Whenever a party contracts to build a new building or perform major remodels on an existing structure, construction law may be involved. Minnesota residents who work in the construction field or who have worked with construction professionals to build their homes and business structures have likely come across this area of legal practice. However, due to the breadth of topics covered by construction law it can sometimes be hard to completely define.

Construction law covers a wide variety of legal processes. Because construction projects can happen anywhere, they can be governed by both state and federal laws. Construction law encompasses employment and safety law with regard to keeping construction workers safe. It also involves contract law insofar as parties must agree to the specifications of the building project through contract negotiations.

Construction law also takes a local turn when it comes to satisfying the building requirements of the community in which the structure will reside. Permitting, zoning and other municipal issues all come into play when a new construction project is undertaken. For that reason it can be helpful to work with a construction law attorney who works in the community where the project will occur in order to get local support for a new building plan.

This blog post only touches on a few of the many areas of law into which construction projects can fall. It is hard type of law to define because it simply covers so many different situations related to building structures. For that reason, readers of this blog should not rely on this definition of construction law as comprehensive and should investigate the construction law issues related to their building projects before starting a new construction transaction.