Strict New Laws Go Into Effect

Strict laws protecting residents and businesses in Putnam County from shoddy workmanship on the part of plumbers, electricians, and mechanical tradesmen have been approved by the Putnam Legislature and will take effect on Jan. 1.

The 22-page list of regulations outlines the requirements necessary for plumbers, electricians, and those employed in the field of mechanical trades to undergo before they are licensed to practice in the county’s six towns and three villages.

Legislator Vincent Tamagna praised Legislature Chairman Tony Hay for his many years of “dedicated work that have resulted in the updated regulations, which are intended to protect and promote the health, safety, and welfare of our residents.”

Legislator Dan Birmingham agreed: “Consumers must be protected at all times. Working with members of the Plumbing Board, Electrical Board, and Chairman Hay we have been able to conquer an omnibus bill that protects the homeowner each time he or she seeks the services of a tradesman.”

The laws detail the roles and responsibilities of those employed in the individual fields while outlining experience and training needed before obtaining a license to practice.

Those who do not obtain a license or present themselves as a licensed practitioner are subject to severe civil penalties ranging from $5,000 for an illegal transfer of a license, to $1,250 for unlicensed work, or $1,000 for a master allowing work to be performed by an unlicensed journeyman or uncertified helper.

Contractors failing to maintain payroll documentation of workers on a job site may be fined $500, while a plumber, electrician, or mechanical tradesman failing to post signage on his vehicle or failing to obtain a county decal faces fines of from $50 to $100 per offense.