Provides that the New York state uniform fire prevention and building code shall address standards requiring the use of a water demand calculator to determine pipe and fixture sizing for use in new construction and substantial renovations of single-family and multi-unit residential buildings; directs the chairperson of the state fire prevention and building code council to appoint an advisory board to monitor the use of water demand calculators in new construction and substantial renovations and to monitor and keep records of cost savings resulting from the use of such water demand calculators.
S10505 would amend the Executive Law to require the New York State Uniform Fire Prevention and Building Code to include standards mandating the use of a water demand calculator when sizing pipes and fixtures in covered residential construction projects. The requirement would apply to new construction and substantial renovations of single-family and multi-unit residential buildings, and permit applications would need to include the calculator-based sizing calculations. Building permit approval would be contingent on verified use of an approved calculator, and noncompliance could lead to design rejection or delayed permits.
The bill also authorizes the State Fire Prevention and Building Code Council to certify technically sound water demand calculators for use in covered buildings. It defines “water demand calculator,” “covered building,” and “substantial renovation,” with the renovation definition focused on projects involving full plumbing replacement, major plumbing changes, or plumbing-layout permits, while excluding purely structural or cosmetic work unrelated to plumbing. The act would take effect one year after becoming law.
The bill would add a new plumbing-design and permitting requirement to the state building code framework, affecting architects, plumbing system designers, builders, code officials, and permit applicants for residential projects. It would require calculator-based water demand analysis as part of the approval process for qualifying new construction and substantial renovations, and it would create a new advisory board within the code council structure to monitor usage and track cost savings. In practice, the measure could change how pipe and fixture sizing is documented and reviewed in permit applications for single-family and multi-unit residential buildings.
Based on the bill text and available context, the measure appears to be framed positively as a technical and efficiency-oriented building code update, with an emphasis on standardization, verification, and potential cost savings. No committee transcript or recorded votes were provided, so there is no direct evidence of opposition or support from debate. The overall tone of the bill is regulatory but administrative rather than punitive, suggesting it is intended to improve plumbing design practices and code compliance.
The main likely points of contention are the added permitting burden, the need to use a certified calculator, and the possibility of delayed approvals or design rejection if the requirement is not met. Builders, designers, and developers may be concerned about compliance costs, implementation complexity, and whether the calculator requirement is necessary for all covered residential projects. Supporters would likely emphasize better sizing accuracy, water-efficiency benefits, and the advisory board’s role in documenting cost savings, while critics may question whether the mandate is overly prescriptive or duplicative of existing plumbing standards.