The Better Builder® Standards

We hope that more construction projects choose to adopt Better Builder® standards for all workers and their subcontracting chain. Better Builder® standards are practical to implement and have a huge impact on the safety and economic security of those who labor in the Texas construction industry. 

Better Builder® certified monitors are on-site bi-weekly to evaluate compliance.

  • Compliance with all relevant local, state, and federal wage and hour laws.
  • All construction workers on the project receive wages no less than the City of Austin living wage as defined by the City of Austin’s Ordinance No. 20160324-15.
  • All construction workers on the project are paid by check.
  • Compliance with all relevant local, state, and federal safety laws.
  • All construction workers on the project receive personal protective equipment, free of charge.
  • All construction workers on the project receive and complete a 10-hour, OSHA approved construction worker safety class prior to commencing construction work.
  • All safety supervisors on the project receive and complete  a 30-hour, OSHA approved construction worker safety class prior to commencing construction work.
  • All construction workers on the project are covered by workers’ compensation insurance.
  • Commercially reasonable efforts are made for 30% of the project’s workforce be students or graduates of local, DOL-registered apprenticeship programs or DOL-approved bilingual craft training programs that offer hands-on instruction at no cost or nominal cost to the worker.
  • Reasonable signage on the jobsite in both English and Spanish listing the Better Builder® standards, where other federal and state regulatory signage is posted.
  • Owner agrees to allow an independent, Better Builder®  certified monitor on-site bi-weekly to evaluate compliance.
  • Owner agrees to compensate Better Builder® accredited monitor at a rate dependent on the total project square footage, project value, and number of workers on-site, until the project receives its certificate of occupancy.  

Better Builder® Impact:

Over 38,000 workers on Better Builder sites

39% of workers received workers' compensation for the first time

35% of workers received OSHA training for the first time

Over $100,000 in stolen wages recovered for workers

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