Inside NYC Co-op Board Operations
The Real Reason Projects Get Delayed
Hint: It’s not laziness. It’s logistics.
If you've ever wondered why it takes so long for your building to complete a simple repair or make a decision—you're not alone. In fact, if you don’t live in a co-op, you might be shocked to learn just how slow things can move.
But here’s the thing: co-op buildings aren’t just properties—they’re communities. And the decisions being made aren’t just about bricks and budgets. They’re about your home, your neighbors, and how millions of dollars are spent.
So why do things take so long? Let’s break it down.
You’re Being Governed by Your Neighbors
That’s right—when you live in a co-op, the people making the big calls about your building’s capital projects, maintenance needs, and energy upgrades are your neighbors. Volunteer board members with day jobs.
They’re well-intentioned. They care. But managing an entire building is a huge responsibility—and not everyone on the board is trained to make business decisions or manage multimillion-dollar projects.
As we wrote in Living the High Life, being a board member is like running a mini government, but without the staff or the salaries. Decisions take longer because they have to go through layers of discussion, evaluation, and (sometimes emotional) debate.
The Bureaucracy Behind the Delay: What Really Slows Things Down
Even once your board says “go,” the project is far from shovel-ready. Behind the scenes, there are layers of administrative steps—many of which are required by law or simply the reality of operating in a dense urban environment like NYC. These steps are critical, but they take time, and they’re often invisible to residents wondering why nothing seems to be happening. Here's a breakdown of some of the most common culprits:
Department of Buildings (DOB) Approvals
You can’t just start exterior or structural work without DOB approval. Permits take time, and depending on the backlog, even a simple review can stretch for weeks (or longer).Access Agreements with Neighboring Buildings
If your project affects a shared wall or requires scaffolding that crosses property lines, you’ll need a legal agreement with the neighboring property. And, no surprise, these negotiations can drag on.Engineering Drawings & Specifications
Before work begins, your engineers need to create detailed plans. These take time to draft, review, and revise, and they’re necessary for permits and contractor pricing.AIA Contracts for Scope of Work
The American Institute of Architects (AIA) contract formalizes the scope, timeline, and payment terms. It’s a legal document that protects your building, but it takes time to finalize.Change Orders
Once work begins, conditions often change. While the base scope and cost are determined at the onset, any additional required repairs are done through change orders. Maybe a wall is worse than expected, or waterproofing issues are discovered mid-project. Each “change order” needs engineering specifications, pricing from the contractors, review, and board approval before proceeding.
Real-Life Example: The Local Law 11 Surprise
One of our clients had already hired engineers for their mandatory Local Law 11 façade inspection when they engaged us. Routine, right? Well… not exactly.
Once the scaffolding went up and the exterior was closely examined, with probes, it became clear that there were widespread issues with the building’s weatherproofing—issues that couldn’t be identified at the initial visual inspection.
What started as a straightforward inspection ballooned into a full-scale waterproofing and masonry repair project. And here’s where it got even trickier:
Exterior work like this is entirely weather-dependent. Rain, snow, extreme cold, and even heatwaves can all halt progress. So not only did the project get more complex, but cold snaps and summer storms delayed it further.
The board didn’t cause the delay. The building did. And the weather didn’t help.
Why Delays Are Built Into the System
Still wondering why the timeline dragged out? Here are a few co-op-specific reasons that might surprise you:
1. No One on the Board Is a GC
Your board might include lawyers, teachers, finance professionals—but not necessarily someone with a background in project management or construction. That means more time is needed to vet vendors, ask the right questions, and understand what’s being proposed.
2. Approvals Take Time
In most NYC co-ops, capital projects need approval from the board, the managing agent, the building’s architect and/or engineer, legal counsel—and sometimes city agencies or lenders. Everyone’s busy, everyone’s booked, and coordinating everyone’s calendar can be… well, slow.
3. Fear of Making the Wrong Decision
When the stakes are high and the budget is tight, it’s easier to stall than to move forward. But waiting can be costly. That’s one of the core messages in Living the High Life, which is a guidebook for smart coop and condo owners and boards- inaction is often more expensive than imperfect action. As Theodore Roosevelt said: "In any moment of decision, the best thing you can do is the right thing. The next best thing is the wrong thing, and the worst thing you can do is nothing,"
4. Communication Is Tricky
You know the email threads that go in circles? Multiply that by 10. Add a few strong opinions, a resident or two who disagrees with every proposal, and you’ve got a decision-making process that feels more like herding kittens.
How to Keep Things Moving (Without Cutting Corners)
You don’t need to accept delays as the norm. Here’s how you can help your board (or yourself) move things forward:
Encourage expert involvement early. Bringing in the right advisors (like us!) at the start can prevent mission creep and vendor missteps.
Push for clear timelines. Even volunteer boards need accountability and structure.
Support transparency. If everyone’s on the same page, things move faster.
Final Thought: Slow Doesn’t Mean Broken
It’s easy to get frustrated when your lobby project or roof repair seems stalled. But when you live in a co-op, your board isn’t just managing projects—they’re managing relationships, risks, and real dollars.
They’re not just deciding for themselves. They’re deciding for everyone.
So the next time things feel stuck, take a breath. And remember: co-op delays aren’t about dysfunction—they’re about navigating one of the most complex governance structures in NYC real estate.
🚀 Want to speed up your building’s next project?
Let’s talk. At The Folson Group, we help co-ops and condos run like the businesses they are—with fewer delays, less confusion, and way more clarity.
👉 Schedule your free strategy call today.