Residential Construction Deemed Essential; Strict Safety Measures Enacted
Home builders and contractors continue work as large swaths of the American economy have shut down to help stop the spread of COVID-19. The Department of Homeland Security has designated construction of single-family and multifamily housing as an “Essential Infrastructure Business,†meaning that construction could continue in places under stay-at-home orders. DFW area governments have followed suit, allowing residential construction to continue as long as strict safety measures are followed.
The Dallas Builders Association is stressing to its members that it is of the utmost importance that they do their part to flatten the curve.
The health and safety of home builders and contractors is a top priority.The construction industry has developed a Coronavirus Preparedness and Response Plan specifically tailored to construction job sites.
There has been enormous demand for this plan, not just from members. When Dallas County was working on its stay-at-home order, officials reached out to the Dallas Builders Association and included some of the coronavirus safety guidance in its official order. The order makes it very clear that all construciton sites in Dallas County must follow the guidelines set forth by the Construction Industry Safety Coalition and rules specified in the order.
Elective additions and maintenance are prohibited under the order. Dallas County Judge Clay Jenkins has made it clear that this is not the time for those projects. It is the Association’s understanding that Dallas will allow ongoing additions and elective maintenance to continue to completion so that occupants can safely shelter in place.