Before You Dig in NYC: The Excavation Notifications You Need to Check

24–48 hours. 10 days. 60 days. 200 feet.

Excavation work in New York City can trigger several different notification and approval requirements,  and they don't all go to the same agency or property owner.

Before soil or foundation work begins, project teams should understand which requirements apply based on the excavation depth, location, adjoining properties, and nearby infrastructure.

Here are the main ones to check.

Free NYC Pre-Excavation Quick Check

We created a simple NYC Pre-Excavation Quick Check to help owners, contractors, and project teams identify common notification, adjoining-property, and agency-coordination items before work begins.

→ Download the Free NYC Pre-Excavation Quick Check

Canonvex reference planning tool. For informational and planning purposes only. Project-specific requirements must be independently verified.

Start With These Four Checks

1. New York 811 — Call Before You Dig

Before non-emergency excavation begins, the excavator must notify the one-call system so underground facilities can be identified.

Under BC §3304.3.7, the Call Before You Dig notification must comply with 16 NYCRR Part 753 and address all street frontages associated with the soil or foundation work.

For non-emergency excavation, New York 811 generally requires notice at least 2 but no more than 10 working days before excavation, not including the date of the call.

Keep the confirmation number, you'll need it for the DOB Earthwork Notification.

2. DOB Earthwork Notification — 24 to 48 Hours

Under BC §3304.3.1, soil or foundation work within the property line generally cannot start until DOB has been notified:

At least 24 hours, but no more than 48 hours, before work begins.

The notification must include the planned commencement date and the Call Before You Dig confirmation number. The code also contains limited exceptions for certain work.

DOB currently handles Earthwork Notifications through DOB NOW: Build.

3. The 10-Day Adjoining Owner Notice

This is a different notification.

Under BC §3304.3.2, written notice must generally be provided to adjoining property owners at least 10 days before excavation when:

• excavation will be 5 to 10 feet deep and within 10 feet of an adjacent footing or foundation; or
• excavation will be more than 10 feet deep anywhere on the site.

There is an exception where the excavation is sufficiently set back using the code's 2 horizontal to 1 vertical relationship, measured from the deepest point of excavation.

So the question isn't simply:

“Are we excavating more than 5 feet?”

Depth, proximity, and excavation geometry all matter.

4. The 60-Day Adjoining Property Access Notice

The 60-day notice has a different trigger.

Under BC §3309.1.1, when Chapter 33 compliance will require access to adjoining property, the adjoining owner must receive written notification at least 60 calendar days before commencement of the work.

This can become relevant where access is needed for items such as protection, inspections, monitoring, underpinning, or other work on the adjoining property.

And an important distinction:

Sending the notice does not automatically grant access.

The license to enter adjoining property is addressed separately under BC §3309.2.

That is why access requirements should be identified early, not when excavation is already scheduled to mobilize.

Don't Forget the Project-Specific Checks

The four items above are a good starting point, but Chapter 33 also includes additional triggers based on the project.

For example:

The 200-foot transit check is particularly easy to overlook because the excavation itself does not have to be deep. The code applies to excavation of any depth within the specified distance.

There may also be related Chapter 33 condition,such as historic-structure monitoring, preconstruction surveys, or adjoining-property protections,that aren't simply “notification” requirements but should still be screened before excavation.

One Excavation Can Trigger Multiple Requirements

A project could potentially require:

811 utility notification → DOB Earthwork Notification → 10-day adjoining-owner notice → transit-agency approval → 60-day adjoining-property access notice.

These are not duplicate notices.

They have different triggers, recipients, and purposes.

That's why asking only:

“Did we file the Earthwork Notification?”

may not be enough.

A better question is:

“What notifications, approvals, and adjoining-property coordination does this excavation trigger?”

The Takeaway

Excavation notification requirements should be reviewed during preconstruction planning, not immediately before the excavator arrives.

At minimum, screen:

811 → DOB → adjoining owner → adjoining-property access → special agency conditions.

A few minutes spent identifying the applicable triggers early can help avoid a much more difficult coordination problem later.

Free Project Planning Tool

Want a quick way to screen these items?

Download the free NYC Pre-Excavation Quick Check, a Canonvex reference planning tool designed to help project teams identify common pre-start notification and coordination items.

→ Download Free Quick Check

For reference and planning purposes only. Project-specific requirements must be independently verified.

Code & Agency References

BC §3304.3 — Notifications Prior to Soil or Foundation Work
BC §3304.3.1 — Notification of the Department
BC §3304.3.2 — Notification of Adjoining Property Owners
BC §3304.3.3 — NYC DEP
BC §3304.3.4 — NYSDEC
BC §3304.3.5 — NYCTA / MTA / Port Authority
BC §3304.3.6 — FDNY
BC §3304.3.7 — Call Before You Dig
BC §3309.1.1 — Adjoining Property Access Notification
BC §3309.2 — License to Enter Adjoining Property
16 NYCRR Part 753 — Protection of Underground Facilities