© Daniel Schemer / USA TODAY NETWORK
( New York, NY) — The New York City Council is implementing tough new rules on scaffolding and sheds, passing five new bills on Wednesday (March 26, 2025).
There are more than 84-hundred scaffolding structures across the city and they’ve been up an average of 500 days. And some, 344 to be exact, have been up more than five years! Officials say they negatively impact sightlines for businesses, are a public safety concern and take up space.
The new laws reduce the time scaffolding can stay in place, for crews doing building facade repairs, from one year to three months. Plus, those sheds will have to be 12 feet height, which is 4 feet higher than current guidelines, and match the color of the building or be painted an approved color, including white or metallic gray.
