The impact of the construction labor shortage is now seeping into the courtroom. Here’s an increasingly familiar scenario that has – or is likely to happen – to many general contractors (GCs).
A project is moving along on time and on budget when suddenly there aren’t enough workers or subcontractors available to complete the project on time. Existing crews are spread too thin and quality suffers. The anticipated completion date gets extended, the client gets upset and begins questioning as to whether it will meet the completion date. Depending on the contract, the client may withhold payment or request that the GC accelerate its work to timely complete the project. As both sides argue their points, the GC needs to prove they and their subcontractors have sufficiently manned the project.