Florida Construction Law

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has announced a national safety stand-down June 2-6 to raise awareness among employers and workers about the hazards of falls, which account for the highest number of deaths in the construction industry. During the stand-down, employers and workers are asked to pause their workday to talk about fall prevention in construction and discuss topics such as ladder safety, scaffolding safety and roofing work safety. From NRCA Trenton H. Cotney Florida Bar Certified Construction Lawyer Trent Cotney, P.A. 407 North Howard Avenue Suite 100 Tampa, FL 33606 www.trentcotney.com

A pending budget proposal in the House of Representatives could draw opposition from several Republican lawmakers as it would set a spending limit of $1.014 trillion for 2015, according to this article. The budget bill from Rep. Paul Ryan, R-Wis., also would revamp Medicare and Medicaid as well as expand the budget for defense and energy exploration. But the legislation stands in jeopardy as lawmakers face the pressure of an election year, this article says. From NRCA Trenton H. Cotney Florida Bar Certified Construction Lawyer Trent Cotney, P.A. 407 North Howard Avenue Suite 100 Tampa, FL 33606 www.trentcotney.com

As contractors upgrade roofs and windows after a harsh winter, the demand for steel roofing may grow. Steel is less likely to leak than shingles and requires no maintenance, said Lisa Nass of All Around Contracting in Wisconsin. "People don’t want to re-shingle their roof over and over and over. You can do the steel roof and for the most part, you're done. Your house is protected and you're good," she said. From NRCA Trenton H. Cotney Florida Bar Certified Construction Lawyer Trent Cotney, P.A. 407 North Howard Avenue Suite 100 Tampa, FL 33606 www.trentcotney.com

A roofing system in Sydney is made of glass slides that let in natural light but that can also retract to open up a home to the outdoors, according to this article. The "operable roofing system" is designed by Place Makers Architects and Urban Planners of Sydney to comply with a client's directions. The system features an upper glass roof and a lower, insulated roof that could adjust manually or through weather sensors, said Tony Tribe from Place Makers. From NRCA Trenton H. Cotney Florida Bar Certified Construction Lawyer Trent Cotney, P.A. 407 North Howard Avenue Suite 100 Tampa, FL 33606 www.trentcotney.com

Thirty-seven states added construction jobs in the past 12 months, and between January and February, 30 states hired more construction workers, according to an analysis by AGC. "The demand for construction appears to be on the increase in most places in the country. Good news for an industry that lost over two million jobs between 2006 and 2011," said Brian Turmail, a spokesman for AGC. From NRCA Trenton H. Cotney Florida Bar Certified Construction Lawyer Trent Cotney, P.A. 407 North Howard Avenue Suite 100 Tampa, FL 33606 www.trentcotney.com

The service sector led the way as U.S. consumer spending rose 0.3% in February, in line with expectations. The gain marked a slight pickup from January's revised gain of 0.2%. Meanwhile, U.S. household income was up an identical 0.3%. From NRCA Trenton H. Cotney Florida Bar Certified Construction Lawyer Trent Cotney, P.A. 407 North Howard Avenue Suite 100 Tampa, FL 33606 www.trentcotney.com

OSHA March 19 announced a national safety "stand-down" that encourages employers to take time between June 2-6 to discuss fall prevention, ladder, scaffolding and roof safety with their employees. The stand down is part of OSHA's Fall Prevention Campaign to raise awareness about the hazards of falls among employers and employees in construction. OSHA will recognize employers that participate with a personalized certificate. From ABC Trenton H. Cotney Florida Bar Certified Construction Lawyer Trent Cotney, P.A. 407 North Howard Avenue Suite 100 Tampa, FL 33606 www.trentcotney.com

The top ratings agencies are looking more kindly on the U.S. economy these days, with Fitch upgrading its outlook from negative to stable for its AAA rating. This marks a bit of a reversal after Standard & Poor's in 2011 downgraded the U.S. to AA+, with Fitch now joining S&P and Moody's with stable forecasts. From NRCA Trenton H. Cotney Florida Bar Certified Construction Lawyer Trent Cotney, P.A. 407 North Howard Avenue Suite 100 Tampa, FL 33606 www.trentcotney.com

A budget resolution from Rep. Paul Ryan, R-Wis., aims to maintain the 2015 spending levels at $1.014 trillion, but also plans future cuts to balance federal spending in 10 years, according to this article. The resolution will undergo discussion at the House of Representatives this April, said Majority Leader Eric Cantor, R-Va. The measure could face an uphill battle as some Republican members oppose the spending levels. From NRCA Trenton H. Cotney Florida Bar Certified Construction Lawyer Trent Cotney, P.A. 407 North Howard Avenue Suite 100 Tampa, FL 33606 www.trentcotney.com

At its peak, construction of the $648 million William Beaumont Army Medical Center at Fort Bliss is expected to provide about 1,500 jobs, according to Tim York, project executive for Clark McCarthy Healthcare Partners II. Many job seekers participated in a recent job fair for the project, which already includes about 300 workers. The project is slated to be finished by November 2016. From NRCA Trenton H. Cotney Florida Bar Certified Construction Lawyer Trent Cotney, P.A. 407 North Howard Avenue Suite 100 Tampa, FL 33606 www.trentcotney.com

The Labor Department implements today a new rule imposing employment targets for workers with disabilities and veterans at federal contractors as part of the government's bid to lower unemployment among these groups. Organizations such as the Associated General Contractors of America have asserted the new rules represent a costly step. From NRCA Trenton H. Cotney Florida Bar Certified Construction Lawyer Trent Cotney, P.A. 407 North Howard Avenue Suite 100 Tampa, FL 33606 www.trentcotney.com

The General Services Administration's construction appropriations jumped from $50 million in the past two fiscal years to $506 million this year. For 2015, President Barack Obama's proposed budget plan would raise the program to $745 million and increase the GSA's renovations budget to $1.3 billion. Although there is a push to have the GSA dispose of some of its real estate properties, "nobody can dispute the fact that there is a great backlog of work that needs to be done on federal buildings. And one thing we have continually said to policymakers ... is that the longer you delay, the more expensive it gets," said Andrew Goldberg, American Institute of Architects managing director of government relations. From NRCA Trenton H. Cotney Florida Bar Certified Construction Lawyer Trent Cotney, P.A. 407 North Howard Avenue Suite 100 Tampa, FL 33606 www.trentcotney.com

The leaky roof at the Mayo Civic Center in Rochester,  Minnesota . , may soon be replaced after the center's governing board approved a bid to do the work for more than $1.3 million. The project is expected to start this spring and end by Sept. 1 if it gains approval from the Rochester City Council. From NRCA Trenton H. Cotney Florida Bar Certified Construction Lawyer Trent Cotney, P.A. 407 North Howard Avenue Suite 100 Tampa, FL 33606 www.trentcotney.com

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration said that workers face a heightened risk of injury under the fall-protection standards in place in Arizona. The rules provide insufficient protection for crews exposed to fall hazards of six to 15 feet, OSHA said. The state updated its fall-protection rules in 2012, in light of tougher OSHA regulations. The agency is now considering withdrawing a $2.4 million grant for implementing federal guidelines in Arizona and may decide to directly assume construction-safety oversight there. From NRCA Trenton H. Cotney Florida Bar Certified Construction Lawyer Trent Cotney, P.A. 407 North Howard Avenue Suite 100 Tampa, FL 33606 www.trentcotney.com

The arrival of favorable weather for roofing may soon attract roofing contractors in Spearfish, S.D., due to damage from a hail storm and the long winter season, according to this article. The city requires roofing contractors to obtain a license or a peddlers' permit, and Jeff Matthew of Dakota Winds Construction says that those who are trustworthy even urge their clients to check their references. He also said that when he repairs a roof, he checks the insurance paperwork, and keeps the customer up-to-date on the job . From NRCA Trenton H. Cotney Florida Bar Certified Construction Lawyer Trent Cotney, P.A. 407 North Howard Avenue Suite 100 Tampa, FL 33606 www.trentcotney.com

The entire, existing roof atop the Masuk High School in Monroe, Conn., will be replaced due to the level of saturation present within the structure. Thermal scanning showed that the insulation layer beneath the roof's surface is saturated, requiring the entire structure to be replaced under a project that is expected to cost $2,950,000. The work calls for installation of new decking and a vapor barrier, as well as materials such as a flood coat, one-ply cap sheet and others that will carry a 25-year warranty.  From NRCA Trenton H. Cotney Florida Bar Certified Construction Lawyer Trent Cotney, P.A. 407 North Howard Avenue Suite 100 Tampa, FL 33606 www.trentcotney.com

Some roofing companies in Amarillo, Texas, are struggling to meet the one-year deadline set by insurance companies on storm repair claims due to a backlog of work from last year's hail storm. Insurance companies require that repair work must be completed within one year after a claim has been filed. "Approximately [38,000] to 40,000 roofs that need to be replaced in the City of Amarillo, that kind of stretches anybody's workforce, including ours and all the other well known, well branded companies around Amarillo," said Jim Roberts, president of West Texas Roofing.  From NRCA Trenton H. Cotney Florida Bar Certified Construction Lawyer Trent Cotney, P.A. 407 North Howard Avenue Suite 100 Tampa, FL 33606 www.trentcotney.com

New roofs have been planned for 15 schools at a school district in Middletown Township, N.J., under a project matching $12.9 million in state grants with $19 million in local tax revenue. School officials say replacing the roofs now is more cost-effective over the long run than repairing them. (From NRCA) Trenton H. Cotney Florida Bar Certified Construction Lawyer Trent Cotney, P.A. 407 North Howard Avenue Suite 100 Tampa, FL 33606 www.trentcotney.com

Solar panels may soon be installed on the face of Big Ben in London as part of U.K.'s initiatives to reach its greenhouse gas emissions objectives under the Climate Change Act of 2008, according to this article. The solar energy project on Big Ben could encourage other energy-efficiency projects in the U.K., as the parliament seeks to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 34% below 1990 levels in 2020 and slash it about 80% by 2050. Another energy-efficiency initiative calls for adding insulation at the roof of the Palace of Westminster using sheep wool, this article says. (From NRCA) Trenton H. Cotney Florida Bar Certified Construction Lawyer Trent Cotney, P.A. 407 North Howard Avenue Suite 100 Tampa, FL 33606 www.trentcotney.com

The roof at Pennsylvania State University's Bryce Jordan Center is set for replacement under a renovation project worth more than $4 million. The material on the roof of the arena has exceeded its 15-year lifespan, said Ford Stryker, associate vice president for Penn State's Office of Physical Plant. The roof will be replaced with a material that has a longer lifespan, Stryker added. (From NRCA) Trenton H. Cotney Florida Bar Certified Construction Lawyer Trent Cotney, P.A. 407 North Howard Avenue Suite 100 Tampa, FL 33606 www.trentcotney.com

New roofs on residential properties are going colorful. Reds, greens and purples are replacing black, grey or brown as homeowners seek to become more expressive, according to this article. In Vinton, Iowa, owners of Victorian homes have installed colorful roofs like those found in the original architecture. In response, DaVinci Roofscapes of Kansas City, Kan., has produced faux slate and shake shingles in 49 colors, this article says.  (From NRCA) Trenton H. Cotney Florida Bar Certified Construction Lawyer Trent Cotney, P.A. 407 North Howard Avenue Suite 100 Tampa, FL 33606 www.trentcotney.com