General Contracting in the Time of Coronavirus

Turn Key BK practices proper safety protocol.

I’m sure you’ve all heard about COVID-19 by now. In fact, I’m sure you’re tired of hearing about it. As New York opens back up you might be feeling a sense of normalcy. Sure there are new regulations in place but you can go back to most of your favorite stores by now. This post is about something you may not have considered, getting work done on your home has changed too.

If you live in a condo or co-op you may have seen addenda being added to your alteration agreement or a new agreement altogether. This is because when you live in a building, what you do doesn’t just affect you. Your management company has to work together to figure out how to keep everyone in the building safe and comply with the new regulations being set by the state for interior work being done. You may see general contractors keeping logs onsite and taking notes. To keep you safe, many companies are now taking employees temperatures and keeping logs of any symptoms their employees may display. Masks and gloves are not the only changes that are being made to keep you safe. If any employee tests positive, companies need to be able to tell the Department of Health who exactly was on site and when.

You may also see smaller crews than before. That’s another method being taken to keep you safe. To minimize contact, companies are sending out fewer employees than ever before. If you live in a condo or co-op all these new practices must be documented and submitted to your board along with your contractor’s license and insurance information for approval. 

 What if you live in a private house? How can you make sure your contractor is doing their best to keep you safe? You can always ask your contractor what policies they have in place to deal with COVID-19. Are they taking their crew members’ temperatures? How often are their crew members required to be tested? Don’t be afraid to ask these questions. Any contractor who is not willing to tell you what they will do to keep you safe is not a contractor you want doing work in your home.

It’s perfectly fine to have work done on your home but you should always be comfortable with being cautious.