Arkansas Home Builders Association

In a move that could have major ramifications for members of the residential construction industry, the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) has sent its final rule changes expanding who is covered by overtime laws to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB). The rule would impact employees who were previously exempt from the overtime requirements, such as construction supervisors and outside sales staff, among other administrative employees. The new rule would double the federal overtime salary threshold from $23,660 to $50,440 and, for the first time ever, index the salary threshold annually. By 2030, employees who make less than approximately $69,720 would be eligible for overtime. This could force many small builders to scale back on pay and benefits, as well as cutting hours to avoid overtime requirements. The issue is a top priority of the administration, and President Obama is racing to release the rule now in a bid to thwart potential congressi...

Associates and Affiliate Members, As we enter into the beginning of our third month of 2016, time is passing by ever so quickly.  Last month I discussed the importance of growth, being active and participating on all levels within our local, state and national HBA’s. Spring is just around the corner and building activities on the rise, the expectation of becoming busier and organizing our time by strategically planning and scheduling becomes extremely important.  There are only so many hours in the day and how wisely we choose to spend our time as ambassadors for the very industry that supports our economy, ourselves, as well as our families is critical.  We must be engaged and focused on the direction we are headed and truly understand our collective goals as associate members.  I would like to bring to everyone's attention this month the NAHB’s Bringing Housing Home Legislative Conference.  The 2016 Bringing Housing Home Legislative Conference is taking plac...

Bill Ross, Associate Council Chairman We have already completed our first month of 2016 and it has certainly gone by very quickly!  As we enter into February, there are many new and exciting things heading our way in 2016 from all aspects of our AHBA's associates council.  We look forward to sharing with everyone each month all of these wonderful opportunities on our AHBA website.  There are many new opportunities to grow on the local, state and national levels and we must take advantage of these opportunities now.  What is most important though, is as associates, we need to be active and participate on all levels especially in our local and state HBA's.  Times are changing rapidly, from our economy, to the way we do business, and the health of the building industry amongst a number of other factors.  There is no better time for us to act than  now. I would like to thank our outgoing associates Chairperson, Dianna Nix for her two years of dedicatio...

Work in Attics, Crawl Spaces and Ducts Targeted At the request of NAHB, the Occupational Health and Safety Administration (OSHA) just announced a decision to further delay enforcement for residential construction of the new Confined Spaces in Construction Standard , this time for an additional 60 days. The agency would have resumed issuing citations for rule violations today. Why is this important to remodelers? Under the new Confined Spaces in Construction Standard, work in attics, crawl spaces and even HVAC ducts could be subject to a host of permit, hazard monitoring and training requirements. What work is covered by the delayed enforcement? The temporary stay applies to construction and remodeling projects in single-family homes, duplexes and townhouses in federal OSHA jurisdictions. What are a remodeler's responsibilities in the meantime? OSHA has said that any employer making good-faith efforts to comply ...

Good news for members whose development plans were in danger of being derailed by  new regulations regarding the Northern Long-Eared Bat: This FWS map shows the bat’s range. Last week, the Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) published a final rule that eases some of these restrictions. NAHB received several calls and emails from members after FWS listed the bat as “threatened” under the federal Endangered Species Act, touching off a series of new protections that could drive regulators and builders, well, batty. The “interim rule” restricted the removal of certain trees between April and September — the bats’ migration season — in the Eastern and North Central United States. NAHB submitted comments, and in the final rule, the original quarter-mile buffer around known-roosting sites has been reduced to 150 feet. That gives builders more room for tree-clearing operations to construct homes. The quarter-mile buffer around hibernation habitat — such as caves and mi...

Millennials place a premium on casual, comfortable outdoor spaces for entertaining friends and family, Better Homes and Gardens research shows. The millennial generation is poised to make a significant impact on home design with its strong preferences for energy efficiency and smart-home technology; comfortable and workable kitchens; and more casual spaces, said speakers today from NAHB and  Better Homes and Gardens . But first, they have to move out of their parents’ homes and into a place of their own, said NAHB Assistant Vice President for Surveys and Research Rose Quint. About 15% of adults ages 25-34 live with a parent, about 3% more than the highest share of 12% between 1983 and 2007. That translates into 1.3 million people who normally “would be out there, forming their own households, demanding their own units,” either as buyers or renters, she said. Quint had anticipated the new mortgage programs and looser mortgage insurance requir...