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A well-thought-out and well-written proposal is critical to your company’s ability to get work and successfully complete the work at a profit. So here are the first steps you need to take to learn how to write a proposal letter.  You have to make sure your proposals have a professional look. That means your company name and the name and contact information for your salesperson can be easily identified and found. The questions you need to ask BEFORE you can answer, "How to write a pro …

Human resources professionals and business owners have long debated about giving references on former employees when it comes to construction law. It’s both tempting and scary to share what you know about a less‑than‑desirable former employee. You also may be eager to sing the praises of an exemplary ex‑employee you want to see do well in a future position. Before you decide whether to give in to temptation or play it safe, it’s good to know the pros and cons of giving references and sharing su …

Understanding Texas Construction Law: Pay if Pay Contract Provisions in Texas. Are they Enforceable? While doing a mini lien and bond presentation last week at NAWIC Fort Worth (a great group of ladies and a great organization) I was asked whether pay-if-pay provisions are illegal in Texas. in Texas construction lawThe question sparked some lively conversation so, for those that may have that same question, here’s a bit of background and the answer: A pay-if-pay provision is a contract term wh …

By Karen Ensley, Board-Certified Construction Law Attorney Do  Match performance appraisals and performance plans to measurable objectives. Develop performance goals in an objective way so you can make meaningful assessments of performance. Align the results of the performance appraisal with other anticipated personnel decisions. It sends mixed messages if managers give employees poor performance appraisals and then reward employees with a promotion or raise. Make the performance review p …

OK, unraveling may be too strong a term, but there is a lot of mystery surrounding the concepts of indemnity and defense. What are they and why should you care? You should care because they are in almost all commercial construction contracts and because generally the indemnity and defense obligations flow downstream from the Owner to the General to the subcontractor and beyond.For instance, the window contractor fails to properly install the window and rain leaks inside the building and damages …