As a contractor, you typically consider the cost of materials when charging a client to make a profit from a project. However, the price of the materials you need can increase before the project ends, which can lead to disputes between you and the project owner. So, how can you avoid such dispute...

When it comes to overall project management – such as when a general contractor manages various subcontractors to build a new home – one issue to watch out for is known as scope creep. This is essentially when the overall scope of the project tends to change over time, and it becomes bigger and d...

Cost overruns in construction projects are a common concern for contractors. They occur when the actual expenses of a construction project exceed an initially estimated budget. Budget overruns can be detrimental, causing delays, strained client relationships and financial losses for contractors. ...

New York's construction industry has long had robust union representation – but there's been a notable decline in membership over recent years. Unions have clearly lost a lot of their luster over the years. While construction unions still have a strong presence and are very vocal when it comes to...

In recent years, supply chain issues have become a particularly pressing concern for the construction industry. Problems obtaining structural steel and lumber have caused countless conflicts and impacted thousands of projects around New York and elsewhere in the United States. Some companies even...

Construction firms often do not have enough in-house employees to manage every aspect of each new project. They may hire subcontractors on a project-by-project basis to meet their needs. Those contractors may help to hang drywall, install tile or re-roof an older house. Working with subcontractor...

In some ways, competent contractors and managers of construction can plan ahead for all kinds of theoretically unforeseeable issues. They can build a buffer into their projected timeline for rainstorms and supply chain interruptions. They can budget according to recent fluctuations in subcontract...

Whether you own a construction-related company or you develop real estate, it is vital that you protect your company's intellectual property interests. A failure to do so could not just expose your company to potential liability, it could also cost your company time, resources, customer loyalty a...

In business, good contracts are the key to avoiding a lot of problems – and this is never more true than in construction. But contracts are highly complicated vehicles. People often don't know exactly what they should and shouldn't include in a contract, nor what's considered “reasonable and fair...

You know the importance of having a safe worksite to keep your employees from getting hurt on the job. However, if you don't have protective barriers around the site, you could also be liable for non-employee injuries. Here is what you need to know about the attractive nuisance doctrine. The law ...

When someone is buying a product, they pay for it at the time they receive it. But when that product is something like a new home that has to be built, it can take months or even years for this process to play out. It depends on the size of the project and many other factors. From a payment stand...

Years of effort on behalf of construction workers and their families have finally paid off with the passage of “Carlos' Law,” named for the 22-year-old immigrant, Carlos Moncayo, who was killed in a tragic accident back in 2015. On the day of the accident, an inspector visited the construction si...

When a client hires your construction company to do a job, they probably have a lot of opinions about the aesthetics of that future building. Perhaps it is a home or a commercial location. The client is going to have ideas about the finishings that they want and the end stages of the job that inc...

If you are working on a project and your subcontractors aren't meeting their obligations, then you may run into problems. If they're unhappy with some aspect of the project, they may halt work or put in for payments you don't agree with. Regardless of the situation, one of the possible options to...

The laws that apply to new construction and remodeling projects in New York are constantly in flux. Even if a client who wants to build or remodel their home once understood the limitations on New York construction projects, the rules may since have changed. An analysis of edifices in Manhattan d...

If you have followed the news during the last few years, then you know that employees in many industries are leaving their jobs in droves. Nationwide, the construction industry is also experiencing an unusually high rate of worker loss. Exiting employees, combined with the ever-present possibilit...

Your company has an astounding reputation in your local area and beyond. You are known for carrying out work to the highest standard in a timely manner. The majority of your clients are pleased both in terms of job completion and your prices. Unfortunately, there are a minority of consumers who t...

So many things can go wrong with a big construction project. There can be supply chain complications that lead to delays. The weather can significantly slow down different stages of the build. Bad workmanship and cheap materials could result in issues with the finished project. Design flaws can a...

It is not uncommon for a construction project to exceed its set budget. In fact, KPMG reports that nearly 70% of construction projects go over their projected budgets. This makes budget overrun one of the major causes of conflicts in the construction industry. Cost overrun, or budget overrun, ref...

There are a lot of regulations you must comply with if you operate in the construction sector, from the efficacy of building materials and safety requirements to building codes and standards you are supposed to observe. While it may seem daunting to be compliant in all areas, your business will r...

If you are a contractor in the Central Islip community, you probably partner with subcontractors on many different projects. Such partnerships help the New York construction industry thrive while providing an income to many residents. If subcontractors involved in your construction projects fail ...

You were badly injured while you were working on scaffolding for a construction site. You worked on scaffolding in the past and your work went smoothly, with no incidents or accidents. When your employer won the bid to work on this construction project, you may have expected your work while on a ...

The price of building materials has risen significantly over the past couple of years. Shortages, supply chain issues, natural disasters, worker strikes, fuel prices and tariffs are some of the key reasons for this. There's not expected to be any pricing relief (or end to the volatility) soon.  I...

Working in construction comes with many risks. There are obvious physical risks that come from working on a building or handling heavy machinery. There are also certain financial risks, as not every client will make good on their obligations to a construction company or professional in a timely m...

At some point in every builder's or contractor's career, they are bound to encounter a difficult client. If you find yourself at this juncture now, it is understandable that you might be ill-equipped to resolve the matter satisfactorily. After all, “the customer is always right” is a motto that h...