You're right, `local.properties` could (and should) be handled inside the plugin. I noticed that the android plugin uses the sdk specified in `local.properties` whereas the command plugin uses the one defined in `ANDROID_HOME`(not `GRADLE_HOME`as I stated above, this is a mistake), which where different in my setup. So I built in a way to override the sdk to be used.

Actually you shouldn't have to override anything, plain `apply plugin: 'android-command'`should be enough. But if you have special needs to define a specific deviceId, sdk, number of monkey events or whatever this should be possible to define there. 
Also, if you only want to override that for a specific task, that should be possible as well. 

Let me commit my latest changes where the tasks are registered with the plugin.