Legal/Regulation

  • The Pentagon is seen from a flight taking off from Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport.
    Image attribution tooltip
    Alex Wong via Getty Images
    Image attribution tooltip

    Defense Department simplifies NEPA reviews

    The move announced Monday is part of a government-wide deregulatory effort from the Trump administration to speed up infrastructure construction.

    By • July 2, 2025
  • Aerial view of construction work on the Bull Run Filtration Project in Oregon.
    Image attribution tooltip
    Courtesy of Portland Water Bureau
    Image attribution tooltip

    Construction restarts on $2.1B Portland water plant

    The Bull Run Filtration Project in Oregon has been paused since February due to a legal fight with area residents.

    By • July 1, 2025
  • A rendering of a large liquefied natural gas plant that spreads along a riverbed. Two ships are docked in the left side of the photo at the docks.
    Image attribution tooltip
    Permission granted by Bechtel
    Image attribution tooltip
    Project Wins

    Bechtel nabs $9B more Rio Grande LNG work

    The Reston, Virginia-based contractor has been tapped for trains 4 and 5 of the plant in Brownsville, Texas, where it is already building Phase 1 of the project.

    By • June 30, 2025
  • Scaffold workmen on high rise facade
    Image attribution tooltip
    JayLazarin via Getty Images
    Image attribution tooltip

    Contractors back New York’s Scaffold Law update

    Liability insurance premiums in New York generally run about 30% higher than in other states due to the legislation, builders say.

    By • June 26, 2025
  • A woman speaks into a microphone during a hearing in front of Congress.
    Image attribution tooltip
    Anna Moneymaker via Getty Images
    Image attribution tooltip

    Employers should regularly check E-Verify for authorization status changes, DHS warns

    The Trump administration recently revoked work authorization status for more than half a million noncitizens from Cuba, Haiti, Nicaragua and Venezuela.

    By Emilie Shumway • June 25, 2025
  • An aerial view of the Shotwick Solar Energy Park on February 25, 2025 in Deeside, Wales.
    Image attribution tooltip
    Christopher Furlong via Getty Images
    Image attribution tooltip

    Senate Finance Committee reduces House IRA cuts, but few changes for wind and solar

    Wind and solar projects must begin construction by the end of 2025 to qualify for the Inflation Reduction Act’s full 45Y and 48E tax credits in the Finance Committee's proposed budget bill.

    By Diana DiGangi • June 24, 2025
  • Aerial view of a cable-stayed bridge with two decks.
    Image attribution tooltip
    Courtesy of Brent Spence Bridge Corridor
    Image attribution tooltip

    DBEs kept out of Brent Spence Bridge project, lawsuit says

    The suit alleges that the Walsh Kokosing joint venture circumvented federal requirements on the Cincinnati-area span.

    By • June 24, 2025
  • A skyline shot of Austin, Texas, with its skyscrapers, and with the Texas State Capitol building in view.
    Image attribution tooltip
    adamkaz via Getty Images
    Image attribution tooltip

    Municipalities tap AI for permitting

    Los Angeles and Austin are using the tech to cleave wait times, while Honolulu promises big upgrades and faster responses.

    By • June 18, 2025
  • Photograph depicts a security scanner extracting virus from a string of binary code.
    Image attribution tooltip
    Hailshadow via Getty Images
    Image attribution tooltip
    Opinion

    Why cybersecurity matters for construction

    As the building industry digitizes, cyber hygiene, training and insurance are critical, a construction attorney writes.

    By Jason Kosek • June 17, 2025
  • Aerial view of flooded homes following Hurricane Harvey in Houston, Texas.
    Image attribution tooltip
    Win McNamee via Getty Images
    Image attribution tooltip
    Opinion

    New ASCE codes aim to provide vital flood protection

    The updated standards mark a major shift in approach for design and construction in flood hazard areas, according to a floodplain manager.

    By Tom Little • June 13, 2025
  • A man behind a desk.
    Image attribution tooltip
    Win McNamee via Getty Images
    Image attribution tooltip

    PLA mandate to stay, with exemptions: OMB

    The Trump administration said that it supports the use of project labor agreements on federal construction projects when they are “practicable and cost effective.”

    By • June 13, 2025
  • A woman sitting in front of a microphone and speaking.
    Image attribution tooltip
    Andrew Harnik via Getty Images
    Image attribution tooltip

    OSHA’s proposed cuts won’t affect enforcement: DOL chief

    A smaller budget will “modernize and streamline” the department, Labor Secretary Lori Chavez-DeRemer said in a recent House committee hearing.

    By • June 12, 2025
  • Aerial view of the Gross Reservoir Dam in Denver, Colorado.
    Image attribution tooltip
    Courtesy of Denver Water
    Image attribution tooltip

    How climate modeling, AI can power innovative building

    Contractors must understand the legal landscape in order to manage risk when implementing new materials, data or processes, panelists at the Building Innovation 2025 conference said.

    By • June 10, 2025
  • Secretary of Commerce Howard Lutnick speaks during a Senate Appropriations Committee hearing on Capitol Hill on June 4 in Washington, D.C.
    Image attribution tooltip
    Andrew Harnik via Getty Images
    Image attribution tooltip

    Commerce Department ‘renegotiating’ CHIPS Act contracts

    Secretary of Commerce Howard Lutnick said he's looking to revamp deals that were "overly generous" as the department seeks to cut its budget by 16.5%.

    By Kate Magill • June 6, 2025
  • President Donald Trump addresses the press at the White House on Jan. 21, 2025.
    Image attribution tooltip
    Andrew Harnik via Getty Images
    Image attribution tooltip
    Opinion

    How should construction companies handle DEI under Trump?

    Given the president’s order targeting “illegal” equity programs, firms need to prepare for challenges from both the government and workers, writes an employment attorney.

    By Neil C. Schur • June 5, 2025
  • The north facade of the White House is seen partially illuminated at night
    Image attribution tooltip
    Samuel Corum via Getty Images
    Image attribution tooltip

    White House unveils plan for tech-focused permit reforms

    The initiative follows a recent Supreme Court ruling that narrowed the scope of environmental reviews required on major infrastructure projects.

    By • June 4, 2025
  • Three diverse construction workers walk on a jobsite.
    Image attribution tooltip
    kali9 via Getty Images
    Image attribution tooltip
    Q&A

    With DEI under fire, Construction Inclusion Week will focus on recruitment

    Amid the Trump administration's war on equity programs, the fall initiative won't target a specific population or group but will welcome everyone, says Turner's Abrar Sheriff.

    By • June 3, 2025
  • A judge's gavel is shown in a close-up photo sitting on a pedestal on a desk in a courtoom
    Image attribution tooltip
    BrianAJackson via Getty Images
    Image attribution tooltip

    DOT agrees to remove race, gender-based criteria from DBE program

    In a proposed settlement, the agency said the initiative “can no longer pass constitutional scrutiny,” effectively abandoning its defense of the decades-old policy.

    By • June 2, 2025
  • In an aerial view, shipping containers are stacked on a dock at the Port of Oakland on December 09, 2024 in Oakland, California.
    Image attribution tooltip
    Justin Sullivan via Getty Images
    Image attribution tooltip
    Opinion

    It’s not too late to offset tariffs on existing jobs

    Though increased costs seem inevitable, there are steps owners can take to mitigate potential impacts, even on current projects, write two attorneys.

    By Stacy Bercun Bohm and Trav Clark • May 28, 2025
  • A construction worker in a hard hat uses steel rebar during the building of a condo tower.
    Image attribution tooltip
    Joe Raedle via Getty Images
    Image attribution tooltip
    Opinion

    Navigating the impact of new Buy America requirements on FHWA projects

    With the Manufactured Products General Waiver gone, contractors must prepare for potential cost, schedule and quality control issues, legal experts say.

    By Michael Peloso & Dan McCrave-Bessette • May 27, 2025
  • The United States, Capitol Dome.
    Image attribution tooltip
    Yaya Ernst via Getty Images
    Image attribution tooltip

    House’s 60-day deadline for IRA eligibility would trigger ‘scramble’: EY experts

    “From a commercial perspective, it's not a unilateral decision most of the time on whether you can begin construction,” said Greg Matlock, a tax leader at EY Americas.

    By Diana DiGangi • May 27, 2025
  • dotted line
    Image attribution tooltip
    Danielle Ternes/Construction Dive
    Image attribution tooltip
    Column // The Dotted Line

    How GCs can cope with problem subs

    Given construction’s labor and skills shortages, primes sometimes need to hire less-than-optimal partners. Here’s how to succeed when that happens.

    By Keith Loria • May 27, 2025
  • Aerial shot of TSMC's $40 billion construction project in Phoenix, Arizona
    Image attribution tooltip
    Permission granted by TSMC
    Image attribution tooltip
    Opinion

    Why Trump’s tariffs alone aren’t enough

    Manufacturing projects are complex. Levies aimed at bringing these builds back to the U.S. need to be paired with broader initiatives, writes one construction executive. 

    By Brian Gallagher • May 9, 2025
  • Longworth Congressional Building
    Image attribution tooltip
    Win McNamee via Getty Images
    Image attribution tooltip

    IRA’s fate unclear as Republicans look to finance megabill

    The Inflation Reduction Act is a likely target in a plan to cut $2 trillion in spending, but certain provisions have been benefiting red districts.

    By Diana DiGangi • May 9, 2025
  • Aerial view of construction site with excavators on a sunny day.
    Image attribution tooltip
    gorodenkoff via Getty Images
    Image attribution tooltip
    Opinion

    What NEPA changes mean for projects, permitting timelines

    The framework for environmental reviews is shifting as federal agencies revise or develop their own implementing regulations, according to attorney Alexaida Collet.

    By Alexaida Collet • May 6, 2025