NYC Admin. Code § 27-653 Standards.
§ 27-653 Standards.
The provisions of reference standard RS-11 shall be part of this subchapter.
General
NYC Admin. Code tit. 27, ch. 1, subch. 11, art. 1
in effectNYC Admin. Code § 27-654 Definitions.
§ 27-654 Definitions.
For definitions to be used in the interpretation of this subchapter, see subchapter two of this chapter.
NYC Admin. Code § 27-655 Plans.
§ 27-655 Plans.
For the requirements governing the filing of plans and the work to be shown on the plans, see subchapter one of this chapter.
NYC Admin. Code § 27-656 Permits.
§ 27-656 Permits.
For the requirements governing equipment work permits and for equipment use permits, see subchapter one of this chapter.
NYC Admin. Code § 27-657 General requirements.
§ 27-657 General requirements.
Except as otherwise specifically provided herein, the foundations of buildings including retaining walls and other structures shall bear on, or be carried down to, satisfactory bearing materials in such manner that the entire transmitted load will be distributed over the supporting soils at any depth beneath the foundation at unit intensities within the allowable bearing values established in this subchapter. In addition, foundations shall be proportioned to limit settlements to a magnitude that will not cause damage to the proposed construction or to existing adjacent or nearby buildings during or after construction.
NYC Admin. Code § 27-658 Depth of foundations.
§ 27-658 Depth of foundations.
(a) Footings and Pile Caps. The bottom surface of any footing, pier, pile cap, or other foundation construction, other than grade beams, shall be carried down at least four feet below the lowest level of the adjoining ground or pavement surface that is exposed to frost, except as follows:
(1) In refrigerator, cold storage, or similar areas, the depth shall be increased as required to found the construction below the potential level of freezing in the soil, or loss of heat from the soil shall be prevented by insulation, warm air ducts, circulating systems, or equivalent means.
(2) For foundation elements resting on rock, the footings may rest on the rock surface at shallower depths than those indicated above, provided that visual inspection of the rock surface directly underlying the bearing area shows it to be free of seams, cracks, or disintegrated materials that could serve as reservoirs for water and thus be subject to freezing.
(3) For foundation elements in the interior of closed and heated buildings, or in cases where the soil underlying the foundation is not subject to frost action, there shall be no mandatory minimum requirement for embedment.
(4) Mobile or portable buildings not more than one story high may be supported on foundation elements bearing at grade, subject to the following conditions:
a. The building shall be supported on jacks, wedges, or other devices that will permit readjustment of level in the event of displacement.
b. The bearing capacity of the underlying soil shall be adequate to support the building loads without rupture. Where the building is to be supported on nominally unsatisfactory bearing materials, the provisions of sections 27-677 and 27-679 of article four of this subchapter shall apply except that, where the bearing material is confined under pavement and the bearing pressure on the surface of the soil material does not exceed five hundred psf, special investigation of the foundation will not be required.
c. The bearing area shall be well drained and not subject to inundation.
d. The levels of the foundations shall be checked and adjusted to compensate for displacements at least once every year, and the owner shall maintain a record of such work, available for inspection by the commissioner.
(5) Where piles project above grade and displacement of the pile cap is prevented by interposing a space between the underside of the cap and the ground, the requirement for embedment of the cap below the level of frost penetration shall not apply.
(b) Grade beams. The bottom surface of any grade beam shall be carried down at least eighteen inches below the lowest level of the adjoining ground or pavement surface that is exposed to frost.
NYC Admin. Code § 27-659 Foundations at different levels.
§ 27-659 Foundations at different levels.
Where footings are supported at different levels, or at different levels from the footings of adjacent structures, the influence of the pressures under the higher footings on the stability of the lower footings shall be considered. Consideration shall be given to the requirements for lateral support of the material supporting the higher footings, the additional load imposed on the lower footings, and assessment of the effects of dragdown on adjacent pile-supported buildings.
NYC Admin. Code § 27-660 Slabs on grade.
§ 27-660 Slabs on grade.
Slabs on grade within or adjacent to a building shall be so designed to limit settlement of such slabs to a magnitude that will not impair their usability or cause damage to the building or its foundations.
NYC Admin. Code § 27-661 Construction.
§ 27-661 Construction.
The provisions of subchapter nineteen of this chapter relating to safety and of subchapter ten of this chapter relating to concrete, timber, masonry, and steel construction shall apply. For inspection requirements, see article thirteen of this subchapter.
(a) Cold weather. No foundation shall be placed on frozen soil. No foundation shall be placed in freezing weather unless provision is made to maintain the underlying soil free of frost.
(b) Seepage. In an excavation where soil and ground water conditions are such that an inward or upward seepage might be produced in soil material intended to provide vertical or lateral support for foundation elements or for adjacent foundations, excavating methods that will control or prevent the inflow of ground water shall be employed to prevent disturbance of the soil material in the excavation or beneath existing buildings. No foundation shall be laid on soil that has been disturbed by seepage unless remedial measures, as directed by an architect or engineer, are taken.
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/0-0-0-51198Fetched: 10/24/2026