Many states have begun cautiously winding down stay-at-home orders and loosening some restrictions amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, who had ordered a statewide construction halt, signed an order May 1 that permits construction in the state to resume May 7 provided health and safety guidelines are in place.
Washington Gov. Jay Inslee announced April 24 construction could resume in the state provided companies comply to strict criteria, including meeting 6-foot social distancing guidelines and developing and posting at each job site “a comprehensive COVID-19 exposure control, mitigation and recovery plan.”
Here are states and provinces that have issued stay-at-home orders, which ones are ending or easing restrictions, and how they each address construction workers (note that WFB is updating this list as it changes):
Alabama
The closure of nonessential businesses went into effect April 4. The state’s list of essential businesses includes “construction and construction-related services, including building and construction, lumber, building materials and hardware businesses.” The order expired April 30 with some business restrictions still in place.
Alberta
Nonessential businesses were ordered closed March 24. The province lists construction as an essential service.
Alaska
The state’s closure of nonessential businesses went into effect March 28. The state lists construction of housing among its essential infrastructure. The state began easing restrictions April 24.
Arizona
The order was effective at 5 p.m. on March 31.“Building and construction tradesmen and tradeswomen” are listed as “critical trades” in the order.
California
Under its order for all nonessential businesses to close, which went into effect March 19, construction remains an essential service in the state. However, multiple counties in the San Francisco Bay Area have shut down most construction work.
Colorado
The order went into effect March 26. The state’s critical businesses include construction, including housing, and “skilled trades such as electricians, plumbers.” “Hardware, farm supply, and building material stores” were also deemed critical retail. The order expired April 26 with some business restrictions still in place.
Connecticut
“Construction” is also listed as “essential” amid Connecticut’s lockdown order, which began March 22.
Delaware
Both residential and nonresidential building construction are listed as “essential” and may remain in operation during Delaware’s stay-at-home order, which went into effect March 24.
Florida
The statewide stay-at-home order began April 3. The state’s list of essential services mirrors the U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s, in which construction is considered essential. The order expired May 4 with some business restrictions still in place.
Georgia
Gov. Brian Kemp announced he would sign a shelter-in-place order for the state in effect at 6 p.m. April 3. The state’s list of essential services mirrors the U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s, in which construction is considered essential. Essential businesses must still follow CDC safety guidelines. The order expired April 30 with some business restrictions still in place.
Hawaii
The stay-at-home order began March 25 and lists “Building and Construction Tradesmen and Tradeswomen” as “critical trades.”
Idaho
The stay-at-home order went into effect March 25. Essential infrastructure includes commercial construction and construction of housing. The order expired April 30 with some business restrictions still in place.
Illinois
“Construction” and “building maintenance and management” are listed as “essential” in Illinois’ stay-at-home order, which went into effect March 21.
Indiana
Construction is included among essential infrastructure in Indiana. The state’s stay-at-home order went into effect on March 24. The order expired May 4 with some business restrictions still in place.
Kansas
The stay-at-home order went into effect March 30. Essential functions include businesses that “construct, supply, clean or maintain single family homes or other housing.” The order expired May 3 with some business restrictions still in place.
Kentucky
Gov. Andy Beshear ordered all non-life-sustaining in-person retail businesses closed beginning March 23. Building material suppliers were included in the state’s list of life-sustaining businesses.
Louisiana
Gov. John Bel Edwards based the state’s essential business list on the Department of Homeland Security’s, which includes construction. The “shelter in place” order went into effect March 23. The state added that businesses in operation must still maintain groups of less than 10 and practice social distancing.
Maine
The stay-at-home order was effective April 2. A March 24 mandate defines construction and industrial manufacturing as businesses that provide essential services in the state. The order expired April 30 with some business restrictions still in place.
Manitoba
Noncritical businesses were ordered closed April 1. Construction work is listed as a critical service in the order.
Maryland
The closure of all nonessential businesses, effective March 23, was modeled after the recommendations of the Department of Homeland Security, which lists working construction and the wood product industry as essential infrastructure.
Massachusetts
Work is permitted for all construction workers "who support the construction, operation, inspection, and maintenance of construction sites and construction projects (including housing construction)," according to the state's stay-at-home order, which went into effect March 24.
The city of Boston instituted a temporary halt on all construction projects for two weeks beginning March 17 due to the coronavirus, and has since made the halt indefinite for non-essential construction. The city updated its list of essential construction March 24 to include "small residential construction projects in dwellings of 3 units or less (e.g. kitchen or bathroom remodeling."
Michigan
The state’s stay-at-home order began March 24. Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, who had ordered a statewide construction halt, signed an order May 1 that permits construction in the state to resume May 7 provided health and safety guidelines are in place.
Minnesota
The stay-at-home order went into effect on March 27. Construction and critical trades, as defined by the order, are exempt as long as the work cannot be performed remotely. The exemption applies to “workers in the skilled trades such as electricians, plumbers, HVAC and elevator technicians, and other related construction of all kind."
Mississippi
The statewide shelter-in-place order was effective at 5 p.m. April 3. The state includes “construction and construction related services” among its essential businesses. The order expired April 27 with some business restrictions still in place.
Missouri
The order went into effect April 6. The state’s list of essential services is based on the U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s, in which construction is considered essential. The order expired May 3 with some business restrictions still in place.
Montana
The stay-at-home order went into effect March 28. “Building and construction tradesmen and tradeswomen” are listed as “critical trades” in the order. The order expired April 26 with some business restrictions still in place.
Nevada
In the state’s closure of nonessential businesses, which began March 20, home maintenance and repairs are listed as essential services, as are hardware stores, warehousing, storage, distribution, and supply-chain related operations.
Newfoundland and Labrador
Businesses such as gyms and movie theaters were ordered to close March 23. Construction, listed under “repair services,” may continue under the order.
New Hampshire
The emergency stay-at-home order went into effect on March 27. The order’s “Community-Based Essential Functions” includes “construction workers who support the construction, operation, inspection, and maintenance of construction sites and construction projects (including housing construction).”
New Jersey
Construction workers are listed among workers who “need to be present at their work site” and are permitted to continue operation under the state’s lockdown, which began March 21. Employees of “essential” businesses are encouraged to have letters from employers “indicating that the employee works in an industry permitted to continue operations,” according to the state’s guidelines.
New Mexico
The stay-at-home order went into effect March 24. Essential infrastructure includes “commercial and residential construction and maintenance.”
New York
The state’s closure of nonessential businesses went into effect March 21. In an update March 27, the state ordered a halt to all construction that was not an emergency and listed it as nonessential.
North Carolina
The closure of nonessential businesses was effective March 30 at 5 p.m. “Building and construction tradesmen and tradeswomen” are listed as “critical trades” in the order.
Ohio
Construction is listed as “essential infrastructure” in Ohio’s order, which went into effect the evening of March 23.
Ontario
All nonessential workplaces were ordered closed March 24. The province updated its nonessential business list April 4 to restrict residential construction work that had not already begun as well as most industrial construction that is not life sustaining.
Oregon
Shopping, fitness, grooming and entertainment retail businesses were ordered closed March 23. “Other retail businesses will not be able to continue to operate unless they can implement strict social distancing measures and designate an employee or officer charged with ensuring compliance,” according to the state. Additionally, “non-retail businesses like manufacturers and the construction industry must ensure that their employees are maintaining social distancing measures.”
Ontario
Essential businesses include “construction work and services, including demolition services, in the industrial, commercial, institutional and residential sectors,” according to the stay-at-home order, went into effect March 24. Hardware stores are also listed as “essential.”
Pennsylvania
Gov. Tom Wolf ordered closures of all “non-life sustaining” businesses in the state March 19, including residential and nonresidential building construction. In an April 20 update, Wolf announced residential and nonresidential construction may resume May 8 in accordance with safety guidance that will be issued by the state. In an April 23 update, Wolf announced the construction restart date had been moved up to May 1. All workers must still adhere to strict safety standards.
Quebec
Nonessential business closures began March 25, and included non-critical construction. On April 20, the province reopened residential and nonresidential construction, provided companies follow safety guidelines, Global News reports.
Rhode Island
The state’s stay-at-home order went into effect March 30 and enforces closures of only “non-critical retail businesses.” Construction and skilled trades are not listed among businesses that must close in the order. Hardware and construction equipment stores are listed among critical retail businesses.
South Carolina
The state’s stay-at-home order went into effect April 7. The state’s list of essential operations includes those listed by the Department of Homeland Security, which considers construction an essential service. The order expired May 4 with some business restrictions still in place.
Tennessee
The state’s stay-at-home order was effective on March 31. “Building and construction tradesmen and tradeswomen” are listed as “critical trades” in the order. The order expired April 30 with some business restrictions still in place.
Texas
The closure of nonessential businesses in the state went into effect April 2. The state’s list of essential services is based on the U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s, in which construction is considered essential. The order expired April 30 with some business restrictions still in place.
Virginia
The state ordered a closure of all nonessential entertainment, recreation, retail and in-person dining businesses effective March 24, and issued a “stay-at-home” order effective March 30.The orders do not impact construction. Essential retail includes “home improvement, hardware, building material, and building supply retailers.”
Vermont
The list of essential services includes “construction necessary to support the COVID-19 response and maintain critical infrastructure,” as well as hardware stores, “provided, these retail operations shall be conducted through online and telephone orders for delivery and curb-side pickup to the extent possible.” The closure of nonessential businesses in the state began March 25.
Washington
The state's stay-at-home order went into effect March 23 and barred most construction operations. Gov. Jay Inslee announced April 24 construction could resume in the state provided companies comply to strict criteria, including meeting 6-foot social distancing guidelines and developing and posting at each job site “a comprehensive COVID-19 exposure control, mitigation and recovery plan.”
West Virginia
Construction remains an essential service, “including without limitation...school construction, essential business construction, and housing construction." The state’s order went into effect March 24 at 8 p.m.
Wisconsin
Building and construction tradesmen and tradeswomen (including but not limited to carpenters, laborers and finishers) are listed as “critical trades.” Work is permitted for construction, “including but not limited to construction required in response to this public health emergency, hospital construction, construction of long-term care and assisted living facilities, public works construction, school construction, Essential Business and Operations construction, construction necessary for Essential Governmental Functions, and housing construction, except that optional or aesthetic construction should be avoided.” Operations deemed essential must still conform to social distancing guidelines. The state order went into effect March 25 and is set to expire May 26, although the order is currently under review by the Wisconsin Supreme Court.
The Associated General Contractors of America has come out against shutting down construction during the crisis. On March 21, AGC called on governments to list construction as an essential business during shutdowns.
Many cities and counties have also imposed “shelter in place” rules amid the pandemic with orders that may be more restrictive.
Updated May 6 at 12:08 p.m. This list will be updated on an ongoing basis.
