Florida Construction Law

Associated Builders and Contractors (ABC) today issued the foillwing statement in response to the release of the U.S. Department of Labor's (DOL) final "persuader rule." The rule will greatly limit the ability of employers, particularly small businesses, to obtain advice froim labor relations experts, and in turn deprive employees of thier right to obtain balanced information about union representation. "Associated Builders and Contractors is disappointed with the Department of Labor;s final persuader rule, which will improperly narrow the longstanding 'advice' exemption used by employers," said ABC Vice President of Legislative and Political Affairs Kristen Swearingen. "In narrowing this exemption, DOL is greatly limiting businesses ability to obtain labor relations advice from attorneys, consultants and trade associations, including ABC, which will have a particularly onerous impact on any business without in-house counsel. "No employer s...

The South posted the highest backlog in the history of the Construction Backlog Indicator (CBI) in the fourth quarter of 2015, according to Associated Builders and Contractors (ABC). Nationally, backlog expanded by 2.7 percent to 8.7 months in the last three months of the year, with the South expanding on its previous record high reading by 8/7 percent to 11.19 months. In addition, infrastructure-related backlog expanded by 23.2 percent in the fourth quarter to 12.2 months. From ABC Trenton H. Cotney Florida Bar Certified Construction Lawyer Trent Cotney, P.A.   407 N. Howard Avenue Suite 100 Tampa, FL 33606 www.trentcotney.com

Construction Matters: How Advances in Brick, Steel, and Concrete Changed Architecture In an era of insane renderings and conceptual construction projects, Georg Windeck, an architect and teacher at Cooper Union, wanted to take a different look at technology’s relationship to visionary architecture. His forthcoming book  Construction Matters   examines how building tech and the craft of design coexist, spurring on on another "People today are fooling around with terms, like post-modernism and new modernism, but the construction processes and materials we use today—we still build with reinforced concrete, we still build with steel framing—are the same as we used at the beginning of the modern movement," he says. From Tulsa World  Trenton H. Cotney Florida Bar Certified Construction Lawyer Trent Cotney, P.A.   407 N. Howard Avenue Suite 100 Tampa, FL 33606 www.trentcotney.com

Sand Springs-based Hi-Tech Systems won first place recently for its work on the Bartlesville Community Center. Hi-Tech Systems won the top award in the Steep Slope category among Sika Sarnafil’s 2015 Projects of the Year in Orlando. The unique earth-toned building was designed by William Wesley Peters, chief architect of Taliesin Associated Architects of The Frank Lloyd Wright Foundation. It features spherical lines and river-stone smooth curves on the roof. Hi-Tech’s biggest challenge was finding a membrane that was both flexible enough to keep the curves wrinkle-free and offered in a color that restored the historical nature of the project. Because of the vertical curves and steep slope of the building, a power roller was used to apply the adhesive. Also, in order to present a flawless appearance from the ground and to minimize visibility of the overlap seams, membrane installation began in the middle of the roof and worked its way to the edges. From Tulsa World Trent...

In 2001, NRCA partnered with the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children (NCMEC) to create Project Recovery, which helps locate missing children through magnetic posters that can be placed on service vehicles. The program encourages roofing professionals to become involved locally with the search for missing children and demonstrate their commitment to their communities. NRCA staff works with NCMEC to identify children who have been reported missing in the vicinity of participating companies. NRCA then provides magnetic posters for participants to place on their vehicles. The posters are designed by NRCA and include a photograph of a child at the time he or she was reported missing, biographical information and contact information in the event the child is seen. If a child is found, NRCA will send a "FOUND" sticker to place over the poster so the community knows the program has been successful. Participating roofing professionals are asked to reimburse NRCA for t...

The 53-year-old worker fell 40 feet to his death last August. Inspectors from the Occupational Safety and Health Administration said there were no guardrails, safety nets or personal fall prevention devices in place at the time. In addition, OSHA said R&B Contractors didn't offer its employees any training about fall hazards, had not designated a safety monitor and didn't keep records of jobsite injuries and illnesses. "Four of 10 fatalities in the construction industry in 2014 were the result of a deadly fall," Ken Montgomery, OSHA's area director in Cincinnati, said in a news release. "Falls are a leading cause of death for construction workers and can be prevented with proper fall protection. Yet another worker has died needlessly because his employer failed to protect his safety. This has to stop." From Replacement Contractor Online  Trenton H. Cotney Florida Bar Certified Construction Lawyer Trent Cotney, P.A.   407 N. Howard A...

The report found identical optimism here in Florida, where 71 percent of construction firms also anticipated undergoing incremental growth in 2016. The overall breakdown was slightly different, however, as 33 percent of firms indicated that their payrolls would expand by one to five workers, 19 percent would expand by six to 15 workers and 19 percent would expand by more than 25 workers. As to the sectors that construction firms across the U.S. were predicting would drive their business in 2016, the report found the following: ·           21 percent anticipated work in warehouses, lodging and retail outfits ·           19 percent anticipated work in both private offices and hospitals ·           14 percent anticipated work in multifamily residential housing ·           13 percent anticipated work in...

This roof was a dream of Roland Gonzales, which was embraced by his colleagues at Interstate Roofing. “We have all wanted to do this for a while but as you know most flat roofs have so much mechanical up top that it won’t work” said Dustin Divitto, Regional Manager. “Then we needed to sell this project to the right customer who had a roof that could make the project look nice. This building is an old dental school that it has been recently bought by a man named Earnest Dill who owns satellite colleges in several places in the nation. This project just worked out perfect.  It was fun seeing all the people involved making this project come out so flawless. Our customer is proud”. From NRCA Trenton H. Cotney Florida Bar Certified Construction Lawyer Trent Cotney, P.A.   407 N. Howard Avenue Suite 100 Tampa, FL 33606 www.trentcotney.com

Informa Exhibitions, Irving, Texas, has issued a call for presentations for the 2017 International Roofing Expo® (IRE). The 2017 IRE will be held March 1-3, 2017, at the Mandalay Bay Convention Center in Las Vegas, and Informa Exhibitions has invited those interested in presenting to submit a topic proposal. Submissions should focus on applications-oriented, real world, problem-solving topics and be free of promotional materials to sell a product or service. The deadline for submissions is April 15. For more information and to complete the submission form, click the link below: https://theroofingexpo.com/UtilityNav/News/Entries/52653 From NRCA Trenton H. Cotney Florida Bar Certified Construction Lawyer Trent Cotney, P.A.   407 N. Howard Avenue Suite 100 Tampa, FL 33606 www.trentcotney.com

Dodge Data & Analytics, New York, has reported construction starts increased 2 percent in January. Total construction starts in January were down 14 percent compared with January 2015. "The construction industry, as shown by the construction start statistics, seems to be gradually regaining upward momentum," says Robert A. Murray, chief economist for Dodge Data & Analytics. "Last year, construction activity proceeded at a healthy clip during the first half, followed by a 20 percent drop in the third quarter, and then a slight 1 percent rebound in the fourth quarter. January's modest gain for construction starts is consistent with what was shown at the end of last year. On the plus side, long-term interest rates remain low in early 2016, and such market fundamentals as occupancies and rents are supportive of further growth by multifamily housing and commercial building. The new five-year federal transportation act is in place and fiscal 2016 appropriations ...

The Roofing Industry Alliance for Progress selected a team from University of Florida, Gainesville, as the winner of its second student construction management competition, which took place during NRCA's 129th Annual Convention Feb. 15-19 in Orlando, Fla. Members of the winning team were Nick Loewenthal, Eddie San Juan, Caleb Strauss and Drew Winant. Three construction management schools participated in the competition: McWhorter School of Building Science at Auburn University, Auburn, Ala.; the Rinker School of Building Construction at the University of Florida, Gainesville; and the Bert S. Turner Department of Construction Management at Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge. From NRCA Trenton H. Cotney Florida Bar Certified Construction Lawyer Trent Cotney, P.A.   407 N. Howard Avenue Suite 100 Tampa, FL 33606 www.trentcotney.com

NRCA has made available its February  Industry Issue Update —a member benefit mailed to members every other month. This month's update focuses on new changes in the tax code that will be beneficial for roofing professionals. In December 2015, Congress passed and President Obama signed into law the Consolidated Appropriations Act (Senate amendment to H.R. 2029) and tax measures legislation that significantly changes the tax code. The final bill contains the Protecting Americans from Tax Hikes Act—legislation that contains tax relief provisions NRCA believes will benefit its members as they seek to grow their businesses. From NRCA Trenton H. Cotney Florida Bar Certified Construction Lawyer Trent Cotney, P.A.   407 N. Howard Avenue Suite 100 Tampa, FL 33606 www.trentcotney.com

Organized by NRCA, National Roofing Week takes place each year during the first full week of June. Its mission is to increase awareness across the U.S. about the significance of roofs to every home and business and share the good deeds of the industry. National Roofing Week also promotes the importance of hiring a professional roofing contractor and making informed decisions about maintaining or replacing any roof system. The roof is one of the most important components of a home or business' structure, yet it is often taken for granted until it falls into disrepair. NRCA encourages members to participate in National Roofing Week by engaging in their communities and informing the public about the essential role roofs and professional roofing contractors play in every community. From NRCA Trenton H. Cotney Florida Bar Certified Construction Lawyer Trent Cotney, P.A.   407 N. Howard Avenue Suite 100 Tampa, FL 33606 www.trentcotney.com

NRCA commends Congress for approving legislation that will reduce regulatory burdens and ultimately improve economic growth and job creation throughout the U.S. On Dec. 3, the House approved a final version of the Responsibly and Professionally Invigorating Development (RAPID) Act , which reforms and streamlines the permitting process for private and public construction projects that require environmental permits. The RAPID Act was included in a surface transportation bill (H.R. 22) passed by Congress and signed into law by President Obama. NRCA supported this "permit streamlining" legislation given that delays in permitting can stall work for contractors on many types of construction projects. Under current regulations, it can often take years or even decades to gain the necessary approval for major private and public construction projects. The RAPID Act streamlines the regulatory process under which many public and private construction projects obtain required environmen...

The Solar Foundation has released the latest edition of its  Solar Jobs Census  for the United States, which finds ongoing strong growth in U.S. solar employment. In the twelve months preceding November 2015 the U.S. solar industry added 35,000 jobs, representing 12 times more growth than the overall U.S. economy, where employment grew 1.7%. Over larger timeframes, the growth is even more dramatic. U.S. solar employment has more than doubled since 2010, and the solar industry now employs three times as many workers as coal mining. From NRC Trenton H. Cotney Florida Bar Certified Construction Lawyer Trent Cotney, P.A.   407 N. Howard Avenue Suite 100 Tampa, FL 33606 www.trentcotney.com

Associated Builders and Contractors (ABC) today released the following statement on the U.S. House of Representatives passage of S.J. Res. 22, which requires the withdrawal of the controversial Waters of the U.S. (WOTUS) rule under the Congressional Review Act. The bill passed by a vote of   253-166 . “The overreaching Waters of the U.S. rule will drive up the cost of doing business for contractors, which will have a negative impact on job creation,” said ABC Senior Director of Legislative Affairs Kristen Swearingen. “By failing to clarify the limits of federal jurisdiction over waterways, this rule adds unneeded time and cost to the permitting process that will have an adverse effect not just on job sites, but throughout the construction economy. ABC supports Congress’ effort to overturn this poorly crafted rule and urges the Obama administration to join the bipartisan majority of Congress in withdrawing the rule.” From NRCA Trenton H. Cotney Florida Bar Certified Constr...

The U.S. construction industry showed robust growth at the end of 2015, adding 45,000 net new jobs in December and 128,000 during the fourth quarter according to analysis of today’s employment release from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics by Associated Builders and Contractors (ABC). The construction industry’s nonresidential component added 16,400 net new jobs in December while the residential sector accounted for 23,100 and the heavy and civil engineering sector contributed 4,800.   “Many contractors continue to report strong backlog, indicating that nonresidential construction spending will remain a key economic driver in 2016,” said ABC Chief Economist Anirban Basu. “Given the mounting level of concern regarding the U.S. economic outlook in the face of emerging global deflationary forces and unstable geopolitics, today’s employment report is a positive sign. Consumer spending will be the primary economic driver in 2016 and the U.S. economy would fail to achieve even 2 per...