Florida Construction Law

Earlier this month, Elon Musk made news again when he announced his intention to offer solar roofs, a product he sensed might need a few words of clarification. "It's a solar roof as opposed to a module on a roof," he said on an earnings call about the planned merger between his electric car company, Tesla, with his cousin’s solar panel company, SolarCity. "It's not a thing on the roof, it is the roof." This wasn’t technically the first mention of the solar roof — it also appeared in Musk’s Master Plan, Part Deux, released in July: Create a smoothly integrated and beautiful solar-roof-with-battery product that just works, empowering the individual as their own utility, and then scale that throughout the world. One ordering experience, one installation, one service contact, one phone app. Intriguing indeed. But we don’t have much more information than that. Since then, the roofs have been called "out of left field," and "a sweeping expansion of...

WASHINGTON, D.C., Aug. 15– Associated Builders and Contractors (ABC) Chief Economist Anirban Basu, American Institute of Architects (AIA) Chief Economist Kermit Baker and National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) Chief Economist Robert Dietz predicted continued growth for the construction industry in 2017 during a joint economic forecast today. “Nonresidential construction spending growth will continue into the next year with an estimated increase in the range of 3 to 4 percent,” said ABC Chief Economist Anirban Basu. “Growth will continue to be led by privately financed projects, with commercial construction continuing to lead the way. Energy-related construction will become less of a drag in 2017, while public spending will continue to be lackluster.” “Our forecast shows single-family production expanding by more than 10 percent in 2016, and the robust multifamily sector leveling off,” said NAHB Chief Economist Robert Dietz. “Historically low mortgage interest rates and favorable ...

Portland, Ore .— Columbia Green Technologies  is an essential part of Amazon’s Doppler and Meeting Center sustainable design. The Portland-based green roof solution firm is enhancing their rooftops with technology to manage stormwater. “Green roofing has grown tremendously in the last few years because building owners are realizing the benefits of utilizing green roofs on empty space instead of having a retention tank,” said Columbia Green CEO Vanessa Keitges. “Especially in an area where it rains a lot, this makes sense. More companies are also changing their building environments to make healthier places for people to live and work – greenery and green roofs are part of this.” Vegetative roofs help capture stormwater that would otherwise flow into the city’s stormwater systems. “We have the opportunity to do things right,” said  Amazon.com  Director of Global Real Estate & Facilities John Schoettler. “Our urban campus is part of the broader city scape an...

PetersenDean’s business grew 400% last year. It expects to double its total number of installations next year. Owens Corning Roofing and Asphalt LLC selected PetersenDean to join their Platinum Preferred Contractor Network of top tier roofing professionals. As a result of its soon to be announced partnership with JLM Energy, PetersenDean’s customers will be offering their customers independence from the grid through the lithium iron phosphate Energizr 100 battery system. PetersenDean is the perfect example of one company’s explosive residential solar success. PetersenDean Illustrates Residential Solar’s Explosive Growth It started as a roofing company, in 1984. Now PetersenDean puts on more than 20,000 roofs a year, or more, often with solar panels. It has expanded from its base in California into Arizona, Florida, Nevada, and Texas. “What people like about us is our longevity. If you are going to drill holes in someone’s roof, you want a roofing expert t...

Over the past few weeks, Herriott has watched – not once, not twice, but three times – as an outpouring of community support came together to save her ancestral home. “It is hard for me to put into words – God is good, He is so good,” Herriott said, placing one hand over her heart and raising the other to the heavens. “So many have done so much for me and I am so grateful and so humbled by their love and kindness.” Upon their death, Herriott’s grandparents, William and Mary Collins, bequeathed their home to their granddaughter. Herriott said she had a vision of turning the residence into an inn where she could serve meals and entertain overnight guests. Over the years, she’s welcomed guests to enjoy the laid-back, mimimalistic cottage. There’s no air conditioning, but guests don’t expect it. The idea is to experience a true Sandy Island experience – free from the all-too-busy life on the mainland. “I was born here on Sandy Island, and I raised my three children here,” Herriott s...

Swiss firm Daluz Gonzalez Architekten has set a nest-like terrace into the roof of an angular  house  it has completed in a forest near Basel, Switzerland. The  Zurich studio , which is led by Juan González and Rubén Daluz, was asked to design the home for a family of five with a keen interest in nature. They call it Casa Forest. The clients wanted to make the most of their scenic plot, which is bordered to the east and south by deciduous trees. The architects responded by designing a faceted form, to create an assortment of views facing the woods. They also created a generous roof terrace. "Breathtaking views into the dense, deep-green foliage in the summer and the leafless and airy branch structure in the winter were a decisive factor in calibrating the daylight and arranging the spaces in this home," said González and Daluz. "The wishes and the spatial programme envisaged by a family of five nature enthusiasts and...

Thanks in part to a grant, the Coley Farm House on the Weston Historical Society property received a new wood-shingled roof. The roof cost about $25,000 to replace. The historical society received a $10,000 matching grant from The 1772 Foundation in cooperation with the 2016 Connecticut Trust for Historic Preservation that led to it’s replacement. The balance of the roof-replacement project has been partially funded by donations to the society during the 2016 Fairfield County Gives campaign, a regional fund-raising effort and from donations by historical society trustees. The house sits on the Coley Homestead located at 104 Weston Road, a 3.7 acre parcel of land that hosts the Weston Historical Society. “Like any homeowner, replacing your home’s roof is not something you undertake easily,” said Dallas Kersey, President of the Weston Historical Society. “But in our case, it was essential to do it now. There were leaks that would have damaged the structure and antiques.” The w...

The city’s main medical facility is getting extra money from the province. Besides several hundred millions dollars pledged by the Ontario government for its ongoing redevelopment/reconstruction project, it was recently announced that Joseph Brant Hospital would be getting $400,525 this year through the Health Infrastructure Renewal Fund (HIRF). “Approximately $350,000 will be used to replace several areas of hospital roof sections that have been identified as aged and beyond rated life and most critical to replace,” Mario Joannette, JBH’s vice-president of communications and public affairs, said in an email to the Post. “Aged modified bitumen roofing will be replaced mainly on level 1, level 2 and level 6 of the existing hospital,” he added. Joannette said the remaining $50,000 will be used for emergency light and power systems (emergency battery packs) that are to be replaced due to age and inefficiency. There will be upgrades to LEDs, improved lighting, efficiency, bulb and...

The roofing business is booming in Charleston, fueled by growth, replacing “Hugo roofs,” flaws made apparent by last October’s historic rainfall and insurance companies demanding replacements by threatening to cancel wind and hail policies. With any boom, however, homeowners need to take extra care researching contractors, making sure they have certifications and liability insurance, getting at least three estimates and weighing the pros and cons between asphalt and metal roofs. It’s not a sexy subject, but a “roof over your head” is the essence of one of the key basics in life: shelter. Just ask anyone who lived through Hurricane Hugo in 1989 or even the 20-plus inch rainfall last October. The 28-year-old life insurance saleswoman, who formerly worked for an insurance broker, bought a house on James Island three years ago and it’s turned into a trial by fire. In the past year, she fell behind on payments due to a job change and faced not one but two of the costliest repairs that...

EAST HARTFORD — A Worcester, Mass., company, Greenwood Industries Inc. purchased local roofing company Allied Restoration Corporation on Monday, according to the business's spokesman. Both companies are commercial roofing and sheet metal contractors. The financial terms of the acquisition were not disclosed by Greenwood Industries Inc., but the company spokesman said they expect to add jobs to the East Hartford location. No jobs will be lost during the acquisition and all 72 employees of Allied Restoration Corporation will keep their positions. "Greenwood is very excited about the acquisition of Allied Restoration. Geographically, Allied fills the large gap that has existed between our Worcester, Mass. and New Haven operations," Greenwood Industries President David Klein said in a statement. "More importantly the acquisition of Allied Restoration provides Greenwood with the skilled managers and craftsman required to successfully grow a construction operation...

The Florida Bar: Real Property, Probate and Trust Law Section Construction Law Committee Construction Regulation Subcommittee Monthly Report Months of July-August 2016             STATE AND FEDERAL APPELLATE DECISIONS:  Altman Contractors, Inc. v. Crum & Forster Specialty Insurance Company , 2016 WL 4087782, --- F.3d --- (U.S. Ct. of Appeals, Eleventh Circuit, 2016).  The District Court held that a chapter 558 notice unambiguously does not trigger the insurer’s duty to defend or indemnify.  The Eleventh Circuit is “not as sure” and certified the matter to the Florida Supreme Court. Great American Insurance Company v. Brewer, et al. , 2016 WL 3640395 (M.D. Fla., Orlando Division).  The trial court granted partial summary judgment to a surety on the indemnitor’s defense that section 725.06, Fl. Stat., applies to nullify an indemnity agreement.  Section 725.06 does not apply to a su...