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Plumbing Foundation Welcomes DOB Commissioner Tigani!
On March 10, the Plumbing Foundation City of New York, Inc. had the honor of hosting the newly appointed Commissioner of the New York City Department of Buildings (DOB), Ahmed Tigani. In what was a productive and candid exchange, Commissioner Tigani shared his roadmap for the agency’s future and, perhaps more importantly, demonstrated a genuine commitment to listening to the frontline experts of the plumbing industry.
Plumbing Foundation City of New York hosts Commissioner Tigani
Commissioner Tigani is no stranger to the inner workings of NYC’s regulatory landscape. Having previously served as the DOB’s Chief of Staff and most recently as Acting Commissioner for the Department of Housing Preservation and Development (HPD), he brings a unique blend of operational expertise and a “housing-first” philosophy. During the meeting, the Commissioner outlined his primary pillars for the DOB under the administration of Mayor Zohran Mamdani, including using technology for streamlining processes and raising the level of service and excellence of the Department. The Commissioner emphasized the importance of working with the industry. It is vital to maintain and to strengthen the relationships between DOB and the entire construction industry as well as having consistent points of contact and interaction. He highlighted several programs like those requiring proactive inspections and viewing permits in a zoomed out view as part of a larger project.
Commissioner Tigani and Executive Director McIver
The Department will focus on resiliency and new alternative materials. While a Commissioner’s vision is vital, our members were most encouraged by how well Commissioner Tigani “absorbed” the specific challenges facing the plumbing community. We raised several critical issues, including: issues with the license renewal system that was recently changed; the importance of protecting the integrity of the Master Plumber license against unlicensed activity and bad actors, which poses a significant risk to public health; and the need for increased communications between DOB and the industry, the latter which Commissioner Tigani already is working on.
Commissioner Tigani didn’t just take notes, he asked follow-up questions that showed he understood the technical and economic stakes of our trade. The Plumbing Foundation is energized by this new leadership. We look forward to a collaborative relationship that prioritizes safety, supports professional tradespeople, and keeps New York City’s essential systems flowing smoothly.
PLUMBING INDUSTRY LOBBY DAY – SAVE THE DATE! MAY 27-28
Please join us for an upcoming Plumbing Industry Lobby Day in Albany, NY scheduled for May 27–28 (with a day of lobbying, evening reception, stayover at hotel with room block). This is a critical opportunity to advocate before state elected officials for common-sense energy policies, license integrity, insurance reform, and the continued health and safety of all New Yorkers. PLEASE BE ON THE LOOKOUT FOR A REGISTRATION LINK! EMAIL US AT INFO@plumbingfoundation.nyc TO BE INCLUDED!
CTLTC Master Plumber & Master Fire Suppression Contractor License Renewal Course Schedule for 2026
April 21 (registration open!)
May 21
June 25
July 30
August 27
September 24
October 29
November 19
Please visit nyconstructiontrades.org for registration information!
THE PLUMBING FOUNDATION’S ENVIRONMENTAL STATEMENT
Since its establishment in 1986, the Plumbing Foundation has worked diligently to ensure the plumbing industry has as little a “carbon footprint” on New York City as possible. The plumbing industry has historically utilized environmentally friendly materials such as recycled cast-iron and copper piping/fittings. The Foundation will continue in its role of protecting New York City as well as being an advocate for the environment by strengthening its water/sanitary regulations and thereby reducing wasteful water consumption in the City.
Local Law 152 Periodic Gas Inspection Updates
The industry is aware of recent law and rule changes to Local Law 152 of 2016 periodic building gas piping inspections, including rule changes that went into effect January 3, 2026 and a comprehensive plumbing revision bill, Local Law 142 of 2025, that went into effect February 2026. However, what has been unclear is the timeline of implementation of the many changes made in both the rule and by law.
The NYC Department of Buildings (DOB) has provided presentations to the industry on the anticipated timeline of implementation, to be confirmed in a DOB Service Notice (anticipated release date is March 2026). The Plumbing Foundation wants to highlight some of the dates for the industry:
- ALREADY IN EFFECT: The only individuals eligible to conduct LL152 inspections are LMPs and those working under the direct and continuing supervision of an LMP and who are both DOB registered journeyman and have the requisite 7-hour training uploaded to their worker wallet card. (LL142/2025)
- SPRING 2026: DOB will issue a service notice outlining the process for the 2-day notice requirement for inspections. (Rule 103-10)
- SUMMER 2026: 3-Family homes will begin getting “Notices of Deficiency” warnings for failure to comply with the inspection requirement. ALSO in Summer 2026, DOB Safety will go live for LL152 inspections (no more GPS1/2 forms, they will be combined).
- FALL/WINTER 2026: The fees associated with LL152 inspections will become part of the filing process, but are NOT being collected before then. (Rules 103-10)
DOB has emphasized that the intent of the law and rules is to ensure buildings are SAFE. The notice requirement is so that DOB is able to attend an inspection but will not necessarily be at every inspection, nor should the notice requirement impede your ability to do after hours inspections or impact your scheduling of inspections in general. It is important to note that you are only putting a start time. DOB emphasized that making sure the contact phone number on the notice is to someone who will answer and be able to assist with the scheduled inspection. Eventually it will be required for violations/current infractions to be paid for submission of inspection reports and/or there are several waiver provisions for owners implemented by the recent rules, including (see rules for full details):
- New owner
- Government ownership
- Bankruptcy
- State of emergency
- Building conversion or misclassification
- Demolished building
- Sealed or vacated building
- Building has no gas piping
- Building has no active gas service
- Gas work in progress
DOB will be updating their LL152 FAQs and we will share all updates with the industry as they occur.
Please see our updated flow chart regarding inspection and qualifications requirements.
THE PIPECASTER is published by the Plumbing Foundation City of New York, Inc.
Lawrence J. Levine, Chairman; Louis J. Buttermark, Vice Chairman; Barr Rickman, Treasurer; April McIver, Executive Director; Terence O’Brien, Editor. Board of Directors: Anthony D. Altimari, Paul Belli, Marc Breslaw, Louis J. Buttermark, Harris Clark, Alex Greenberg, Nicholas Katragis, Angelo Lemodetis, Lawrence J. Levine, Scott Lyons, Barr Rickman, Richard Turchiano
Tickets now on sale!
Safer Water, Safer City: Protecting the Future of New York City
Scan the QR code or https://tinyurl.com/3vybru3m to register!