On March 23, 2020, Oregon Governor Kate Brown issued Executive Order No. 20-12 directing Oregonians to “Stay Home, Save Lives.”

Unlike “stay home” orders in some other states—which prohibit the operation of all business unless specifically exempted—the Oregon Order prohibits the operation of specific categories of businesses identified in the Order (e.g., amusement parks, aquariums, etc.).  Presumably, this means that if a category of business is not identified, then it is not subject to the prohibition.

Because “construction” is not specifically identified as a prohibited business, it is reasonable for owners and contractors to presume that their projects in Oregon may continue for the time being.  While not explicitly part of the Oregon Order, some are characterizing it as  “permission by omission,” meaning that the omission of a business on the prohibited business list means you have permission to operate that business.  But proceeding under that assumption is not entirely without risk, and there are other important considerations for both owners and contractors to bear in mind, including:

In response to COVID-19, construction projects in California are currently subject to a statewide Executive Order and potentially other similar (or dissimilar) “stay home” or “shelter in place” orders or directives issued by counties and cities. Under the California statewide order, only businesses needed to maintain continuity of operations of identified federal critical infrastructure sectors (click here for the list) may continue to operate. Construction is not identified as a separate “critical infrastructure sector,” but many construction projects fall under the umbrellas of other sectors, such as “critical manufacturing,” “energy,” “healthcare,” and “commercial facilities.” The California State Public Health Officer also designated the following “essential workforce” members of relevance to the construction industry (this is not an exhaustive list):

  • “Construction Workers who support the construction, operation, inspection, and maintenance of construction sites and construction projects (including housing construction)”
  • “Workers such as plumbers, electricians, exterminators, and other service providers who provide services that are necessary to maintaining the safety, sanitation, construction material sources, and essential operation of construction sites and construction projects (including those that support such projects to ensure the availability of needed facilities, transportation, energy and communications; and support to ensure the effective removal, storage, and disposal of solid waste and hazardous waste)”

One challenge somewhat unique to owners and contractors is that the applicable orders are generally directed at identifying “essential businesses” or “critical businesses,” while owners and contractors may have a mix of projects—with some likely essential (such as construction of a hospital), others likely not (such as construction of a nightclub), and many falling in a grey area in between. When analyzing “grey area” projects it is recommended to focus on the traits of the particular project rather than attempt to understand whether your business—which may include a range of projects—can generally continue to operate.

On March 25, 2020, Washington Governor Jay Inslee issued a memorandum that provided members of the construction industry with additional guidance regarding the Stay Home, Stay Healthy Proclamation (20-25) issued on March 23, 2020 in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. The Proclamation raised a number of questions in the industry, including whether all residential construction was deemed an essential service. The Proclamation seemed to indicate in a parenthetical that “housing construction” was permitted but then went on to limit “residential construction” to “emergency repairs and projects that ensure structural integrity.” Because of the resulting confusion, some residential projects began shutting down, while many did not, with the trades on those projects expecting to continue with work.

Yesterday’s memorandum confirms that there is no blanket treatment of residential construction under the Proclamation, and not all residential construction is an essential service. Just as with commercial construction, for a residential construction project to proceed, it must fit into one or more of the following:

  1. Construction related to essential activities as described in the order;
  2. To further a public purpose related to a public entity or governmental function or facility, including but not limited to publicly financed low-income housing; or
  3. To prevent spoliation and avoid damage or unsafe conditions, and address emergency repairs at both non-essential businesses and residential structures.

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Worker hammering a nail on construction site.
Construction worker.

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