Our Mission

to provide assistance to members in various way in the performance of their duties as public officials;
to elevate the position of the Building & Fire Official compatible with the responsibilities & obligations placed upon the member;
to promote efficiency in the administration of building departments;
to foster cooperation between the members & others directly and indirectly allied with the building industry;
to exchange ideas information & facts concerning matters & problems of common interest;
to foster the acceptance of performance standards for building materials & equipment and construction methods; and
to create good fellowship & mutual understanding among members & officials of all NYS municipalities.

NYSBOC Constitution & By-Laws

Our organization is governed by our adopted constitution & bylaws. This is a living document and is amended by membership vote. Click here to view and download a copy of our constitution & by-laws.

Our History

The New York State Building Officials Conference was formed in 1928 by a group of building officials who met informally to discuss mutual problems related to their work. It was in 1930 in Syracuse that the group formally organized electing James Armstrong of Yonkers its president. However, by 1931, the impact of the depression was being felt, and the organization did not meet again until June 1946, when some 100 building officials from all over the state answered the call to meet at the Seneca Hotel in Rochester to reconvene the Conference. A full slate of officers was elected, working committees established and efforts to form local chapters were begun. The New York State Building Officials Conference (NYSBOC) was established on November 21, 1947. The Conference voted to affiliate with BOCA, the Building Officials and Code Administrators, a nationwide organization.

Credit for our existence and for the great expansion of the State Conference, Eugene Malone, a field construction engineer for the State, who helped so many of the present chapters throughout the state get organized.

It was rough going in the early years. Efforts to attract new members seemed futile until it was decided to hold daytime luncheon/meetings at various locations each month on a regular basis, with interesting programs and guest speakers, along with general discussions of mutual problems and experiences in our field of endeavor, in reality a “school for building officials”.

The purposes of our existence, aside from the camaraderie we enjoy, is to expand our knowledge of the role and responsibilities of the building official through mutual exchange of experiences in the field of inspection and construction, in housing and public safety; to properly interpret and enforce the various building codes and ordinances, to make recommendations, based on experience, to the States Building Codes Commission. We have established and are continually improving our relationship with local fire, health and welfare departments, recognizing that the overall welfare of our citizenry is served best by our cooperation with one another.

Presently there are eighteen (18) chapters in NYSBOC, namely: Capital District, Central New York, Columbia Greene, Finger Lakes, Mid-Hudson Valley, Mohawk Valley, Monroe County Fire Marshalls, Nassau County, Niagara Frontier, Northern Adirondack, Ontario County, Rockland County, Southern Tier, St. Lawrence County, Suffolk County, Tri-County, Westchester County, and Western Southern Tier Building Officials. NYSBOC now has approximately 2,000 members.

Membership in our organization is open to all who wish to join. Anyone employed by government in the building or related field is eligible for general membership. Other public employees or persons in the private sector of construction are invited to join.

Membership

Types of Membership Available

Active Membership: Active membership in the Corporation shall be restricted to public officials actively engaged in an official capacity within the State of New York in any governmental department or bureau engaged in the enforcement, administration or formulation of laws or ordinances relating to buildings and other structures.

Associate Membership: Associate membership shall be restricted to former active members who are no longer eligible for active membership and to public officials other than building officials.

Cooperating Membership: Cooperating membership shall be restricted to architects, engineers and representatives of nonprofit technical and professional organizations which are interested in building codes and building construction standards.

Participating Membership: Participating memberships shall principally include representatives of manufacturers, contractors, financial institutions, insurance companies and other persons or firms similarly engaged in the building industry.

Honorary Membership: Honorary membership may be conferred upon individuals of distinction who have rendered outstanding services in the furtherance of the purposes and objectives of this Corporation. Such membership shall be conferred by a majority vote of the active members present at the annual Meeting of the Corporation. Nominations for such membership shall be made to the Board of Delegates and their approval obtained before said nominations are brought before the membership for a vote. Active members in good standing who are elected to honorary status shall retain all privileges of active membership.

To join, contact your local chapter. For further information please contact BJ Gettel. If you wish to join the ICC, please visit www.iccsafe.org.

Our Officers

Dedication. Expertise. Passion.

If you would like more information about the New York State Building Officials Conference you may contact us by visiting the links below or completing a Contact Us form.