Navigate Construction Compliance Across Every Project
OSHA safety regulations. Prevailing wage laws. Contractor licensing. Project-specific requirements. Newf Advisory provides the expert leadership to keep every jobsite compliant.
Construction Compliance Challenges
Construction companies manage compliance across dozens of simultaneous projects, each with unique regulatory requirements and jurisdictions.
OSHA Safety Compliance
OSHA 1926 construction standards require site-specific safety plans, toolbox talks, training records, and incident reporting. Violations result in steep fines and project shutdowns.
Construction firms frequently face five-figure OSHA fines when they cannot produce documentation proving fall protection training was completed.
Multi-Project Documentation Chaos
Managing 20+ active projects means tracking thousands of documents: permits, safety plans, change orders, and inspection reports. Most use SharePoint folders or physical binders.
Companies managing 30+ active projects commonly report that locating a single permit can take 30 minutes or more due to fragmented document storage.
Subcontractor Risk Management
General contractors are liable for subcontractor compliance: licensing, insurance certificates, safety training, and worker classification. Tracking dozens of subs per project is overwhelming.
It is common for general contractors to discover a subcontractor's insurance has lapsed only after an on-site incident has already occurred, exposing the GC to significant liability.
Prevailing Wage Compliance
Davis-Bacon Act (federal) and state prevailing wage laws require weekly certified payroll reports, wage rate verification, and extensive recordkeeping for government projects.
Errors in certified payroll submissions have cost contractors multi-million-dollar federal contracts, including debarment from future government project bidding.
License & Permit Tracking
Construction companies need active licenses in multiple jurisdictions, plus project-specific permits. Expirations result in work stoppages and contract penalties.
License expirations that go unnoticed for weeks are a recurring industry problem, often resulting in work stoppages, contract penalties, and delayed project timelines.
Equipment Compliance & Maintenance
OSHA requires regular equipment inspections, maintenance logs, and operator certifications. Tracking this across fleet and job sites is complex.
Equipment certifications that expire by even a few days can trigger failed inspections, project delays, and potential OSHA citations across the job site.
How Newf Advisory Helps
Expert-led safety and compliance programs. Every project audit-ready from permit to closeout.
Safety Program Design & Management
Our advisors design comprehensive OSHA 1926 safety programs tailored to your operations. Site-specific safety plans, training programs, toolbox talk schedules, and incident response procedures.
- OSHA 1926 compliance program design (fall protection, scaffolding, etc.)
- Training program design with completion tracking
- Incident investigation and OSHA citation response
Subcontractor Compliance Oversight
We design and implement subcontractor compliance programs that track licensing, insurance, safety training, and worker classification across every project.
- Prequalification and onboarding procedures
- Insurance certificate management and expiration tracking
- Project-specific compliance dashboards and reporting
Regulatory Compliance & Documentation
From Davis-Bacon prevailing wage compliance to multi-state licensing, our advisors build the systems and procedures that keep your documentation audit-ready.
- Davis-Bacon and state prevailing wage compliance programs
- Multi-jurisdiction license and permit tracking systems
- Project documentation standards and organization
How Construction Firms Work with Us
Common advisory engagements where Newf Advisory helps construction companies build and maintain compliance programs.
Commercial General Contractor
Challenge: GC with 28 active projects struggled to track subcontractor insurance certificates. Multiple subs had lapsed coverage creating massive liability exposure.
Advisory Approach: Newf Advisory designed a subcontractor compliance program with prequalification procedures, insurance tracking workflows, and expiration alert systems.
Outcome: Proactive insurance lapse prevention and improved risk management across all active projects.
Federal Contractor (Davis-Bacon)
Challenge: Federal contractor needed to submit weekly certified payroll for 12 government projects. Manual process took 40 hours per week and had frequent errors.
Advisory Approach: Our advisors redesigned the certified payroll workflow, implemented wage rate verification procedures, and trained staff on compliance requirements.
Outcome: Streamlined certified payroll processes with error-free submissions across all government projects.
Regional Construction Company
Challenge: Multi-state contractor needed active licenses in 8 states. License renewal tracking was manual, and they missed a renewal causing project shutdown.
Advisory Approach: Newf Advisory built a compliance calendar covering all 8 state licenses with 90/60/30-day renewal workflows and assigned accountability for each jurisdiction.
Outcome: Zero missed renewals with proactive tracking and clear ownership of every license obligation.
Industrial Contractor (OSHA VPP)
Challenge: Contractor pursuing OSHA Voluntary Protection Program (VPP) status needed comprehensive safety program documentation and evidence of training.
Advisory Approach: Our advisors designed a VPP-ready safety program, implemented training tracking, and prepared all required application documentation and evidence packages.
Outcome: Complete VPP application readiness with comprehensive safety program documentation.
Construction Compliance FAQs
Common questions about construction safety and regulatory compliance
What are the most common OSHA violations in construction?
The most frequent OSHA construction violations are: 1) Fall protection (1926.501) - scaffolding, ladders, and elevated work without proper protection, 2) Hazard communication (1926.1200) - improper chemical labeling and safety data sheets, 3) Respiratory protection (1926.103) - failure to provide proper respirators in dusty environments, 4) Ladders (1926.1053) - improper ladder use and inspections, and 5) Scaffolding (1926.451) - inadequate scaffold construction. These five violations account for over 40% of all OSHA construction citations.
What is the Davis-Bacon Act and who must comply?
The Davis-Bacon Act requires contractors and subcontractors working on federally funded construction projects over $2,000 to pay workers prevailing wages and fringe benefits. This applies to all federal construction projects and some federally assisted projects (highways, public buildings, etc.). Contractors must submit weekly certified payroll reports documenting wages paid, maintain detailed records, and display wage determinations at job sites. Violations can result in contract termination, debarment from future federal projects, and withholding of payments.
How often do construction companies need OSHA training?
OSHA requires training when workers are first hired, when exposed to new hazards, and annually for certain topics (e.g., hazard communication refresher). OSHA 10-hour and 30-hour training cards are valid indefinitely, but employers must provide site-specific training for each project. Task-specific training (fall protection, scaffolding, etc.) should be documented and refreshed annually or when conditions change. Best practice is annual safety refresher training for all workers plus toolbox talks at least weekly.
What happens if a subcontractor's insurance lapses during a project?
If a subcontractor's insurance expires during an active project, the general contractor becomes liable for any incidents involving that subcontractor. Work should stop immediately until valid insurance is restored. The general contractor's insurance may provide some coverage, but gaps create significant liability exposure. Proactive insurance certificate tracking with expiration alerts prevents mid-project insurance gaps.
What are OSHA penalties for serious violations?
Current OSHA penalties for construction: Serious violation: up to $16,131 per violation; Willful or repeated violation: up to $161,323 per violation; Failure to abate: $16,131 per day beyond abatement date. (Penalty amounts are adjusted annually for inflation.) Violations can stack—multiple fall protection violations on one site can result in $50K-$100K+ in fines. Beyond monetary penalties, OSHA violations can trigger work stoppages, increased inspection frequency, and difficulty obtaining performance bonds for future projects.
Do small construction companies need the same OSHA compliance as large contractors?
Yes. OSHA standards apply equally to all construction employers regardless of company size. However, small employers (10 or fewer employees) are exempt from maintaining OSHA 300 injury/illness logs in most industries. All contractors must still provide required PPE, training, hazard communication, and site-specific safety plans. Small contractors often face higher per-violation penalties relative to revenue, making proactive compliance even more critical.
Looking for Compliance Technology?
AlignSure, our compliance operating system, automates the workflows our advisors design—integrated with Microsoft 365. Visit alignsure.com for platform details.
Ready to Eliminate Project Compliance Chaos?
Schedule a consultation with our construction compliance specialists. We'll analyze your current projects, identify OSHA and subcontractor management gaps, and recommend the right advisory engagement.
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