Construction Law Now Blog

Recently, Pittsburgh city council members voted unanimously to pass an ordinance banning natural gas drilling in order to avoid the “significant threat to the health, safety and welfare of residents and neighborhoods within the city.” The ...

The New Jersey state legislature recently approved A1084, a bill that would require solar panels to be included in the design and construction of all new public schools across the state. The Assembly Appropriations Committee is awaiting assurance ...

Getting paid on time for work performed on a construction project is a natural concern for subcontractors. Generally speaking, your subcontract with the general contractor contains a payment clause that sets forth when and how you are entitled to ...

Recently we reported on the Pennsylvania Senate’s amendment to House Bill 1196 (HB 1196). This amendment would have delayed the implementation of the residential sprinkler mandate until January 2012. As promised, the Pennsylvania House of ...

Pennsylvania Governor Ed Rendell recently announced that the state is awarding close to $8 million in state alternative energy grants. The grants will be used to fund 21 projects that will encourage the use of biofuels and technological developments ...

Pennsylvania Governor Ed Rendell announced yesterday that a $32.5 million state investment will be made for 38 rail projects in 28 counties. At a press conference held in York, Pennsylvania, Rendell explained that the freight investment would ...

Although nobody is immune from the effects of the downturn in the economy, contractors and subcontractors are especially vulnerable in these uncertain times. Even after investing time and labor, contractors and subcontractors face the possibility of ...

Lane F. Kelman contributed to this post. The Brooklyn Bridge is made up of approximately 11,000 tropical wood planks that are exposed to heavy foot and bicycle traffic. Due to the heavy use, the planks require routine replacement. The New York City ...

The project to expand Graterford Prison (Project) which was previously canceled by the Pennsylvania Department of General Services (DGS) is now expected to move forward. According to an 10-8-10 Notice to Proposers, the proposal submission deadline ...

Steven M. Williams contributed this post. In December 2009, Pennsylvania became the first state in the country to require that fire sprinklers be installed in all new residential construction. The law took effect on January 1, 2010 for townhouses ...

Scott T. Earle and Daniella Gordon contributed to this post. A recent Delaware Supreme Court decision limited the field of bond claimants on a private project. In the case, Berlin Steel proper claimants under bond.pdf the Supreme Court overruled ...

After a tragic Ride the Ducks accident in July on the Delaware River, Ride the Ducks Philadelphia is proposing to construct a new route through the city. The company is looking to build a $1 million trench leading into the Schuylkill River near ...

Although entering the public bidding arena presents contractors with a plethora of opportunities, these opportunities do not come without risk. As many contractors can attest, oftentimes public bidding can seem more like gambling than bidding. This ...

Earlier today, Governor Chris Christie announced his intention to remain steadfast in his earlier decision to cancel the ARC Tunnel project, citing New Jersey’s lack of funding. Two weeks ago, Christie chose to pull the plug on the ARC Tunnel ...

Pennsylvania Gov. Ed Rendell is currently reviewing a new state capital budget that is calling for numerous new development projects across the state. Within this budget, through the Redevelopment Assistance Capital Program (RACP) Philadelphia ...

Pennsylvania is making a last call for companies that are out of compliance with the Commonwealth’s Unclaimed Property Law (Law). Sunday, October 31, 2010, is the last day to enroll in the Unclaimed Property Amnesty Program. After this date, ...

In a recent survey of 441 human resource professionals, the Family and Medical Leave Act of 1993 (FMLA)  was overwhelmingly identified as the single most problematic federal employment law. The FMLA, which covers employers with at least 50 ...

On Monday October 11, 2010, President Barack Obama, cabinet secretaries and a handful of the nation’s mayors and governors met at the White House to discuss the President’s Infrastructure Plan (Plan). Both Pennsylvania Governor Ed ...

On September 27, 2010, President Obama signed into law the Small Business Jobs and Credit Act of 2010 (Act). The Act was designed to provide immediate relief and is expected to provide critical resources to help small businesses continue to drive ...

On October 13, 2010, Governor Ed Rendell signed into law House Bill 400, establishing the Construction Workplace Misclassification Act (CWMA). This new law goes into effect on February 10, 2011, and will have a dramatic impact on all construction ...