Committee approves local law removing master-plumber 51% ownership requirement

The Westchester County Committee on Legislation voted July 13 to approve local law 2026-295, which removes a longstanding requirement that a master plumber own 51% of a company performing plumbing work in the county. The committee took the roll call vote after staff from the law department and consumer-protection office explained operational and legal problems tied to the ownership rule.

Jason Whitehead, an associate county attorney, summarized how the rule worked in practice: "That plumber ... has to own 51% of the company," he said, adding that the requirement "has been a tough [rule] to implement over the years." Whitehead told the committee the ownership rule forced some small, family-run businesses to restructure and could prevent larger companies from hiring plumbers as staff because they would not make a plumber a majority owner.

The director of consumer protection told the committee the clause raised both operational and legal concerns and that county attorneys had long questioned its enforceability. "Three of them agree that this current 51% section is unenforceable as a matter of law based on the Rockland case," the director said, referencing a Rockland County decision described in the discussion. Committee members asked whether the change would improve board operations and whether the county executive should have authority to appoint a chair to the plumbing board; staff said removing the ownership rule would reduce regulatory friction for businesses.

The committee moved and seconded the measure and recorded unanimous 'yes' responses from members present. The transcript identifies the item as 2026-295 and cites an amendment to section 277.509a of the Laws of Westchester County; the approved local law will be transmitted through the county's regular legislative process for final adoption and implementation. The transcript did not specify an effective date for the change.