Based on the Travis/Williamson County press conference over lunch, it sounds to me like construction is non-essential. Said essential businesses directly impact the "health and safety" of the county. I'd say most construction does not fit into that definition.

Txdot deemed us essential. Land surveying

Exactly

To clarify, I deem construction essential and personally live and die by it. I think now is actually the best time to build as there is less traffic on the roads, less people in buildings and less people on jobsites. The two biggest questions to me are 1) when does the supply chain get shut down and 2) when do the city inspections get shut down. No materials and no inspections will grind construction to a halt.

Here is a link to the actual order. On page 5 it states that critical trades and supply stores selling to them are considered essential. Heard from an inspector this morning and as far as he knew inspections would be ongoing.

City of Austin Shelter in Place order

Had a job I had been working on shut down by the fire marshall yesterday. Jack*ss neighbor called in complaining about mass gathering. 22 people working inside a 7000 SF house. (I was a sub working on the project a while back... thank goodness I'm out of there)

Fantastic news!

southtexasag said:

---

Here is a link to the actual order. On page 5 it states that critical trades and supply stores selling to them are considered essential. Heard from an inspector this morning and as far as he knew inspections would be ongoing.

City of Austin Shelter in Place order

---

Inspections in occupied homes are to be done by video call.

Inspections on non occupied new home construction require clearing out the site of people.

The order is ambiguous. When I first read it i interpreted it to say low income housing projects could continue. I know the hba is seeking further clarification

Edit to say the Williamson county order is much clearer- construction projects can continue on

City of Austin just sent out an update:
2. Construction as Critical Infrastructure. The Order provides that some types of construction activities are Critical Infrastructure. In general, commercial and residential construction activities are prohibited under the Order except in the very limited situations where the construction involves one of the specific types of essential and critical facilities listed in Exhibit B, Part 2.p. of the Order.
This list includes only:
Public works construction projects
Affordable housing projects
Construction of facilities for individuals experiencing homelessness
Construction of facilities that provide social services
Construction of facilities that are defined in the Order as Essential Businesses, Essential Government Functions, or Critical Infrastructure
Construction of facilities specifically required by the City in response to the current COVID-19 emergency>

They won't enforce any construction. Count on it. Guys in open air building a structure is not going to be stopped in the city.

Received the Austin update last night....we are shutting down today. Asking customers to clarify in writing if they deem their project to be "essential" within the definition of the order.

****

Apache said:

---

The work I do is not "essential" (to anyone other than me as it is how I get a paycheck)
Typically involves me meeting with homeowners or other contractors on a 1 on 1 basis.
Today I did so maintaining a 6' or so distancing. Will this shelter in place impact what I do?

---

Might want to check again. Here is the link to the Williamson County Order, which is supposedly the same as the Travis.

http://williamson-county.org/Portals/0/Departments/Searchable_Stay%20Home%20Stay%20Safe%20Order%20-%20Judge%20Bill%20Gravell%20Jr%20-%20COVID-19%20%28Adopted%20March%2024%202020%29_1.pdf

It clearly states that "Residential, Transportation, and Commercial construction" is an essential business.

In addition to working in the construction industry, I am also in the middle of an office refresh this week at my office. I have not heard anything from my contractor regarding whether or not they are shutting down and heading home. I guess we'll wait and see on that front.

I does seem like some bids are starting to get pushed, but as of yesterday, most of the state was business as usual (construction wise).

Williamson county is good to go.

Travis is a certifiable charlie foxtrot. You can only continue operations if you meet one of the above bullet points.

So, a big construction site building apartments that has a couple rent controlled units included, can continue on.

But, us small guys who rarely have more than 10 guys on a site must shut.

Inside word is another update will be coming this afternoon. Aia, hba are both pressuring austin/travis to follow the federal definitions of essential which includes all construction (from what ive been told)

The two orders are not the same regarding construction

We got the state to keep us going. Saying any construction, maintenance, survey is essential. That will overwrite the city. If you work on roads go get it clarified

The Fall Guy said:

---

We got the state to keep us going. Saying any construction, maintenance, survey is essential. That will overwrite the city. If you work on roads go get it clarified

---

The Fall Guy said:

---

We got the state to keep us going. Saying any construction, maintenance, survey is essential. That will overwrite the city. If you work on roads go get it clarified

---

Is there a source i can go to for this?

We contacted Txdot

Quote:

---

Public works construction projects
Affordable housing projects
Construction of facilities for individuals experiencing homelessness
Construction of facilities that provide social services
Construction of facilities that are defined in the Order as Essential Businesses, Essential Government Functions, or Critical Infrastructure
Construction of facilities specifically required by the City in response to the current COVID-19 emergency>

---

Affordable housing, Homelessness facilities, social services, and govt projects.

Those are the projects they deem essential, given the current climate?

That right there, explains everything you need to know about them and their motivations.

They sent out a letterhead saying we were essential because we work on roads and infrastructure

Yep that's commie Austin for you

Gotcha. Im in residential/commercial

AgGrad99 said:

---

Quote:

---

Public works construction projects
Affordable housing projects
Construction of facilities for individuals experiencing homelessness
Construction of facilities that provide social services
Construction of facilities that are defined in the Order as Essential Businesses, Essential Government Functions, or Critical Infrastructure
Construction of facilities specifically required by the City in response to the current COVID-19 emergency>

---

Affordable housing, Homelessness facilities, social services, and govt projects.

Those are the projects they deem essential, given the current climate?

That right there, explains everything you need to know about them and their motivations.

---

Yeah, its pretty silly. The order says that if amy of the listed is true for your project, the entire can move foward.

So, if you're building a 250 unit apartment complex of which a few units are rent controlled, the entire project can continue.

So, those guy with their dozen and dozens of workers can continue on whereas i have to shut even though i usually max out at 10 people on our busiest days.

Business as usual for Austin

So is there an update for Travis for small comtractors?

Close up shop by friday at midnight

The order itself says "includes but is not limited to"

That to me says that those are the examples they are giving, but the not limited to would mean ANY construction.

Any lawyers in the house?

Yeah, it's super ambiguous.

The actual sentence is a list of excluded things but contains no defined inclusions

Lots of murmurs coming out. Might be a change on the order?

For residential constuction?

Yes.