:

 

• Jack placement and load distribution — confirmed against the approved engineering documents before lifting commences
• Incremental lift verification — each lift cycle is documented to confirm the building is rising uniformly without differential settlement or structural distress
• Cribbing adequacy and stability — temporary support systems are verified to be adequate for the imposed loads at each stage
• Foundation condition — before the building is set down on its new or modified foundation, the inspector confirms the receiving surface meets the approved design

 

All findings are documented in the TR-1 special inspection report submitted to the NYC Department of Buildings.

 

Ready to schedule your BC 1704.20.5 building-raising inspection? Contact EZTR1 to coordinate with your lifting contractor before work begins.