Qualified Remodeler helps independent remodeling firms to survive, become more professional and more profitable by providing must-have business information, namely best business practices, new product information and timely design ideas.
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country. All homes are LEED certifed and Cradle-to-Cradle inspired. The partnership comes on the heels of Hurricane Katrina's 10th anniversary, where Integrity's products were used in the rebuilding of homes in the city's historic Lower 9th Ward. For more information, visit IntegrityWindows.com and Makeitright.org. Energetechs Receives Award Energetechs, a high-performance building frm and founder of Glo European Windows has received the Montana Innovator Award. The company has expanded its high-performance services throughout the past 10 years to include HVAC, cellu- lose installation, spray foam installation, high-performance building consulting and its newest division, Glo European Windows. Energetechs was the frst frm in Montana to have a Passive House Certifed consul- tant on staf, and it is currently working on a Passive House Certifed project in Idaho. For more information, visit energetechs.com or glowindows.com. Administrator signed a fnal rule in April to extend certain renovator certifcations under the LRRP program until April 2016 at the latest. Senate Panel Approves Energy Efficiency Tax Credits as Part of Tax Extender Package A two-year retroactive renewal dating back to the start of 2015 for many tax provisions was approved by the Senate Finance Committee in July as part of a large tax ex- tender package, including the Section 25C tax credit for qualifed energy-efciency improvements. This is expected to save homeowners who remodel almost $700 million annually in taxes for 2015 and 2016 improvements. Section 25C is a 10 percent tax credit subject to a $500 lifetime cap, with lower caps for certain products like windows, for consumers to install qualifed energy-efcient upgrades. With the exten- sion of 25C, all roofng materials meeting the Energy Star guideline. Also updated standards for hot water heaters, biomass fuel stoves, oil hot water heaters and doors and windows are eligible for the credit. Enforcement of OSHA Confined Spaces Postponed to October Work in confned spaces such as attics, crawl spaces, sewers/manholes and HVAC ducts got a little tighter when a new OSHA rule intended to protect workers and requiring permits went into efect Aug. 3. Citing concerns about training and equipment preparation, enforcement of the new rule will be postponed until Oct. 2 for employers who are making a good faith efort to comply. Find more information on the rule at nahb.org/confnedspaces. Independent Contractor? Think Again The U.S. Department of Labor issued guid- ance in July to assess whether a worker is properly classifed as an independent contractor. Crucial to remodelers who work with independent contractors, the guid- ance also helps to determine who is an employee under the Fair Labor Standards Act, which determines responsibility for overtime, unemployment insurance and other obligations. Independent contractors are not covered under the act. Incentivized by federal grants from the Department of Labor, states are also focusing on misclas- sifcation of independent contractors by employers. DOL Overtime Rule Change Could Lead to Construction Delays The U.S. Department of Labor released a draft regulation on June 30 that proposes updating the salary level at which certain "white collar" workers would be exempt from minimum wage and overtime pay from the current $23,660 to $50,440, efective Jan. 1, 2016. NAHB economists have released a state-by-state break- down showing in total, more than 110,000 construction supervisors would no longer be eligible for the exemption, and may be overtime-eligible under this new rule. Changes to the current overtime standard will reduce job-advancement opportuni- ties and the hours of full-time construction supervisors, leading to construction de- lays, increased costs and less afordable housing options for consumers. NAHB Remodelers is the remodeling arm of the National Association of Home Builders repre- senting the more than 55,000 members who are involved in the remodeling industry. Learn more at nahb.org/remodelers. DISTRIBUTOR NEWS ClosetMaid Introduces Professional Services ClosetMaid has introduced a Professional Services program that will assist build- ers, contractors, developers, designers, architects and installers in streamlining the storage, design, specifcation and installation process. Professional Service Representatives are available as a frst point of contact in this complimentary program. Integrity Partners with Make It Right Integrity Windows and Doors has an- nounced a formal partnership with Make It Right. Founded by Brad Pitt in 2007, the organization builds sustainable, afordable homes for people in need around the Sept. 29-Oct. 1 2015 Home Improvement Profitability Summit, Chicago Dave Yoho Associates hipsummit.com Sept. 30-Oct. 1 WDMA Executive Management Conference, Cambridge, Mass. Window and Door Manufacturers Association | WDMA.com Oct. 1-2 Remodeling Show, Deck Expo, JLC Live, Chicago Hanley Wood LLC RemodelingDeck.com Oct. 27-29 Remodelers Advantage Summit Technology 2015, Dallas Remodelers Advantage remodelersadvantage.com/ remodelers-summit Nov. 18-20 Greenbuild, Washington, D.C. USGBC | GreenBuildExpo.com UPCOMING EVENTS 12 September 2015 QR QualifiedRemodeler.com IN BRIEF