Rooftop Gardens and Landscaping

NYC Fire Code § FC 318

in effect

Section FC 318: Rooftop Gardens and Landscaping 318.1 General. Rooftop gardens and landscaping, including living walls, shall be designed, installed, operated and maintained in accordance with the construction codes, including the Building Code and this section. 318.2 Rooftop access and obstructions. Rooftop gardens and landscaping subject to the rooftop access and obstruction provisions of FC 504.4 shall be designed and installed in compliance with the requirements of that section. 318.3 Maintenance of vegetation. Rooftop gardens and landscaping shall be maintained in a healthy condition and shall not be allowed to encroach upon areas required to be kept clear. Vegetation shall be regularly pruned for these purposes and vegetation capable of being ignited shall be regularly cleared and removed from the rooftop and the building. 318.4 Maintenance equipment. Portable fueled equipment, including flammable and combustible liquid fuels, used for the maintenance of rooftop garden and landscaping vegetation shall be stored in accordance with FC 313 and 5704.3.4.4. 318.5 Water supply. Rooftop gardens or landscaping exceeding 250 square feet (23 m2) shall be provided with a rooftop garden hose connected to an approved water supply. Where the size of the rooftop garden, extent of landscaping, type of vegetation, and/or premises maintenance history warrant, the department may require installation of an irrigation system or other approved method of hydration to ensure proper maintenance of the vegetation.

Source: City of New York, Charter, Administrative Code and Rules (American Legal Publishing XML export, codelibrary.amlegal.com)URL: https://codelibrary.amlegal.com/codes/newyorkcity/latest/NYCadmin/0-0-0-141918Fetched: 10/24/2026