PW3 cost affidavit: reconcile the estimate before filing
By DOB Desk · MoLabs LLC · Updated
The PW3 reports construction cost details for applications that require a cost affidavit. It is not itself a receipt for a DOB filing fee. Which fee basis applies, and whether a PW3 is required, depends on the job and work type in the official schedule.
Choose the applicable schedule before doing the math
DOB's fee factsheet lists applications with a construction-cost basis and others with a total-construction-floor-area basis. It also identifies PW3 applicability. Check the relevant row and its qualifications instead of applying an alteration formula to every project.
Keep the source and revision date beside your working calculation. Before budgeting a payment, verify the current official requirements and any additional charges or exemptions applicable to the actual filing.
Build a reviewable cost breakdown
Our suggested workflow is to keep the estimate's scope, quantities, units, rates, and exclusions together. A reviewer should be able to connect a cost item with the work shown on the drawings and understand what is included in the total.
Avoid mixing consultant charges, software fees, or agency payments into a construction estimate merely because they appear in the same project budget. Resolve the treatment of each item under the applicable instructions with the responsible preparer.
- Label the drawing revision and scope used for the estimate.
- Check units and arithmetic for each cost row.
- Review omitted and duplicated scope items.
- Reconcile the applicable cost totals across the filing.
A fictional arithmetic check
Suppose a working estimate has three included items: $12,000, $8,500, and $4,500. Their sum is $25,000. If the filing's corresponding estimate reads $24,000, the team should investigate the $1,000 difference before the responsible person signs.
This example illustrates reconciliation only. It is not a fee calculation, a project estimate, or a statement that those categories are the correct PW3 entries for any particular application.
Revisit costs when the scope changes
Store the previous estimate and the reason for each revision. If a design change adds or removes work, review its effect on cost data and the applicable filing procedure before proceeding.
DOB Desk can help prepare cost rows and flag discrepancies for review. The official system's assessment and the responsible parties' obligations remain separate from the software's working estimate.
Questions and answers
Are DOB filing fees included in a DOB Desk subscription?
No. DOB Desk subscription prices pay for software access. City filing fees are separate charges assessed through the applicable official process.
Official sources and scope
This is general preparation guidance, not a determination for a specific project. Agency requirements can change. Use the current source instructions and the responsible professional's review. See our editorial approach or report a correction.