We are a roofing contractor in NY state. the latest order by cuomo for the corona virus of non-essential construction is very vague is roofing considered essential
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Mar 30, 2020
First, note that even for work that isn't considered essential - construction businesses are entitled to wind down the project to a safe point. The Empire State Development Corp. (ESD) stated that the new order "allows time for non-essential, non-emergency projects to continue to a point where they can be safely stabilized to protect the health and safety of occupants."
With that being said, it appears that roofing will only be considered "essential" in certain situations. Namely, work being done which involves "transit facilities, utilities, hospitals or health care facilities, affordable housing, and homeless shelters" may continue. However, for other projects, work may only continue if the work being done is necessary to protect the occupants or if it'd be unsafe to leave the project as-is. Hopefully, this guidance from the ESD will provide some clarity: Guidance for Determining Whether a Business Enterprise is Subject to a Workforce Reduction Under Recent Executive Orders.
Certainly, tides can change quickly here - so it'd be wise to pay attention to announcements from your local and state governments, as well as announcements from the federal government. Further, this tracker helps to see how different states are handling the outbreak, and it's being updated several times a day: Can I do Construction Work In my State? Additionally, ENR has some great content on the subject: New York Shuts More Projects As COVID-19 Cases Soar.
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Apr 6, 2020
Working on a residential roof. Can I continue work ?
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Apr 6, 2020
That depends. If your work is required for the safety of the occupants of the residence - then yes, that work would likely be deemed essential. However, if the work isn't immediately required to keep that residence safe (i.e. if postponing the work wouldn't be a safety issue), then no - that work is probably not essential.
Note, though, that if there's only one worker or employee on-site, then that work can continue even if the work might not be critical or essential. So sending one person to the site to perform work should be fine.
If you'd like to read New York's guidance yourself for help determining whether you can work, you can find it here: NY Guidance on Essential Businesses.
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Dec 5, 2020
A ROOFER CANNOT BE WORKING ALONE IN A ROOF, NEVER!