Suffolk County, NY Building Safety: Scaffold & Sidewalk Shed (2026)
Key Facts
- Height threshold
- 20 feet or taller
- Training required
- 32-hour OSHA course
- Refresher
- 8 hours, every 2 years
- First-offense fine
- up to $500
- Repeat-offense fine
- up to $1,500
Summary
Suffolk County requires anyone erecting, dismantling, repairing, or modifying a supported scaffold over 20 feet to hold a certificate proving completion of 32-hour OSHA scaffold safety training, with penalties up to $1,500 for violations.
It is unlawful for any individual to erect, dismantle, repair, maintain or modify any supported scaffold within the County of Suffolk, or to be on any supported scaffold assisting in the erection, dismantling, repair, maintenance or modification of any supported scaffold within the County of Suffolk, unless such individual has been issued a supported scaffold certificate of completion under the provisions of this chapter.
Full Breakdown
Suffolk County Code Chapter 717 makes it unlawful to erect, dismantle, repair, maintain, or modify any "supported scaffold", one 20 feet or taller, anywhere in the county without a supported scaffold certificate of completion. To get one, a worker must finish the U.S. Department of Labor's 32-hour OSHA scaffold safety training curriculum through a registered apprenticeship program or a state-chartered school, plus an 8-hour refresher if the original training is more than two years old. Public-utility and government employees with an in-house 32-hour safety program, and standalone one-story sidewalk sheds, are exempt. The Commissioner of Public Works enforces the requirement and can fine violators after a hearing.
Violations & Fines
Working with an uncertified worker on a supported scaffold over 20 feet risks a Commissioner-imposed fine of up to $500 for a first offense and $1,500 for each later violation, issued only after a hearing.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does Suffolk County's scaffold law cover residential jobs?
Who enforces the scaffold certification rule?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Suffolk County
New York rules heatmap·Compare Suffolk County to another location·View the New York building safety overview
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