April 2023 Newsletter
PRESIDENT'S MESSAGE
Greetings,
Finally, we're done with the first quarter of 2023. It's interesting how this year has started and, for a good portion of us, it has probably been one of the worst starts to a year any of us has had. Overall, this long drawn-out winter has been slow to get rolling and slowed things down. On the positive side, the weather seems to be getting a little better and I hope like us you can get to any backlog of work you have and turn things around. As we head into May, and to all my Colorado roofing friends out there, let’s get this year rolling and make it a successful one.
On behalf of the Board and members, I would like to ask all of you to welcome Mr. Marcus McDermett as our new pro-tem Board Director who started his term at the beginning of the month. The Board had an open seat that was vacated in January and needed to be filled. With the authority given to the Board, we started our search and the final decision was to bring Marcus on. Marcus is the Owner of American Heritage Restoration and we are excited to bring in another perspective from a roofing contractor to the board mix to better serve all our members. Marcus will chair the Young Professionals committee and help us continue the growth of this committee and connect with our younger professionals within our industry.
Marcus, thank you for volunteering, and congratulations on your appointment to the CRA Board.
I recently read an article announcing 9 of the biggest OSHA fines in Q1 of 2023. The scary part of this article is that 6 of the 9 fines were assessed to roofing contractors across the country. OSHA is making a big push to cut down fall-related casualties and fall-related injuries. Here in Colorado, OSHA has hired several new OSHA inspectors to enforce their fall protection directive and reduce the number of accidents, injuries, and deaths. Please, as owners and employees here in Colorado’s roofing industry, I urge all of us to work together to try and keep our workers and roofers safe out there and do our best to be compliant with OSHA regulations and fall protection requirements. As the old saying goes… “It's not a matter of if, but when.” So, let's work together to make 2023 a zero-casualty year here in Colorado.
Last, I wanted to thank all of you that attended NRCA’s Roofing Day in DC earlier this week and for representing Colorado. I hope to see as many as I can at our Avoiding Construction Defect Pinpoint Seminar and please keep watching the website and your inboxes for upcoming events we are putting together for all our members.
Be safe out there and make 2023 a great year for our industry.
Thanks.
Guy Mumford
Kudu Roofing
CRA President
A BIG THANK YOU to our 2023 Sponsors!
UPCOMING EVENTS, SEMINARS & WEBINARS
Join us for these upcoming webinars and events.
CALENDAR
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Pinpoint Seminar: Avoiding Construction Defects
Learn how to prevent, mitigate and defend against construction defects, common construction codes involved in claims and details on Denver’s GBO.
Contractors and Consultants are at risk of being sued for construction defects and that risk is greater every year.
Protect your company and yourself by learning how to first prevent a construction defect case and how to mitigate one if your company is sued by a property owner.
You will learn about the following topics during this seminar
- Examples of roofing and exterior related construction defect cases.
- Terms and conditions that should be in your contract.
- Processes that help to avoid a construction defect case.
- What to do once you are party to a construction defect claim.
- Roofing related building code referenced in defect claims.
- Denver’s Green Buildings Ordinance and the best paths to compliance
Speakers Panel:
Dan Cupit, Professional Consulting Services and Christopher Drake, Smith Jadin Johnson, PLLC
You WILL NOT want to miss this low-cost opportunity to gain valuable knowledge for you and your business!
Thursday, April 20, 2023
CSU Spur Campus at National Western Center
Hydro Building| Willow Creek Classroom
4817 National Western Drive | Denver 80216
11:00 am - 2:00 pm (3 Hours)
Cost: $45/person CRA & IIBEC Members | $60 Non-Member
Registration starts at 10:45. Lunch and beverages provided.
Register to attend, by clicking on the "Register Now" link below.
(CRA Member CIU’s = 4 per person)
Membership Lunch - Time for Networking & Learning
Tuesday, May 9, 2023
The Cost of Culture
Workplace culture expert Nora Burns joins us on May 9th to tell us about her experiences as an undercover employee, her research from 250+ undercover interviews and how she is taking workplace culture to a new level. With these numbers, Nora does her homework to grasp the dynamics of marketplace and organizational change
Tuesday, May 9, 2023
MCA - The CUBE
8371 Northfield Blvd, Denver, CO 80238
11:30 - 1:15 pm
(Overflow parking available across street at Macy's)
(CRA Member CIU’s = 2 per person)
++ Earn a bonus CIU by coming early/staying late to help wih set-up clean-up of facility.
Look for registration to open soon!
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Gold Lunch Sponsor(s):
Includes display table, attendee list, handouts for attendees and time on the microphone.
$400.00 | Only 2 Spots available.
Corn Hole Tournament - Legislative Fundraiser
Wednesday, April 12, 2023 | Congratulations & Thanks!!
Thank you all for making the CCC Cornhole Tournament a success. We had a decent turnout for the 1st annual event with good BBQ, drinks, networking and most important we were able to raise $9,980 for our legislative outreach and lobbyist.
Competition was tight towards the end and a very fun semi and final round to watch. Congratulation to these two CRA member companies for their 1st and 2nd Place finish.
American Heritage Roofing - Marcus McDermett and Callie McDermett | 1st Place
Skylight Specialists - Josh Ewing & Tim Baron | 2nd Place
A special thank you to Wagner Rents for hosting the tournament. We also would like to say a BIG thank you to the following CRA members for sponsoring the event!
- Galvanize Law - Board Sponsor
- The Roofing Company - Board Sponsor
- Beacon Building Products - Beverage Sponsor
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Click here to view the full 2023 Event Calendar – calendar includes additional event dates, member luncheons, pinpoint seminars, Training Center courses, etc.
CRA TRAINING CENTER
The CRA Training Center is located at 1660 Jasper Street, Unit I & J in Aurora, CO and is designed specifically for roofers and roofing applications. The space can be used for all types of steep and low slope materials and roofing systems. We are "application friendly".
The center is being used for CRA Training Programs and is available to rent for members and non-members contractors, manufacturers and others who need space to conduct their own training.
Spring Classes | Registration Now Open
Here is the list of upcoming training classes:
EPDM/TPO | 2-Day Advanced*
May 2-3
Metal | 2-Day Advanced*
May 10-11
Coatings | 1-Day Advanced*
May 16
All classes held at the CRA Training Center located at 1660 Jasper Street, Unit I & J in Aurora, CO.
* The advanced classes have a prerequisite that you must have taken the Intro class first or provide proof from your employer that student has had a minimum of 6-months field experience.
Facility Rental Available - read more.
Facility Rental
NEED A SPOT FOR TRAINING ?
We just want to remind all of you that CRA’s Training Center is available for your next employee/installer training, certification class or product demonstration. Whether you need to teach a new installation technique, train a new crew or showcase a new product, CRA’s training space offers you a ‘roofer friendly’ indoor environment with class space for up to 30 individuals.
The CRA Training Center is located in Aurora, CO and is designed specifically for roofers and roofing applications. The space can be used for all types of steep and low slope materials and roofing systems. We are ‘application friendly’ and there is no need for you to travel from a seminar room to the parking lot. You will be required to sign a rental agreement.
Contact Diana Johnson for more information/details.
ITEMS OF NOTE
Legal insight on construction industry news …
View HPSS Law latest eBlast Newsletters to stay up-to-date on industry news. The April issues discusses:
- OSHA Announces New Enforcement Standards
- USCIS Redesigns Permanent Resident Cards and Employment Authorization Documents
- Employment Law Changes in FY23 Omnibus Appropriations Bill
- Speak Out Act is now Law
- National Labor Relations Board Decision and General Counsel Guidance on Severance Agreements
Get full details, read more.
Should You Reimburse Staff for a Home Office?
Have you been handling your company's remote work policy on an ad hoc basis? This isn't going to cut it in the long term. Click through to rethink home office policies, procedures and benefits tailored to the home office world.
Source: Martillaro Raub & Associates, April 2023 News.
Legislative Update
The Colorado legislature has introduced 647 bills as of 4/19 with several more expected before the legislature adjourns on May 9th. We'll see if they make it past last year's record of 717 bills in 2022.
Here are recent bills we wanted to point out and their current status.
Colorado
HB23-1078: Unemployment Compensation Dependent Allowance -This legislation will likely add additional cost for employers. Status: No change in status, still in House Committee on Business Affairs & Labor Refer Amended to Appropriations. The CRA is actively monitoring this bill and will keep our members updated.
SJR23-004 - Uniform Sales And Use Tax On Construction Material - Uniform sales and use tax on construction materials. Status: Introduced to Senate and assigned to Finance Committee, waiting on budget allocations.
SB23-105: Ensure Equal Pay For Equal Work - While this tries to fix the 2019 legislation, it is creating new ambiguity for compliance. Status: Introduced In House on 4/17/2023- Assigned to State, Civic, Military, & Veterans Affairs.
SB23-143: Retail Delivery Fees - The bill adds to 2021 legislation that a business can decide to not charge the customer for the fee and instead cover the cost of the fee themselves. Status: passed Senate; House Third reading passed.
SB23-172: Protecting Opportunities And Workers' Rights Act - removes the requirement that the conduct need to be “severe or pervasive” to constitute discriminatory or unfair employment practices and significantly limit the circumstances where an employer can assert an affirmative defense to an employee’s claim of harassment or enforce a non-disclosure agreement. Status: 4/14/2023 - Senate Committee on Appropriations Refer Amended to Senate Committee of the Whole.
Draft Bill captioned LLS NO. 23-0224.01 | Work Comp Bill - described as repealing the schedule of injuries and removing the cap on benefits for certain claimants. The draft language also implements non-scheduled minimum weekly benefits. It is observed that this draft would be damaging to our members in increasing workers compensation costs up to 14%. Status: not introduced. The CRA has optioned to cooperate with partnering construction associations and join a letter objecting to the draft bill.
National - Roof Day in DC | Colorado Contingent Photos
Thanks to several Colorado roofing industry members for representing us at Roof Day in DC on April 19th. While the official numbers are not in yet, we are happy to share a few photos. Thank you to Naomi Dupre at Kirby for all the photos.
I also wanted to thank all of you that attended the Corn Hole Tournament legislative fundraiser on April 12th. We had a decent turn-out for our 1st year. While I was not able to attend, we've been getting several comments on how fun it was and most importantly we were able to raise $9,980 for our continued legislative outreach and lobbyist. Congratulations to CRA members American Heritage Roofing (Marcus & Callie McDermett) who took 1st Place and to Josh Ewing and Tim Baron of Skylight Specialist for their 2nd Place finish. (Check out their photo in event section above).
If you are aware of any specific legislation coming up in in the next few weeks that will affect our industry, please contact me so that we can follow and share with the membership. With your help, we can continue to work together for positive changes in the roofing industry.
Jamie Williams
Next Wave Roofing
Gov't Relations Committee Chair
The CRA Marketing Committee is Here for You!
We want to help you increase your digital footprint!
Watch this month's From the Rooftop marketing video tip all about leveraging "Shares" on Social media.
Leveraging Shares on Social Media
In this video, Storytelling Specialist Kate from OTM explains how roofers can leverage social media to grow their business and help homeowners make informed decisions about their roofs. She highlights the benefits of sharing and reposting valuable content from the CRA on your own social media channels, including increased visibility and the opportunity to establish yourself as a go-to roofing professional.
Kate provides step-by-step instructions on how to share and repost CRA content on Facebook and LinkedIn, emphasizing the importance of adding engaging captions to encourage follower engagement. By sharing and reposting CRA content, you can showcase the hard work the organization is doing for roofers in Colorado, build your brand as a CRA member, and attract new customers to your roofing business.
Watch now!!
Video link on YouTube: https://youtu.be/_OshusA2Aso
This month's Building Code updates/notices & resources you can use!
Denver, City & County - has a training series on updates to the Denver Energy Code. This series will contain ten webinars over six weeks. They will explain the new provisions in the 2022 Denver Energy Code and the different compliance pathways. There will also be webinars intended for contractors and inspectors. ICC and AIA/HSW continuing education credit provided.
Commercial and Multifamily Series: Wednesdays at noon.
- Space and Water Heating Electrification (May 24th)
- Prescriptive Compliance Path (May 31st)
- Performance Compliance Path (June 7th)
- Contractor & Inspector Considerations Part 1 (June 14th)
- Contractor & Inspector Considerations Part 2 (June 21st)
Residential Series: Thursdays at 1:00 p.m.
- Residential Energy Code Compliance (May 25th)
- Prescriptive Compliance Path (June 1st)
- Performance Compliance Path (June 8th)
- Contractor & Inspector Considerations Part 1 (June 22nd)
- Contractor & Inspector Considerations Part 2 (June 29th)
Effective April 15, 2023, the City & County of Broomfield has approved the adoption of the 2021 edition of the International Codes. Read more.
Douglas County will be updating their building codes by July 2023. County Division staff is proposing the adoption of the following codes with amendments: 2021 IBC/2021 IRC. The County will be re-adopting the 2018 International Energy Conservation Code to allow the building community time to adapt to the changes in the 2021 International Energy Conservation Code and the Model Electric Ready and Solar Ready codes currently being developed by the Energy Code Board through the Colorado Energy Office. Read More.
Resources you can use!
The Building Code & Standards committee has been working hard to bring you a best practice resource document for low slope roofing applications. We are excited to announce that is done and ready to share with all of you.
Roofing Best Practices | Commercial/Low Slope
We have also developed a "Buyer Beware - Understanding Total System Warranties" page on our website that you can use to help your clients understand that all low-slope warranties are not the same. Check it out.
Buyer Beware - Understanding Total System Warranties
Have you been using the other resources and tools available on the Member Education Page? You should!
Material Price Escalation and Volatility Contract Provisions courtesy of HPPS Law.
Have you heard of any upcoming building code changes with any of the municipalities you work with? Please share them with us by emailing the BC&S Committee via Debbie at debbie@coloradoroofing.org.
FREE Spanish Language Fall Protection Webinar
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Take the time on April 26th to bring your Spanish speaking workers to the shop for a FREE fall protection webinar.
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Register for a free Spanish language webinar on April 26 to get help using personal fall protection systems and preparing an emergency response plan.
Did You Know?
Falls are the main cause of death for construction workers, but they can be prevented.
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Don't forget to visit OSHA's website to participate in the 10th annual National Safety Stand-Down to Prevent Falls in Construction May 1-5.
Other safety topics this month:
Georgia contractor violated child labor, overtime, worker safety laws
The investigation into a teen worker's fall from a store roof found that a roofing contractor violated child labor, overtime, and worker safety laws. Read more.
Fatalities caused by falls from elevation continue to be a leading cause of death for construction.
You can make a difference! Join us in helping to spread awareness and prevent falls!!
- Order your CRA Fall Prevention awareness banner/window clings. Download order form here.
- Plan now to participate in the 10th annual Stand-Down to Prevent Falls will take place May 1-5. More info.
Pinnacol has published their 2023 Training Calendar. If you are a policyholder, we highly recommend you to view the list for the year and take advantage of these training opportunities:
- May 4 - Lock-out/Tag-Out (LOTO) Essentials (In-Person)
- May 18 - Confined Space Awareness (In-Person)
- Jun 7 - Incident Investigation (Webinar)
- Jun 8 - OSHA 10 - General Construction (In-Person)
For the details and to see the full year, go to https://www.pinnacol.com/safety-and-training/training/policyholders
NRCA Update: Worth sharing …
NRCA Update - H-2B Petitions, Death Tax, Low Energy Cost Act
A couple key items we felt were noteworthy from NRCA this month:
Employers can file H-2B petitions under DHS supplemental cap final temporary rule - On April 13, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services will begin accepting petitions under the H-2B supplemental cap final temporary rule issued by the Department of Homeland Security Dec. 15, 2022. These petitions are for workers requesting employment start dates from May 15, 2023, to Sept. 30, 2023. The 10,000 visas made available under this allocation are limited to returning workers who were issued H-2B visas or held H-2B status during fiscal years 2020, 2021 or 2022, regardless of country of nationality. These supplemental visas are available only to U.S. businesses that are suffering irreparable harm or will suffer impending irreparable harm without the ability to employ all the H-2B workers requested in their petition.
Sen. Thune reintroduces the Death Tax Repeal Act - This week, Sen. John Thune (R-S.D.) reintroduced the Death Tax Repeal Act to permanently repeal the estate tax. NRCA, as a member of the Family Business Estate Tax Coalition, joined a letter supporting this important bill. Historically, the Family Business Estate Tax Coalition has supported increased estate tax exemption thresholds indexed for inflation, permanent lower tax rates, and provisions for spousal transfer and stepped-up basis. Additionally, the coalition supported the temporary estate tax relief in the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, which doubled the exemption to approximately $12.9 million for tax year 2023 and indexed future increases for inflation through 2025. These changes represent significant relief to family-owned businesses from the estate tax. However, without further congressional action, the temporary increase in the exemption amount will expire at the end of 2025, increasing uncertainty and planning costs. Although the Family Business Estate Tax Coalition supports making the estate tax provisions of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act permanent, the coalition continues to believe repeal is the best solution to protect all family-owned businesses from the estate tax.
NRCA supports the Lower Energy Costs Act - On March 22, NRCA sent a letter of support for H.R. 1, the Lower Energy Costs Act. This legislation seeks to unleash U.S. energy and streamline the often-cumbersome permitting processes. We are hopeful these efforts will have a ripple effect throughout the economy and allow our members to grow their businesses, increase employee wages and make the cost of goods and services more affordable. The legislation passed the House today with bipartisan support.
Helpful Member Benefits & Tools
ADVISORY NOTICE: Roofing Contractors Must Not Act as Public Adjusters – Check Your Contract Language
The CRA Board of Directors has issued an advisory with additional information and details about these public adjuster clauses we have seen being used in Colorado that basically state that the roofing contractor may negotiate or act as a public adjuster on behalf of the owner. This is against Colorado’s Residential Roofing Law (SB38) and it is required that you must be a licensed public adjuster before you take on this role. Click here to view the advisory.
Concerning Ladder Liability. Help us in educating consumers and concerned citizens about the liability and risks involved with unattended ladders set for inspectors.
CRA Safety Group Workers’ Comp Program. Receive a 4%-upfront discount, group or individual loss history dividend calculation and much, much more. Members of the program automatically belong to the CRA Safety Group whose focus is on continuing safety education and training and improving safety in the roofing community. In partnership with Moody Insurance Agency and Pinnacol Assurance. Call Kim Burkhardt. at 303-824-6600 to receive additional information regarding this program.
RoofersCoffeeShop Free Classified Ad. RoofersCoffeeShop is the premier networking site in the roofing industry, helping contractors find information, materials, services, tools, labor and training in one place. Share ideas and stories in our RCS Forum, and visit their classified ads section to sell and find items and get help. Use promo code CRA for your FREE classified ad.
Colorado Contractors Legislative Advocacy Coalition - CRA partners with several other construction associations to make our voices heard as joint members of the Colorado Contractors Coalition. Together we have successfully passed legislation including payment reform (public and private to 5%), bonding requirements, pro-rata liability and construction defect reform policies. Check out the CCC website for more information and to keep up with our CURRENT advocacy efforts.
Delivery of the E-Newsletter to Your Inbox
To guarantee delivery of the newsletter to your e-mail inbox each month, we ask that you add Debbie Hathorne to your address book using the following email: debbie@coloradoroofing.org. By adding this address to your contact list, we hope to avoid spam blockers/junk mail folders and ensure your receipt of the CRA newsletter in your inbox each month. Thank you.
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