Category Archive

It’s very easy to make a mistake when exchanging lien waivers on a project, and a lien waiver mistake can be very costly. Most commercial construction companies deal with lien waivers in some form. General contractors must request, collect, and track lien waivers from everyone below them on a project. (And when we say “below them,” we’re not talking about just the subcontractors. We mean everyone working on the project including sub-subs, material suppliers…everyone.) Find out more >>>

Michael S. McGavick, the chief executive of insurer XL Group Ltd., delivered the keynote speech at the International Risk Management Institute construction conference earlier this month in Indianapolis. A former chief executive of Safeco Corp. and a former candidate for the U.S. Senate in Washington state, McGavick predicted in his speech and in a later interview that construction insurance would evolve as the construction industry adapts to a changing world of risk and liability. “The reputation of our industry as being slow to change is just going to end,” he predicted. Here are a few of his key points, as recorded and edited by ENR Deputy Editor Richard Korman. Read the article >>>

A reconstruction project at the Polson Airport has been delayed. The contractor, Bjorn Johnson Construction of Missoula, was unable to find a supplier for the type of asphalt required by the Federal Aviation Administration, project engineer Jeff Walla of KLJ Engineering said at the Polson City Commission’s Nov. 6 meeting. Read more here >>>

A mechanical contractor is suing the lead builders and their bonding agencies for almost nonpayment of work performed during the $200 million makeover of Charleston International Airport. Bell Constructors of Rochester, N.Y., claims in its civil lawsuit filed this month in Charleston County the joint venture of Texas-based Austin Commercial and Hitt Contracting of Virginia has not paid nearly $900,000 for labor and materials as part of Bell’s $22.4 million subcontract at the airport. Read the full article >>>

Contractors participating in publicly funded construction projects often run up against conditions they might not otherwise come across in private work. Such requirements can range from payment and performance bonds, to paying prevailing wages or submitting certified payroll forms on a regular basis. While some of those conditions may be easier to comply with than others, few are as contentious as local hiring requirements, or those that ensure a predetermined percentage of the job’s workforce come from within the project’s surrounding area. Tell me more >>>

WASHINGTON, Nov. 7, 2017 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ — The U.S. Small Business Administration announced today its most active surety companies and agencies for fiscal year (FY) 2017, which contributed to increases in the Surety Bond Guarantee (SBG) Program’s activity. “FY2017 yielded impressive numbers that would not have been possible without our top performing surety partners and bond agencies,” said Peter Gibbs, Acting Director for the Office of Surety Guarantees.  “The SBA is very pleased with the results that we have seen, and the tremendous impact made on small businesses by not only contributing to the economy, but also by creating economic opportunities for other Americans.” Read the full Press Release >>>