Orange County Business & Commercial Law Blog

Construction is big business in California, and one of the world's largest economies relies on building to expand. As residential and commercial projects get even larger in a state affected by climate change and seismic activity, laws often expand to ensure safety for workers and residents alike.

Some social issues are also addressed by construction law, and the consequences for violating them are often severe for contractors and their employees. It is possible in a few weeks that most major cities in the Golden State will require low-income housing in many large residential projects.

When you are having a house built, there are few things as frustrating as seeing delays throw off the projected timetable. This can box you into a corner.

For instance, you may have already sold the home you live in. You may have given the new owners an occupancy date based on when you thought you could move into the new house. If that job runs far behind schedule, you now have to move twice, pay to rent a new place to live and deal with many other hassles that you did not expect and don't deserve.

The prevalence of earthquakes in much of California means that construction has to adhere to earthquake standards. These are designed to make buildings more resilient in the face of a quake than they would need to be elsewhere.

But is the goal to save the buildings themselves, allowing them to come through with minimal damage?

You have been doing construction for the last 15 years. You went to school for it and then spent years working for a local company. Now, you are ready to branch out and start your own construction business. You're tired of being an employee and you want to run things.

To help you get started, here are a few important tips from the U.S. Small Business Administration:

1. Look into your financing options. Maybe you saved up enough to start the company with the cash you have on hand, but most people look into loans and lines of credit. You do not want to drown in debt, but you often need money to start making money.
2. Find out what types of permits and licenses you will need. Make sure that your business is legally established.
3. Remember that it goes beyond a business license. You may need a specific tradesman license, depending on what type of work you intend to do.
4. Protect your company and yourself. Look into business insurance and find out what type of plan works best for you. Understand that this may change as the company grows.
5. Learn what regulations govern the construction industry as a whole. For instance, you may want to look into workplace safety standards and energy efficiency standards.
6. Find out what types of workers you will hire. Are you interested in working with subcontractors, contacting independent contractors, hiring your own employees or working with labor brokers?