Choosing a sewer contractor in Westchester
Updated October 30, 2026 · 3-minute read · Old House Sewer Lines
A sewer contractor in Westchester NY should hold a Westchester County plumbing licence, show you camera video of your line, put the job in a signed contract and pull the permit itself. Each of those checks rests on a county or state rule. A contractor who pushes back on any of them is giving you useful information.
Start with the licence. Westchester County says plumbers must obtain a trade licence from the county to work here, and it tells consumers to ask to see the plumber's county licence card (Westchester County Department of Consumer Protection). County law requires a licensed plumbing business whenever a plumbing permit is required, and a county master plumber's licence is valid in every city, town and village in Westchester (Westchester County Plumbing Licensing Law). Yonkers keeps its own rules, so Yonkers owners should check with the city. The licence types are laid out in Westchester plumbing and home improvement licences.
Digging, paving and lawn work can bring in a home improvement contractor as well. The county requires those firms to carry a Department of Consumer Protection licence, and working unlicensed is a Class A misdemeanor carrying up to a year, a $5,000 fine or both. Licence holders are background-checked and have to show insurance (Choosing a Home Improvement Contractor). The same county page warns that online referral services may not verify whether a listed contractor carries a required plumbing or home improvement licence.
Video before a price
A sewer quote without pictures is a guess. Point-of-sale laws in Rye and the Village of Mamaroneck demand a closed-circuit video of the entire lateral before they issue a sewer certificate, which shows the standard local inspectors expect. For a clog outside the house, NYSEG calls a camera inspection "a good practice" because a gas line may have been bored through the sewer pipe (NYSEG, Cross Boring). Ask for the recording and a written report; sewer camera inspections covers what the footage should show.
Permit, contract and deposit
The county says a contractor who wants the homeowner to obtain the permit deserves suspicion, because that can point to a missing licence. It also advises against paying cash or handing over more than one-third of the price before work begins. State law demands a written contract once a home improvement job tops $500, and Westchester says every job should be in writing. The deposit, cancellation and escrow rules are covered in New York's home improvement contract rules, and a checklist sits in questions to ask before signing.
The repair method should match the code. Pipe bursting under §716 of the state plumbing code is limited to gravity pipe 6 inches and smaller, requires HDPE pipe rated SDR 17, and calls for video of the line both before and after the job. A contractor who plans to excavate must file a locate request through 811 between two full working days and 10 working days ahead of the dig (UDig NY). The 811 markout does not cover private lines, and the owner's sewer lateral is one of them; see calling 811 before a sewer dig.
Key facts
- Plumbers working in Westchester need a county trade licence; the county says to ask for the licence card (Westchester County).
- Unlicensed home improvement contracting is a Class A misdemeanor in Westchester, punishable by a year, a $5,000 fine or both (Westchester County).
- County advice: no cash, and no more than one-third of the price before work starts (Westchester County).
- A contractor asking you to pull the permit can signal an unlicensed operator, the county says (Westchester County).
- Excavating contractors must request an 811 markout 2 to 10 working days ahead (UDig NY).