Opinion
The latest opinion pieces by industry thought leaders
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AI best fits contractors when it unifies the language within firms
To better use artificial intelligence across projects, consider adopting an ontology, or a digital model of company operations, write two experts from AI-firm Palantir.
Jesse Velay-Vitow and Jonas Lang • July 20, 2026 -
Inaccurate time records are a huge contractor compliance blind spot
Most wage and hour violation claims don’t start with bad intent. They start with records no one can verify, writes a construction software CEO.
Nic De Bonis • July 20, 2026 -
Changes to Pell Grants are a win for America’s workforce
Starting Wednesday, the grants can go toward short-term trade education, a major win for an industry in desperate need of skilled workers, writes the CEO of Stanley Black & Decker.
Chris Nelson • July 1, 2026 -
Hazard prevention isn’t enough. Construction must automate and eliminate danger.
To save lives, the industry should reduce workers' exposure to hazards via technology that can take on the most dangerous tasks, writes the director of Virginia Tech’s school of construction.
Brian Kleiner • June 30, 2026 -
Periodic inspections alone can no longer keep aging buildings safe
On the five-year anniversary of the Surfside collapse, a building safety specialist highlights the importance of structural monitoring systems.
Greg Batista • June 24, 2026 -
Safety isn’t a cost. It’s one of construction’s biggest profit drivers.
Too often, safety is regarded as a slowdown. But proper documentation and due diligence can save money and lives, writes the CEO of a construction software provider.
Padraig Reilly • June 18, 2026 -
Why private equity’s rollup of construction firms increases project risk
When a developer sits on both sides of the transaction, it may be incentivized to favor its affiliated builder, even if outside contractors could offer better pricing or quality, writes a construction attorney.
Christopher Brown • June 16, 2026 -
How to build construction teams without hiring a single person
Construction execs often wear too many (hard) hats. Sharing responsibilities can help reduce bottlenecks, writes a consultant.
Matt Verderamo • June 15, 2026 -
Builders must be part of the response to data center opposition
An Amazon Web Services construction manager writes that pushback against these builds is increasingly adding to cost and schedule risk.
Aditya Kambhammettu • Updated June 9, 2026 -
Jobsite AI integration will aid AI construction
Implementing artificial intelligence into jobsite workflows will decrease delays and help builders deliver on the data center boom, writes the CEO of STACK Construction Technologies.
Viyas Sundaram • June 2, 2026 -
How construction owners should evaluate executive hires
The level of responsibility at the top of the org chart requires a lengthy, thoughtful and even personal evaluation, writes a construction consultant.
Matt Verderamo • May 19, 2026 -
Why construction and trucking need to take action on work zone safety
As construction season ramps up, it’s time to stop just paying lip service to accident data and instead take action, writes an attorney.
Amanda Demanda • May 14, 2026 -
The hidden cost of rapid infrastructure growth in Texas
As billions flow into transportation, water and public works, the push to build faster may be putting construction quality at risk, an infrastructure builder writes.
William Rocha • May 5, 2026 -
How the trades figured out the best use for AI
Builders working on jobsites have had to leverage the tech out of necessity, leading to surprising advantages, a tech exec writes.
Alok Chanani • April 29, 2026 -
What’s really driving volatility in construction cost estimates
Clients often take early projections as gospel. Instead, builders should educate them on how the numbers can change, write two consultants.
Michael Feeney and Charles Cleary • April 28, 2026 -
Let’s take action to make US road work zones safer
As lawmakers work to renew the surface transportation bill, work zone safety needs to be part of the conversation, writes an association executive during National Work Zone Awareness Week.
Nile Elam • April 23, 2026 -
What owners and contractors should know about data center construction contracts
The artificial intelligence buildout is booming. With that demand comes risk, which means knowing your contracts is critical, write two construction attorneys.
Ryan Gilchrist and Ashley Sherwood • April 10, 2026 -
Why high-rise construction carries higher liability risk
In a trial, jurors examine whether safety rules were treated as priorities or obstacles, writes a personal injury attorney.
Ken Fulginiti • April 9, 2026 -
To make housing more affordable, invest in infrastructure
Homes need roads, water systems and power to serve them. A good start is renewing the federal surface transportation funding set to expire in September, writes a building materials executive.
Nathan Creech • March 23, 2026 -
Why late-stage cost overruns are symptoms of a larger problem
It’s easy to blame ballooning budgets on jobsite errors. But project stakeholders need to own decisions earlier in the planning stages to actually avoid them, writes a consultant.
Bhavik Savaliya • March 20, 2026 -
4 bonus depreciation tax tips for construction firms
With IRS staff under pressure, developing internal processes and documenting fixed assets can avoid extended reviews and additional information requests, writes a construction accountant.
Chris Coleman • March 19, 2026 -
When AI chatbots hallucinate, infrastructure pays
Chatbots can create authoritative-sounding reports based on flawed inferences, which can lead to liabilities that outlive a project, writes a senior lecturer at Georgia Tech.
Max Mahdi Roozbahani • March 17, 2026 -
How to tell if you should switch from bidding to negotiated work
Deciding how to pursue contracts can vary depending on clients and sectors, writes the CEO of a construction consulting firm.
Chad Prinkey • March 16, 2026 -
The case for building modular, repeatable data centers
Speed to market drives data center construction. That creates a ripe opportunity for modular construction, writes one construction executive.
Johnny Clemmons • March 6, 2026 -
Building a better future: How girls can reshape the construction industry
Girls Garage teaches design and construction skills while closing the labor gap and strengthening the future of the field, write two nonprofit leaders.
Emily Pilloton-Lam and Miriam Warren • March 6, 2026