Who’s stealing your crew?

It’s peak hurricane season, but this September hasn’t brought the storms of years past. Still, National Preparedness Month is the perfect time to dig into hazard-resilient building codes. Also in today’s issue: how mega projects are straining labor, and why shifting homeowner shopping habits are reshaping amenities.

Speaking of emergency preparedness, check out this small access panel that makes it easy to reach shut-offs on big appliances.

>>  Playing favorites. Join the fun as Redditors discuss their favorite “hammers.”

>>  Pretty sneaky. You’d never know this pantry is also a basement stairway. 

>>  Turning trash into treasure. ReCB Iowa turns discarded food and beverage cartons into a roof cover board.

>>  Speaking of boards… Meet Alo Slebir, the construction worker who surfed a mythical 100-foot wave.

Unified building codes improve readiness and resilience

Despite a rapid rise in catastrophic events, only 21% of natural hazard-prone jurisdictions have hazard-resistant building codes on the books.  

“As natural disasters intensify both in severity and frequency, with damages exceeding $100 billion annually and the loss of hundreds of lives every year, the stakes are rising,” warns Daniel Kaniewski, U.S. public-sector leader at Marsh McLennan and a former FEMA deputy administrator for resilience.

In a last-of-its-kind report, the National Centers for Environmental Information’s Billion-Dollar Weather and Climate Disasters data shows that events with losses over $1 billion are on the rise. (The report has been suspended by the current presidential administration’s “evolving priorities and statutory mandates.”) From 1980 to 2024, the U.S. averaged nine annual weather/climate events in this category. From 2020 to 2025, however, the annual average spiked to 23. Causes include severe storms, tropical cyclones, floods, droughts, winter storms, wildfires and freezes. 

Florida was one of the first states to create a unified code in 2002, prompted by Hurricane Andrew’s devastating tear through the Sunshine State. In 2021, Colorado adopted its own comprehensive code in the wake of the Marshall Fire, and Illinois did the same in the aftermath of the Naperville-Woodridge tornado. 

Why it matters: Investing in better building regulations and requirements yields impressive returns. National Institute of Building Sciences research shows an $11 saving for every $1 spent on adopting hazard-resistant building codes. Contractors who focus on resilience and resistance, whether or not required by code, gain a competitive advantage for customers who desire hardened structures. (Governing)

Read more about managing climate realities.

Mega projects are a ‘significant problem’ 

Nonresidential construction is higher than in pre-pandemic times, thanks in large part to mega projects including data centers, prisons and healthcare campuses. But Eric Gaus, Dodge Construction Network’s chief economist, notes they come at a cost. The labor needs of these super-sized builds restrict the rest of the industry’s access to crew members. “The mega projects are a significant problem,” he notes, “sucking up all the [human] resources.”

Bureau of Labor Statistics data show the unemployment rate in construction declined to 3.2% in August. That same month, Dodge reported 51 projects with price tags of $100 million or more began the planning phase. When those projects break ground, they’ll put an additional squeeze on labor supply.  

Why it matters: With no real signs of the mega project boom decelerating, it’s crucial to continue your efforts to retain good employees and to identify new sources of employees you can train to meet your specific needs. (Pit & Quarry)

Shopping habits open the door to new amenities

First, there was the Costco door, a convenient passage between the garage/driveway and the pantry. Now, with porch pirates getting more brazen, there’s the Amazon door. “Think of it like a drop box, like the old ones at the bank,” explains real estate broker Lance Kenmore. “They're putting a drop box that dumps into the house so your packages are secure.” The real estate broker predicts that the next iteration could be the DoorDash/Uber Eats warming drawer.

Why it matters: These relatively simple projects are good value-adds for your new construction and remodeling business. (The Kenmore Team)

>>  Workforce woes: Is the labor shortage a ‘national security issue?’

>>  Rapid review: Bay State considers faster housing approvals

>>  Money matters: Residential materials prices highest since 2023

>>  Early education: Pre-apprenticeship programs show solid ROI

How to increase adoption of circularity

"We’re almost doing it. It’s just how can we turn a demo a bit more towards deconstruction? How can we [make] the supply chains we already have just be a bit more flexible and open, and the policy we already have a bit more requiring and incentivizing? It’s all there—how can we all work together to actually achieve it and push it forward?" 
—Michael Orbank, STO Building Group

On a recent episode of the “Building Conversations” podcast, Michael Orbank, sustainability manager, northeast region at STO Building Group, joins host Jennifer Taranto, STO’s vice president of sustainability and Andrea Love, principal and director of building science at Payette, in a wide-ranging discussion of how to drive circularity, especially in pre-construction planning.

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The Level is curated and written by Margot Lester and edited by Bianca Prieto.