What Are Some of the Biggest Commercial Construction Challenges?

Commercial Building Construction

What Are Some of the Biggest Commercial Construction Challenges?

Like every other industry, commercial construction faces challenges that it must overcome to complete projects and remain in business. Things change every day, even without the pandemic raging worldwide, which means that Orlando commercial construction companies have to be prepared to take on additional challenges.

Biggest Commercial Construction Challenges

Every construction company will have its challenges, but there are a few commercial construction challenges that are common. Here are just a few of the biggest ones:

1. Labor Shortage

Every industry is seeing a labor shortage and struggling to find workers, and commercial construction is not immune. In 2008, commercial construction jobs dropped by about 2 million during the recession. Even once these jobs came back, the workers did not. They found new careers and stayed there, leaving many construction companies to struggle to find enough workers. Unfortunately, those who do work in construction are quickly aging out. Almost a fifth of the workforce is over 55 years old, while less than 10% is under 24 years old. As the older workers retire, there simply aren’t enough workers to take their place. To combat the labor shortage, many construction companies are looking out of state for available subcontractors and employees. Many companies also offer in-house training for those interested in working and are creating programs to attract the younger workforce.

2. Lack of Supplies

Due mainly to the ongoing pandemic and the delay in factories, it has become increasingly challenging to order enough supplies for a commercial job. Appliances like air conditioners and heaters are in high demand but backlogged due to factories also experiencing a labor shortage. Specialized materials such as wood or steel are also in high demand. Even as Covid restrictions ease, the lack of supply and materials is still felt. In commercial construction, large projects are common, which means getting enough materials to complete a job can be just as tricky as finding enough workers. 

3. Safety and Injuries

In construction, work injuries are often very serious and require several days off. The average time off required after sustaining an injury on a job site is 10 days, but needing a month or longer to recover is not unheard of. Since injury can further reduce the limited number of workers available for a commercial construction job, companies put a huge focus on safety. Ensuring that a worksite is safe is vital to keeping workers from getting injured and needing to take several weeks off of work.  Our company incorporates safety training to help raise our workers’ awareness and prevent workplace injuries. We take extra precautions to limit preventable accidents by providing our crews with proper safety training and insisting that worksites comply with local and state safety regulations.

4. Slow Technology Adoption

Ironically, the construction industry as a whole tends to be very slow in the adoption of technology. Things such as VR, BIM, telematics, drones, and robots could help reduce the impact of the above-mentioned problems. Unfortunately, most construction companies are not readily investing in new technology.  Our company believes in the impact that the right technology can have on our daily processes. As technology is slowly adopted by commercial construction companies, communication is improving as is productivity. While the number of available workers is limited, technology allows companies to continue working at a reasonable pace and ensure they stay on track. 

Conclusion

Every industry faces challenges, even without the pandemic. While these challenges may seem overwhelming at first, construction companies like us learn to adapt and turn to new technology to combat difficulties. We recognize that it’s vital to keep our finger on the pulse of our industry’s challenges so we can stand ready to combat any obstacles.

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