Taylor Morrison’s Kent Lay named chair of Nevada State Contractors Board

Summary

Kent Lay, division president at Taylor Morrison and former Southern Nevada Home Builders Association president, has been chosen as chair of the Nevada State Contractors Board for the 2025–26 fiscal years. Lay — a board member since 2015 who previously chaired from 2019–22 — was reappointed last year by Gov. Joe Lombardo and succeeds Boyd Martin.

Lay brings more than 25 years’ experience in homebuilding, overseeing the construction of over 10,000 homes. His priorities include rolling out Senate Bill 130 (the Nevada Handyman or restricted-licence bill, B-7) so people working as handymen can become legal, qualified and covered by consumer protections. The board continues to regulate who may be licensed, enforce standards to protect public health and safety, and operate a recovery fund that reimburses consumers harmed by licensed residential contractors.

Key Points

Kent Lay named chair of the Nevada State Contractors Board for the 2025–26 fiscal year; third term on the board after appointment in 2015.
Lay has over 25 years in homebuilding and supervised construction of more than 10,000 homes; previously chaired the board 2019–22.
The board enforces contractor licensing (required for work over $1,000) and runs a recovery fund that can reimburse consumers — generally up to $40,000 for licensed residential contractor claims.
SB 130 (the restricted handyman licence/B-7) creates a pathway for workers with two years’ experience to hold a restricted licence: require a $2,000+ surety/cash bond, business training, and a $7,000 work limit excluding life-safety trades (electrical, plumbing, mechanical).
Restricted-licence holders who keep a clean record for two years may qualify for a full licence; Lay aims to get the B-7 programme running quickly and hopes for 25–50 sign-ups by 2026.
Lay emphasises bringing unlicensed trades under regulation to protect consumers and honest tradespeople; unlicensed contractors remain a major problem in Nevada.

Why should I read this?

Short version: if you hire trades, build, buy or work in Nevada housing, this affects you. Lay’s back at the helm and is pushing to legalise and regulate handymen so more people work under a licence and folks have real recourse if jobs go wrong. We’ve read it so you don’t have to — but if you deal with trades, it’s worth a quick skim.

Context and relevance

This appointment matters locally — the Contractors Board shapes who can legally work on homes and how consumers are protected. SB 130 is part of a wider trend to formalise lower-tier trades work while balancing consumer safety; the restricted-licence approach aims to expand legal pathways for small contractors without lowering safeguards for life-safety trades.

Homeowners, small contractors, estate managers and anyone hiring trades should note the new B-7 limits and bonding/training requirements. The recovery fund and licensing thresholds (work over $1,000) are practical details that affect dispute resolution and liability.