Any lawyer worth her salt will tell you that you need a good, standard construction contract for every project.  Even if you have a long-term client for whom you’ve worked without incident for years- consider putting your agreement in writing.  If necessary, blame it on your lawyers or your insurance carrier.  But put it in writing .... more

The State of the Commercial Building Industry in North Carolina

1. In North Carolina, anyone who contracts for construction services where the contract value is $30,000 or more would need a contractor’s license.
2. Contractors are regulated by The Licensing Board for General Contractors. Contact that office to schedule an examination and ask them to send you an application form.

Are there advantages to building in North Carolina?

If you speak with most anyone who has built in North Carolina and currently operates a business, they will answer with a resounding yes.

Since some of the answers and comments appropriate for this question are also applicable to the next question, I will list them all below.

I am considering starting my business in North Carolina.  What benefits might the state offer new businesses?

Cash grants are available for new and expanding businesses based upon job creation and investment commitment.  There are several categories for which a business might qualify.  Consult the North Carolina Department of Commerce and a site location specialist will be able to give you specific information and guide you through the applications and evaluations process.  New businesses are encouraged to take advantage of the available incentives.

Utility grants are offered by some of the major companies.  Duke Energy and Piedmont Natural Gas are two examples.

There are grants given for building improvements for buildings that have been vacant for a certain period of time.

Local permits and approvals are typically expedited.

Certain tax credits may be available.

Cost-saving incentives are available to defer, reduce and/or eliminate import duties.

Tax-exempt financing is available for eligible new or expanding manufacturing facilities, certain solid waste disposal facilities and sewage disposal facilities.

Funds may be provided for the construction of roads and rail access to new or expanded industrial facilities.

Recycling businesses may be eligible for grants, tax credits and loans.

Biotechnology companies may qualify for loans.

Tax credits and sales and use tax discounts are offered to encourage film and television production in North Carolina.

North Carolina offers reduced sales tax rate allowances on certain parts, accessories and construction supplies for eligible industries and manufacturing processes.

North Carolina offers free training for companies that qualify with a certain number of jobs created during a year, and which are in one of the following industries:

Manufacturing
Technology
Warehousing or distribution centers
Customer Service or data processing centers

Although higher energy prices continue to put pressure on builders’ and suppliers’ costs, the cost of building materials in North Carolina is slightly lower than other areas in the country due to the availability of materials, and a construction industry which, although recovering, remains sluggish.

North Carolina is fortunate to have abundant and reliable public water supplies.

Commercially zoned land is available and affordable.

There are many talented and qualified construction companies from which to choose.  Some specialize in one particular industry or another, while others offer services that make them unique. 

In virtually all areas of the state there is access to airports, distribution centers, major interstates and rail systems.

There is an available workforce.

North Carolina has a humid, subtropical climate. Winters are short and mild, while summers are usually very sultry, and spring and fall offer distinct and refreshing periods of transition. In most of North Carolina, temperatures rarely go above 100°F (38°C) or fall below 10°F (–12°C).  A state with all four seasons, most days offer pleasant weather for work or play.

The state is rich with the arts – music, drama, writing, artwork – you name it and North Carolina offers and excels at it.

It is easy to attract employees to North Carolina because of the quality of life – schools and universities, parks and recreation, diverse religions, culture and more.  It’s a great place to raise a family.

I-85 construction to slow Gaston traffic for a year Gaston Gazette When the I-85 South off ramp to US 274 is closed, traffic will take I-85 South to Exit 13 (Edgewood Road) to I-85 North to US 274 North Marietta Street in Gastonia. There will be lane closures on I-85 in both directions as work is being performed NC 7 ...
http://www.gastongazette.com/news/work-59761-year-bridges.html

Temporary Bridge Over Yadkin River Complete WXII The Triad DAVIDSON COUNTY, NC -- Construction on a temporary work bridge over the Yadkin River has been completed, marking the first step to replacing the old bridge that runs between Davidson and Rowan counties, officials with the North Carolina Department of ...
http://www.wxii12.com/news/28463681/detail.html

Construction projects throughout the Town of Elon influence university students in addition to Elon residents…Construction on East Haggard also demonstrates the collaboration between the town and the university…"The sidewalk is a three partner project with the town, the university and the North Carolina Department of Transportation."…
http://www.elon.edu/pendulum/Story.aspx?id=5193

EMERALD ISLE, N.C. The N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission and the Town of Emerald Isle celebrated the opening of the Emerald Isle Boating Access Area-the largest public boat launch facility on the North Carolina Coast...The Commission paid for the construction of the access area through funding from motorboat registration receipts...
http://nctechnews.com/2011/04/18/environmental-green-tech/cccc-siler-city-center-glows-gold/4853/

The public advocate for North Carolina utilities customers has reversed position and will oppose — at least for now — any proposal to make it easier for utilities to recover some costs for nuclear plant construction before plants are built…Robert Gruber, executive director of the Public Staff of the N.C. Utilities Commission, says the nuclear crisis in Japan may drive construction costs for new nuclear plants in the United States prohibitively high…
http://www.bizjournals.com/charlotte/blog/power_city/2011/04/ncs-customer-advocate-opposes.html

The Construction Barometer's 2.2% fall in the fourth quarter was mainly due to fears of construction inflation likely arising from food and energy price increases …Construction employment will likely remain flat throughout 2011…Contractors in North Carolina are more pessimistic than those in the Palmetto State…The barometer was the worst in eastern North Carolina, where it dropped 4.3%....
http://www.charlestonbusiness.com/news/39029-construction-barometer-drops-in-q4

Officials say at least 800 homes in North Carolina were destroyed or damaged by the vicious storm system that killed at least 21 people in the state. North Carolina public safety officials say storms destroyed about 130 homes while damaging another 700…”not that there's not a lot of construction in those cases…”
http://www.publicbroadcasting.net/whqr/news.newsmain/article/1/0/1790923/Local.Interest/Teams.Assess.Onslow.Tornado.Damage

Developers and governments in Wake and Durham counties have paid the state more than $13 million in mandated fees to compensate for water pollution spawned by schools, subdivisions and shopping centers…The rest stretch from Johnston County to coastal Craven County, although one is planned in Durham County and another is under construction in Cary…The nitrogen-reduction program has its roots in the mid-1990s. Growth in the Triangle and a booming hog industry in Eastern North Carolina…
http://www.newsobserver.com/2011/04/19/1139382/pollution-in-triangle-but-projects.html

NEWTON -- Commissioners gave Catawba County schools approval Monday night to use funds it already has to renovate the kitchen and…On Monday, Commissioners approved $1,186,792, which includes $380,000 in money left over from previous school construction projects and $806,792 in North Carolina Education Lottery money…The remaining $38,000 will be made up from sales tax refunds on construction supplies for the project…
http://www2.hickoryrecord.com/news/2011/apr/18/catawba-commissioners-approve-funding-high-school--ar-959075/

Commissioners had expected to get more firm answers on whether the General Assembly plans to approve revising the formula for distributing money from the North Carolina Education Lottery, but did not…“The education lottery was set up mostly for school construction and the governor’s proposed budget would eliminate most of that money to counties for school construction,” said Tyson…
http://www.enctoday.com/news/county-96638-nbsj-craven-budget.html

Tucked away amid the hundreds of tall trees surrounding the Cherokee Heritage Center…That was the plan when the village was built in 1967. but archaeological finds during ensuing decades have indicated there are historical errors in the village’s construction… We could do a very informed reconstruction if we used that timeline,” said Brett Riggs, a University of North Carolina anthropology professor…
http://new.bangordailynews.com/2011/04/18/lifestyle/cherokees-updating-village-at-heritage-center/?ref=latest

East Coast Diversified, through its subsidiary EarthSearch Communications, recently announced that it has delivered on purchase orders from GPS Solutions, the North Carolina-based GPS company…GPS Solutions is one of the fastest growing GPS service providers in the Southeastern US market and currently focuses on selling to the construction, service and disaster recovery industries…
http://www.morerfid.com/details.php?subdetail=Report&action=details&report_id=7812&display=RFID

A bill before legislators in the N.C. General Assembly could harm highway construction plans in the future but could mean lower gas prices for motorists if it is passed…North Carolina capped the gas tax in 2006, but lawmakers canceled the limit on gas taxes in 2009, and set a minimum tax of 29.9 cents per gallon. The boost in revenue has since revived highway funds…
http://www.newbernsj.com/news/gas-96554-transportation-proposed.html

FLETCHER — The North Carolina Department of Transportation will begin construction in 2012 to improve the segment of Howard Gap Road from Jackson Road in Fletcher to U.S. 64 in Hendersonville. In conjunction with the construction, NCDOT will dedicate a four-foot-wide paved shoulder to serve as a bike lane.… Construction on the northern segment, which includes Howard Gap Road from Jackson Road near Fletcher to Brookside Camp Road, is slated to begin early in 2012…
http://www.citizen-times.com/article/20110415/NEWS/304150022/Bike-lanes-added-Howard-Gap-Road-Fletcher?odyssey=mod|newswell|text|Frontpage|s
Precision Walls Inc., which operates in Greer, West Columbia and North Charleston, has launched a new division to handle construction for the pharmaceutical and biotech industries…Precision Walls is a family-owned and -operated specialty contractor headquartered in Cary, N.C…
http://www.charlestonbusiness.com/news/39159-precision-launches-new-biotech-division?rss=0

MCNC, an independent, non-profit network operator in North Carolina, and partner ERC Broadband announced this week it has chosen three construction firms--Globe Communications, Fiber Technologies, and Edwards Telecommunications--for the upcoming second phase of its broadband expansion for the North Carolina Research and Education Network (NCREN)…
http://connectedplanetonline.com/residential_services/news/MCNC-picks-network-builders-for-Phase-2-of-regional-project-0414/

Goodwill Industries of Central North Carolina is about to get bigger. The organization is eyeing the Burlington area for a new retail store and community resource center that combined could total up to 20,000 square feet…Land and construction costs are estimated at $2.5 million…
http://www.bizjournals.com/triad/print-edition/2011/04/15/goodwill-eyes-burlington-for-store.html

 It’s been over a year since controversy flared up as area residents complained about Duke Energy’s construction of a new tie station near the Kituwah Mound.  The group Citizens to Protect Kituwah Valley filed a complaint against Duke Energy in March 2010 with the State of North Carolina Utilities Commission…
http://www.nc-cherokee.com/theonefeather/2011/04/14/utilities-commission-sets-hearing-on-duke-energy/

An appropriations subcommittee in the House has recommended eliminating the so-called "urban loop" program that since 1989 has funded the construction of beltline and other major highways in and near North Carolina's major cities… That document calls for right-of-way acquisition to begin in fiscal 2011-12, with construction to follow in fiscal 2013-14….
http://www.heraldsun.com/view/full_story/12780344/article-City-eyeing-N-C--House-budget-plan?instance=homefirstleft

It’s time to build up top luxury neighborhoods near border inside area of North Carolina. Very few home builders serve excellent construction to make you dream home come true in reality like customhomebuildersashevillenc.com by KENT JONES…KENT JONES is working since 15 years as home builders North Carolina, custom home builders nc and nc home builders for construction of homes Asheville nc…
http://www.addpr.com/articles/performing_arts/64326.html

As a result, an ordinance was developed several years ago pertaining to the use of open-flame cooking appliances at multi-family complexes that subsequently became part of the North Carolina Fire Code…."Charcoal burners and other open-flame cooking devices shall not be operated on combustible balconies or within 10 feet (3048 mm) of combustible construction.”…
http://www.wsoctv.com/news/27530935/detail.html

Thirty-six states lost construction jobs between January 2010 and January 2011, even as more states added construction jobs than lost them between December and January…The largest percentage drop in construction employment for the year occurred in Nevada…Other states experiencing large overall declines in construction employment included Georgia; North Carolina (-13,900 jobs, 7.7%); and…
http://ecmweb.com/market_trends/construction-employment-declines-20110413/

CHARLOTTE, N.C., March 24, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Turner Construction Company in the Carolinas has achieved the significant milestone of four million hours worked without a lost-time injury…The major projects that Turner Construction Company is currently working on and contributing to the hours without lost-time injury are the Harrah's Cherokee Casino and Hotel, the University of North Carolina's Energy Production Infrastructure Center and …
http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/significant-safety-milestone-achieved-by-turner-in-the-carolinas-118576669.html

While Research Triangle Park is known for being the oldest continually operating high-technology and scientific research parks, western North Carolina had been traditionally associated with the fading textile industry….Rutherford County has 3,696 unemployed persons and 21,461 with jobs as of February 2011, according to data from the Employment Security Commission of North Carolina….After construction, all of the centers will have full-time employees.
http://reesenews.org/2011/04/13/from-textiles-to-tech-the-states-newest-crop/14263/

Two New Jersey Turnpike exits were closed into Sunday morning, State Police Sgt. Stephen Jones said, after a pile of construction dirt oozed onto the exit 7 ramp and…The rainstorm capped off a week of wild weather across the United States. The storm system originated in the western part of the country and rampaged Oklahoma, North Carolina and Virginia with tornadoes and hail as big as softballs. In North Carolina, more than 62 tornadoes were reported….
http://www.nj.com/news/index.ssf/2011/04/rains_leave_floodwaters_some_d.html

Salisbury is one of a handful of North Carolina communities with a city-owned broadband service…Including interest , the city will pay $60.6 million over 20 years to finance the construction of Fibrant…To build Fibrant, the city sold two series of Certificates of Participation, or COPS — one for $19.56 million and another for $16.3 million, according to the N.C. Department of State Treasurer…
http://www.salisburypost.com/News/041811-Fibrant-package-Side-qcd

CHARLOTTE, N.C., April 15, 2011 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The Carolinas Associated General Contractors (Carolinas AGC) hosted its inaugural Safety & Health ConferenceMarch 30-31 in Concord, NC. North Carolina Labor Commissioner Cherie Berry and Administrator of South Carolina OSHA Dottie Ison updated more than 100 construction professionals on current local issues and future trends vital to construction safety….
http://insurancenewsnet.com/article.aspx?id=256221

Construction on the Battleship North Carolina's bow is set to begin this month. The ship will remain open to visitors as repairs are completed… In a competitive bidding process, Taylor Bros Marine Construction, a North Carolina company, won out over companies from Alabama, Maine, Mississippi, and New York. Captain Terry Bragg says the construction will address a gradual deterioration of the boat's bow over time…
http://www.publicbroadcasting.net/whqr/news.newsmain/article/1/0/1784983/Local.Interest/Battleship.NC.Undergoes.Construction

There's a rash of ill-conceived bills and proposals in the General Assembly that, if enacted, would erode North Carolina's constitutional policy on the conservation of natural resources…And the loss of revenue will cause the loss of many jobs: construction jobs for state park visitor centers and other facilities and construction jobs for local parks and recreation facilities…
http://www.newsobserver.com/2011/04/13/1125488/protecting-north-carolinas-land.html

Area train riders can look forward to more reliable trains and faster commute times thanks to an agreement between N.C. and Norfolk Southern Railway Co., N.C. Railroad Co., and Amtrak… The funding will also enable North Carolina to improve the speed and reliability of passenger service… Bagherpour said the construction of 20 to 30 miles of double track between Greensboro and Charlotte…
http://www.technicianonline.com/mobile/news/rail-agreement-brings-more-trains-faster-commute-times-1.2529886

Industrial auction company Ritchie Bros. Auctioneers is moving its major North Carolina auction site from Statesville to a 107-acre property in Butner to support is growing operations in the Tar Heel State… Vancouver, Canada-based Ritchie Bros. Auctioneers (NYSE: RBA) will begin construction in June at its newly purchased property in the Falls Lake Commerce Industrial Park…
http://www.bizjournals.com/triangle/news/2011/04/19/ritchie-bros-buys-107-nc-acres-for.html

Kimmel Arena is part of the $41 million Wilma M. Sherrill Center that was dedicated Monday as the largest construction project in the school's history… The arena, built with $6 million in private funding, will feature a grand opening Nov. 13 with a men's basketball game against North Carolina…
http://www.citizen-times.com/article/20110419/SPORTS/304190030/UNC-Asheville-s-Kimmel-Arena-unveiled?odyssey=mod|newswell|text|Frontpage|s

BONNETSVILLE, N.C. (AP) —The storms that chugged across the South last week killed at least 44 people in six states, but the worst devastation came over about four hours Saturday in North Carolina… Emergency workers took damage estimates to see if uninsurable losses reach $10.3 million, the minimum amount needed for North Carolina to qualify for federal disaster assistance… And the emergency workers tell everyone to put debris in two piles: construction materials and vegetative materials…
http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5ieMRE7EOMDQSYj7VhvqWKiBYxPmA?docId=d56865f3116e439c8335cead24d7d3cf

Working from a design by the former Flynt Engineering of Knoxville in 1996, North Carolina-based Crowder Construction did not follow initial plans to a T, said Hal Deatherage, a partner with Construction Engineering Consultants, an independent firm hired to determine why the basin's wall collapsed April 5… Veolia Water North America, the company that runs the plant owned by the city of Gatlinburg, gave Construction Engineering Consultants the basin's initial design plans Friday…
http://www.knoxnews.com/news/2011/apr/12/plant-may-not-be-built-to-specs/

Every time gas prices rise, someone calls for putting a limit on our state's gas tax. This knee-jerk reaction is short-sighted and will ultimately hurt North Carolina… Preventing this vital revenue stream from growing with the population will result in more potholes, more unpaved secondary roads and more delays for critical construction projects across North Carolina…
http://www2.journalnow.com/news/2011/apr/17/wsopin02-gas-tax-pennies-add-up-to-big-benefit-ar-952119/

From Wilton Connor…: Our state's future is at an economic crossroads. Even before the great recession of 2008, North Carolina's economy had lost over 330,000 manufacturing jobs since 2000. During the past two years, an additional 260,000 jobs in sectors ranging from high tech and finance and banking to construction and tourism have disappeared…
http://www.charlotteobserver.com/2011/04/13/2218867/barring-some-from-higher-education.html

Rocklin, CA., April 19, 2011 /PRNewswire/ — Wildlands, Inc. announces the completion of habitat restoration at the Liberty Island Conservation Bank in Yolo County, California. The completion of construction caps a three year entitlement and permitting process with federal, state and local agencies in one of the most complex restoration projects in Wildlands 20-year history…“The approval and construction of this project is a true credit to all the talented and varied disciplines at Wildlands.
http://multivu.prnewswire.com/mnr/wildlands/49727/

The depressed economic conditions and tepid housing market that have lingered for the past three years continue to negatively influence the Company's operations.  Real estate lending, including construction lending, are at levels significantly below what is considered normal for the Company's markets… Based in Wake Forest, North Carolina since 1922, the Company conducts business as Wake Forest Federal from its office in Wake Forest, (Wake County), North Carolina…
http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/wake-forest-bancshares-inc-announces-second-quarter-results-120201329.html

Mr. Gary Wayne Shores, 53, of Dickson, passed away early Tuesday, April 12, 2011, at Vanderbilt University Medical Center. He was cremated. Interment will take place at a later time in North Carolina. Arrangements were by Taylor Funeral Home… Gary, a native of Ahoskie, N.C., was a carpenter for construction firms…
http://www.tennessean.com/article/20110415/DICKSON03/110415033/Gary-Wayne-Shores

Elon residents can anticipate the construction of a sidewalk on East Haggard Avenue and the widening of an existing sidewalk on Trollinger Avenue in upcoming months.  At its meeting last night, the Board of Aldermen approved the town's agreement with North Carolina Department of Transportation and Elon University for the plan…
http://www.elon.edu/pendulum/Story.aspx?id=5195

Cirrus Construction Named Outstanding Builder in 2008
Stoneville, NC – May 19, 2009 – Cirrus Construction, Inc., a design-build contractor, was recently presented the Outstanding Builder Award for 2008 by Star Building Systems.
http://www.cirrusconstruction.com/Cirrus-Construction-Named-Outstanding-Builder.html

Charlie Hall, owner and vice president of Cirrus, accepted the award at Star’s national sales meeting in Tucson, AZ. The award recognizes builders who have gained strength in market share and sales volume during the year.
(Research Triangle Park, N.C.) BioResource International, Inc. (www.briworldwide.com), a North Carolina-based agricultural biotechnology company, announces today the signing of a formal agreement to construct a manufacturing facility in China… BRI has partnered with Taiwan-based Yung Zip Chemical Industrial Co., Ltd. and Yung Shin Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd. to purchase the land and begin construction in Tianmen, a city in Hubei Province, China…
http://nctechnews.com/2011/04/12/biotechnology/nc-biotech-company-to-build-facility-in-china/4818/

Shame on state Rep. Ric Killian for trying to derail North Carolina's efforts to improve passenger rail service between Raleigh and Charlotte… Our tax money supports road building and airport construction, so we should also support passenger rail travel…
http://www.newsobserver.com/2011/04/19/1138814/riding-the-rails.html

Site grading began last week on nearly 20 acres next to the North East Station shopping center at Routes 40 and 272… North East Town Planner Betsy Vennell isn't sure how long it will take to level the site for construction since there is a lot of dirt to move… "We could open as early as December or as late as February, 2012, depending on weather," said "Stacey Lentz, communications director at Lowe's corporate office in North Carolina…
http://www.cecilwhig.com/business/article_7da6512a-66ea-11e0-a62e-001cc4c03286.html