Opinion

The latest opinion pieces by industry thought leaders


If you are interested in having your voice heard on Construction Dive's Opinion page, please read our editorial guidelines and fill out the submission form here.

  • Three construction workers listen intently at a briefing.
    Image attribution tooltip
    Getty Images
    Image attribution tooltip

    How to recruit young workers before it’s too late

    With 41% of the construction workforce set to retire by 2031, finding and keeping the next generation of builders is becoming an existential must, writes consultant John Waters.

    John Waters • Feb. 27, 2026
  • A group of construction workers shake hands over blueprints.
    Image attribution tooltip
    Getty Images
    Image attribution tooltip

    How to find the balance between profitability and people

    Recruiting the next generation of builders may require a cultural shift, but companies also can’t abandon their core values, writes consultant Matt Verderamo.

    Matt Verderamo • Feb. 20, 2026
  • An aerial view shows cranes looming over a building under construction.
    Image attribution tooltip
    Getty Images
    Image attribution tooltip

    If you haven’t adopted stop-work authority on jobsites, what are you afraid of?

    The benefits of giving teams the ability to pause a job for concerns of any size far outweigh the delays, writes an environmental health and safety expert.

    Travis Irving • Feb. 5, 2026
  • Aerial view of a Northern Virginia data center.
    Image attribution tooltip
    Getty Images
    Image attribution tooltip

    Why the AI boom is different than the dot-com bubble

    Real companies with deep pockets are spending hundreds of billions of dollars, creating cash flow for contractors, especially those in the electrical space, write two consultants.

    Steven Rathbone and Nick Dreps • Feb. 5, 2026
  • Coastal waters flow through Louisiana wetlands.
    Image attribution tooltip
    Mario Tama via Getty Images
    Image attribution tooltip

    Why the EPA’s proposed WOTUS rule matters for construction

    By doubling down on the definition established by the U.S. Supreme Court, the proposal gives clarity to a previously murky designation, write two environmental experts at firm Kimley-Horn.

    Charles Jacobi and Merrit Cowden • Feb. 3, 2026
  • Two people, one in a construction vest, shake hands.
    Image attribution tooltip
    Getty Images
    Image attribution tooltip

    Why contractors should hire builders who can sell

    A good business development manager can be a game changer for contractors, writes consultant Matt Verderamo, and training a builder to sell is easier than teaching construction expertise.

    Matt Verderamo • Jan. 29, 2026
  • Two construction workers collaborate on a jobsite.
    Image attribution tooltip
    Getty Images
    Image attribution tooltip

    Why good subcontractor management matters

    Disputes and delays can be avoided with clear planning and strong communication throughout a project’s lifecycle, writes a construction attorney.

    Nicole Kwapisz • Jan. 26, 2026
  • construction workers look at a laptop
    Image attribution tooltip
    Getty Images
    Image attribution tooltip

    How a lack of data standardization is holding AI back in construction

    A contech executive advocates for “active governance” and says that clean, structured data should be as nonnegotiable as safety on any build.

    Amir Berman • Jan. 21, 2026
  • A flag from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security hangs outside the ICE headquarters in Washington, D.C.
    Image attribution tooltip
    Alex Wong via Getty Images
    Image attribution tooltip

    How a simple fix to the EB-3 visa program could be the answer construction needs

    The Dignity Act, which is before Congress now, could address the workforce shortage without raising green card caps, a consultant writes. 

    John Dorer • Jan. 16, 2026
  • Two construction workers wear respirators on a jobsite.
    Image attribution tooltip
    Getty Images
    Image attribution tooltip

    Why OSHA standards shouldn’t be the high-water mark for contractor safety

    As 2026 gets underway, a construction injury lawyer argues that government benchmarks represent the bare minimum, not the ultimate goal, for protecting workers. 

    Ken Fulginiti • Jan. 15, 2026
  • A man in a suit and an orange safety vest uses a tablet on a construction site. The user is in the foreground and clear, the background is blurred.
    Image attribution tooltip
    Getty Images
    Image attribution tooltip

    How AI can help builders weather the labor crunch on jobsites

    With wage expenses piling up, leveraging the technology lets builders protect their margins and get more value out of existing crews, writes a contech expert.

    Alok Chanani • Jan. 14, 2026
  • An aerial photo shows a natural gas power plant on the shores of a lake.
    Image attribution tooltip
    Getty Images
    Image attribution tooltip

    America’s infrastructure is only as strong as its AI governance

    Given the proliferation of tools for both workers and cyber criminals, providing internal safeguards is a critical step for AEC firms, a consultant writes. 

    Lalitha Krishnamoorthy • Jan. 12, 2026
  • A tall, large, under construction building looms in the background.
    Image attribution tooltip
    Gerville via Getty Images
    Image attribution tooltip

    How contractors can navigate cost pressures, labor shortages and regulatory hurdles in 2026

    Despite widespread challenges, companies that embrace digital tools and pursue diverse project portfolios will have a strategic edge over the competition.

    Danielle Kaiser • Jan. 5, 2026
  • A group of construction stakeholders, some in suits, some in work gear, gather in a meeting.
    Image attribution tooltip
    Getty Images
    Image attribution tooltip

    Project decisions, not personal productivity, should be AI’s focus

    While getting emails out faster or summarizing meetings is useful, the true game changer from the technology comes down to presenting choices for leaders to make, write two consultants. 

    Marjan Gholamalipour & Markus Bernhardt • Dec. 19, 2025
  • Contractors discuss a potential bid.
    Image attribution tooltip
    Getty Images
    Image attribution tooltip

    Why strategy trumps process in pursuing construction bids

    Most contractors have trusted go/no-go criteria. But looking at the bigger picture is also important for jobs that create new opportunities, a consultant writes. 

    Chad Prinkey • Dec. 8, 2025
  • A group of construction stakeholders stand on site and discuss building plans.
    Image attribution tooltip
    Getty Images
    Image attribution tooltip

    Has your construction firm hit a revenue ceiling? You might be the problem.

    When growth stalls in a building business, sometimes an owner’s best move is to get out of the way, writes a construction consultant.

    Jerry Aliberti • Dec. 4, 2025
  • Man lost in thought while working through problem at work
    Image attribution tooltip
    Getty Images
    Image attribution tooltip

    Stop emailing people on the jobsite. Talk to them instead.

    A newly appointed JE Dunn superintendent writes about why actually speaking face to face in the field can increase the overall efficiency of a build. 

    Corey Febo • Dec. 2, 2025
  • A helmet with the Virginia Tech logo in a laboratory setting.
    Image attribution tooltip
    Courtesy of Lee Friesland/Virginia Tech
    Image attribution tooltip

    Why adopting better helmets in construction is a no-brainer

    Type II helmets better protect workers from fatal falls, yet are underused, writes the director of Virginia Tech’s helmet safety research lab.

    Steve Rowson • Dec. 2, 2025
  • A group of people in construction safety gear shake hands on a jobsite.
    Image attribution tooltip
    Getty Images
    Image attribution tooltip

    4 strategies to boost recruiting through employer branding

    Retaining and upskilling construction workers requires a clear message and follow-through on employer culture, writes a strategic communication leader.

    Ayme Zemke • Dec. 1, 2025
  • young workers in hard hats listen to a person training them
    Image attribution tooltip
    Getty Images
    Image attribution tooltip

    What commercial builders miss about Gen Z and the labor shortage

    It’s not just about attracting younger workers to the industry. It’s also about keeping them once they’re here, writes a construction principal.

    Chase Manning • Nov. 25, 2025
  • A group of construction workers looking over blueprints.
    Image attribution tooltip
    Getty Images
    Image attribution tooltip

    Want project owners to treat you as a partner? Emit authority, not agreeability.

    Although fulfilling requests may keep a customer happy, part of a contractor’s job is to bring experience and perspective. That can mean saying “no,” writes a consultant.

    Matt Verderamo • Nov. 21, 2025
  • A man carries a box in a warehouse.
    Image attribution tooltip
    Getty Images
    Image attribution tooltip

    Data center volatility, batteries and the electric grid’s new reality

    Every data center is about to play a role in grid stability whether it wants to or not, writes TerraFlow Energy’s Amanda Simonian.

    Amanda Simonian • Nov. 17, 2025
  • Taxes
    Image attribution tooltip
    Getty Images
    Image attribution tooltip

    4 ways contractors can lock in year-end tax wins in 2025

    Under the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, decisions made before Dec. 31 can have long-term impacts on cash flow, project pricing and capital budgets, writes a construction accountant.

    Chris Coleman • Nov. 14, 2025
  • A close-up of a construction worker and his hard hat.
    Image attribution tooltip
    Audrey Richardson via Getty Images
    Image attribution tooltip

    There’s no skilled labor shortage in construction. There’s a shortage of good jobs.

    The issue is not a lack of willing people, but a lack of steady, quality jobs, writes an Iron Workers union business manager.

    Gary R. Armstrong Jr. • Nov. 6, 2025
  • Two people walk through knee-deep brown flood water in front of a two-story apartment complex, with a taller apartment building in the background.
    Image attribution tooltip
    Megan Varner via Getty Images
    Image attribution tooltip

    Why ESG matters for multifamily developers, investors

    Investment companies are increasingly using environmental criteria in evaluating multifamily opportunities, two real estate pros write.

    Brad Siegal and Heather Wright • Nov. 4, 2025