Latest Contractors Headlines

All the headlines from our Contractors Topic Page, ordered by recency.

The Impact of COVID-19 on Contractors and the Construction Industry

Sep 20 2021 // The coronavirus pandemic forced most individuals and businesses to stand still for a moment in time, a pause that was challenging for many and cost jobs, income and growth. While many industries are transitioning back to...

How Can Bond Producers Guide Contractors Now?

Sep 20 2021 // In construction, many variables are adding to an already difficult forecasting process. Predicting the Federal Reserve’s monetary policy, government and private spending, interest rates, unemployment benefits,...

Dutch Court Rules Uber Drivers Are Taxi Employees, Not Contractors

Sep 13 2021 // Uber drivers are employees entitled to greater workers’ rights under local labor laws, a Dutch court ruled on Monday, handing a setback to the U.S. company’s European business model.It was another court victory...

Massachusetts Contractor Faces $1.3M in Penalties After Workers Die at Dig Site

Aug 31 2021 // At a Boston sewer repair worksite in February, Jordy Alexander Castaneda Romero and Juan Carlos Figueroa Gutierrez died after a dump truck struck and pushed them into a nine-foot deep trench.For their employer, Atlantic...

Contractor Materials Shortages and Materials Price Inflation

Aug 23 2021 // This post is part of a series sponsored by Old Republic Surety.The 2021 construction boom is great for your contractor clients, right? Yes, demand is up — but contractors also are dealing with soaring costs and supply...

New University of Iowa Utilities Contractor Fined After Worker’s Fall

Aug 20 2021 // A contractor that recently took over management of the University of Iowa utility system has been cited for safety violations after a worker fell into an underground steam tunnel and was injured, newly released records...

OSHA: Ohio Contractor Exposed Roofers to Fall Hazards for 6th Time in 3 Years

Aug 3 2021 // A roofing contractor in Ohio faces proposes penalties of more than $137,000 after being cited by federal workplace safety officials for exposing workers to deadly fall hazards.OSHA said JMH Roofing LLC in Millersburg has a...

Washington Labor Department Says Data of Some Workers May Have Been Exposed in Contractor Incident

Jul 1 2021 // The Washington state Department of Labor & Industries is reporting that it was recently notified that one of its contractors, Pacific Market Research, was the victim of a ransomware attack on its data systems.During...

Construction-Oriented CPA Plays Key Role for Contractors

Jun 8 2021 // This post is part of a series sponsored by Old Republic Surety.If you’re an independent agent with construction contractor clients, here’s an article to share with them about accounting best practices. When...

Western U.S. Wildfires Have Made Insurance Tough for Contractors

Jun 7 2021 // Things look bad with California’s ever-sooner wildfire season seemingly approaching and what’s shaping up to be a severe drought across the Western U.S.The plague of wildfires in the past few years in...

Western U.S. Wildfires Have Made Insurance for Contractors a Tough Buy

May 25 2021 // Things look bad with California’s ever-sooner wildfire season seemingly approaching and what’s shaping up to be a severe drought across the Western U.S.The plague of wildfires in the past few years in...

ISC Launches General Liability Program for Gig Economy Contractors

May 19 2021 // Integrated Specialty Coverages (ISC), a multi-line program administrator that builds end-to-end insurance products with artificial intelligence (AI) engineering and data analytics, has launched a new general liability...

California Contractor Arrested in Nearly $1M Workers’ Comp Scheme

May 17 2021 // Carolyn Plaza of Fresno, Calif., self-surrendered on May 6 after a warrant for her arrest was issued on six felony counts of insurance fraud.A complaint filed on April 16, alleges Plaza underreported more than $3 million...

How Sureties and Contractors Can Mitigate Performance Defaults

May 7 2021 // This post is part of a series sponsored by Old Republic Surety.When contractors have a project that is in danger of default, they sometimes mistakenly believe that their surety bond is equivalent to an insurance policy....

California Contractor Arrested in Nearly $1M Workers’ Comp Scheme

May 6 2021 // Carolyn Plaza of Fresno, Calif., self-surrendered on May 6 after a warrant for her arrest was issued on six felony counts of insurance fraud.A complaint filed on April 16, alleges Plaza underreported more than $3 million...

New Michigan Rules Target Contractor Payroll Fraud

Apr 22 2021 // Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer recently announced changes in the state’s contracting process to ensure construction and other companies are not rewarded with government money for payroll fraud such as misclassifying...

New York Contractor to Pay $135K in Penalties After Trench Collapse

Apr 22 2021 // A Long Island, New York, superstructure, foundation and concrete company will pay $135,612 in penalties stemming from the collapse of an approximately 30-foot deep trench in Oyster Bay that led to the deaths of two...

New Jersey Contractor Fined $200K for Safety Hazards After Worker Injury

Apr 7 2021 // A Trenton, New Jersey-based contractor is being fined $201,000 after one of its employees suffered serious injuries when the roof beneath him collapsed.The U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health...

Florida Agents Join Consumer Advocate in Fight Against Contractor Fraud

Apr 6 2021 // As Florida insurers focus on addressing mounting losses in the state’s property insurance market with legislative reforms, rising rates and coverage restrictions, other stakeholders are working to educate consumers...

Contractor Fined $74K Over Asbestos-Tainted Debris at Oregon Site

Mar 26 2021 // A company has been fined over $74,000 for improperly sending asbestos-tainted debris to a landfill in Southern Oregon.The Oregon Department of Environmental Quality described the violations as “major magnitude...