In the span of two months, the coronavirus crisis has demanded sweeping changes from the U.S. construction industry, and experts say many of them will remain in place even after the outbreak recedes.
As contractors prepare to return to work on sites that have been shut down by shelter-in-place initiatives, they will face an industry that has been drastically changed by the both public health and economic effects of the pandemic.
“There are new factors coming into play now that you or I never thought about,” said Joe Natarelli, leader of Marcum LLP's national Construction Industry Group. “And people need to plan now to be prepared for the long term.”
From a renewed emphasis on jobsite safety to longer project delivery times and the increased influence of organized labor, the virus has upended many facets of the industry. Companies that try to return to a business-as-usual mentality will face a harsh new reality, Natarelli said. “There’s been a paradigm shift in many areas of construction that is leading contractors to do many things differently than they did in the past,” he said. Here are eight ways that COVID-19 has altered the construction industry for the near future and beyond.
1) Jobsites will be cleaner & safer
2 Distancing will be the norm
3) Projects will take longer
4) Telework will become more common
5) Union influence will grow
6) Demand for project types will change
7) Supply chains will recalibrate
8) Modular adoption will increase
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