Welcome ClearStory as New Silver Sponsor

Clearstory is proud to join the American Subcontractors Association as a Silver Sponsor.

Specialty contractors do the work. The paperwork shouldn’t cost them the paycheck. Yet change orders get buried, T&M goes undocumented, and approvals drag while your cash flow doesn’t wait.

Clearstory is change order communication software built for contractors. It gives your team a shared, real-time log for every COR and T&M ticket — so nothing gets lost, disputed, or written off. Your office, your GC, and your field all working from the same page.

No more chasing. No more back-and-forth. No more leaving money on the table for work you already did.

Clearstory works alongside the ERPs and PM tools you already use. ASA members receive 15% off — claim your exclusive discount at clearstory.build/asa

You did the work. Get paid for it. Change Orders. Under Control.

Remembering 9/11: 25 Years Later

Twenty-five years ago, on September 11, 2001, our nation experienced an unimaginable tragedy that changed America forever. As we mark the 25th anniversary of 9/11, we remember the nearly 3,000 innocent lives lost, honor the first responders and ordinary Americans who demonstrated extraordinary courage, and recognize the enduring spirit of unity and resilience that followed.

For ASA and the construction industry, 9/11 carries a particular significance. In the days, weeks, and years that followed, construction workers were among those who answered the call—clearing debris, rebuilding communities, restoring infrastructure, and helping America move forward. Their work reflected something fundamental about our industry: when there is a job to be done, construction professionals show up, work together, and rebuild.

That same spirit is reflected in ASA’s advocacy in Washington. The challenges facing subcontractors today—from federal procurement and prompt payment to workforce shortages, regulatory requirements, infrastructure investment, and small-business opportunities—may be very different from those confronting our nation 25 years ago. But the principle remains the same: those who build America must have a voice in the decisions that shape its future.

Congress makes decisions every day that directly affect the ability of subcontractors and specialty contractors to compete, employ workers, invest in their businesses, and successfully complete the projects on which our nation depends. Advocacy ensures that policymakers hear directly from the men and women who actually build those projects—not simply from those who write the rules.

Twenty-five years after 9/11, we are reminded that America is strongest when we stand together. For ASA, that means continuing to bring subcontractors together, building bipartisan relationships in Congress, and making sure the industry’s voice is heard when legislation and regulations are developed.

On this 25th anniversary, we remember those we lost, honor those who served and sacrificed, and recommit ourselves to the work of building a stronger America—one project, one community, and one voice at a time.

ASA will remember. We will rebuild. And we will continue to advocate for those who build America.

ASA Urges SBA to Extend Comment Period on Proposed Small Business Size Standards

ASA urged the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) to extend the comment period on proposed changes to the federal government’s small-business size standards, citing significant concerns about the potential impact on construction subcontractors and specialty trade contractors. ASA submitted a letter to SBA requesting that the September 21, 2026, comment deadline be extended by at least 60 days, through November 20, 2026. The association believes additional time is necessary for construction contractors, subcontractors, ASA chapters, and other stakeholders to fully understand the proposal and provide meaningful, industry-specific feedback.

The SBA proposal represents more than a routine adjustment to existing size standards. It would make significant changes to the methodology used to determine whether a business qualifies as “small,” including consolidating many existing six-digit NAICS classifications into broader four- and five-digit classifications and shifting numerous industries from receipts-based standards to employee-based standards.

ASA is particularly concerned about the potential impact on small construction subcontractors.  The construction industry is highly specialized, with businesses ranging from general building contractors to electrical, plumbing, drywall, painting, flooring, tile, finish carpentry, and other specialty trades. These businesses can have very different business models, revenue levels, workforce requirements, bonding capacity, and competitive resources.

Under the proposed approach, many of these distinct specialty trades would be grouped under broader NAICS classifications.

For example, drywall, painting and wall covering, flooring, tile and terrazzo, and finish carpentry contractors would fall under the broader NAICS 2383 – Building Finishing Contractors classification, with a proposed size standard of 600 employees.

ASA believes SBA needs to carefully consider whether broader classifications accurately reflect the differences among these businesses and whether consolidation could result in substantially larger companies competing with genuinely small specialty contractors for federal small-business opportunities.

ASA also raised concerns about SBA’s proposal to move many industries from receipts-based size standards to employee-based standards.  For construction, employee count may not accurately reflect the economic size or competitive capacity of a business.  Construction revenues can vary significantly based on material costs, project size, subcontracted work, geography, and the type of work being performed. Two contractors with the same number of employees can have dramatically different annual revenues, bonding capacity, capital resources, equipment, purchasing power, and administrative capabilities. ASA believes SBA should provide additional analysis demonstrating why an employee-based standard is appropriate for construction and whether it accurately distinguishes genuinely small contractors from significantly larger businesses.

Another concern involves SBA’s proposed methodology for receipts-based size standards, which establishes a minimum standard of $30.6 million. Although many construction standards under the proposal would be expressed in terms of employees, ASA is concerned about the broader effect of expanding the number and size of companies that could qualify as “small.”

A locally owned subcontractor with 20, 30, or 50 employees may face a very different competitive environment than a company with substantially greater revenue, bonding capacity, purchasing power, workforce, administrative resources, and access to capital. If significantly larger companies qualify as small, they could compete for federal small-business set-asides and subcontracting opportunities alongside businesses that are considerably smaller in both size and resources. ASA believes this could undermine the purpose of federal small-business programs, which are designed to provide opportunities for small businesses to compete, grow, and build capacity.

The proposed changes could have a direct impact on federal construction procurement.

If more businesses qualify as small, the number of companies competing for small-business set-asides could increase significantly. The change could also affect federal subcontracting goals, where prime contractors rely on small specialty subcontractors to meet their small-business participation requirements.

ASA is concerned that expanding the definition of “small” could unintentionally make it more difficult for genuinely small subcontractors to secure these opportunities. ASA believes SBA should evaluate not only how many additional businesses would qualify as small under the proposal, but also how those businesses compete in the federal marketplace and what effect the changes could have on existing small-business participation.

ASA’s request for an extension is intended to allow the construction industry to conduct a more thorough review of the proposal and provide SBA with meaningful, real-world information. Among the issues ASA plans to further evaluate are:

• The number of construction firms that would newly qualify as small;
• The impact of converting receipts-based standards to employee-based standards;
• The consolidation of six-digit construction NAICS codes;
• The impact on small-business set-asides;
• The effect on federal subcontracting goals;
• The competitive differences between general contractors and specialty subcontractors; and
• Whether separate size standards are appropriate for substantially different construction trades.

ASA supports SBA’s mission to promote opportunities for small businesses and recognizes the importance of periodically reviewing and updating size standards. However, the association believes the definition of “small” must remain meaningful. ASA will continue to engage with SBA on this issue and will encourage its chapters and members to participate in the rulemaking process. Additional input from ASA members will be important as the association develops its substantive comments on how the proposed changes could affect construction subcontractors across the country.

First Major Head Protection Standard Update in 12 Years 

The International Safety Equipment Association (ISEA) released the updated ANSI/ISEA Z89.1-2026 standard for industrial head protection this week, the first major revision in over a decade.

The new ANSI/ISEA Z89.1-2026 standard provides standardized optional testing protocols:

• Chin strap retention — how straps perform under impact (OSHA’s #1 concern). If a worker slips and hits their head, does the helmet stay on for secondary impacts?
• Helmet retention — whether helmets stay on heads during slips, trips, and falls. Traditional hard hats often fall off when workers need them most.
• Multi-directional impact protection — front, rear, and side impacts, not just top-of-head. Workers don’t just get hit from above — they hit scaffolding, trip into equipment, fall sideways.
• Reverse wearing guidance — critical for real-world jobsite use. Workers wear helmets backward for better visibility or mask fit; now there’s testing to ensure that’s safe.

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First “Lunch atop a Skyscraper” Bobblehead Unveiled

The National Bobblehead Hall of Fame and Museum unveiled a limited-edition “Lunch atop a Skyscraper” Bobblehead, which is a replica of the famous black-and-white photograph taken on September 20th, 1932, of 11 ironworkers sitting on a steel beam of the RCA Building 850 feet above the ground during the construction of the Rockefeller Center in New York City. The special edition bobblehead scene is being produced by the National Bobblehead Hall of Fame and Museum.

With 11 bobbing heads, the one-of-a-kind “Lunch atop a Skyscraper” bobblehead scene is being released to coincide with the anniversary of when the picture was taken. The photo was published in the Sunday supplement of the New York Herald Tribune on October 2nd, 1932, with the caption: “Lunch atop a Skyscraper.”

Positioned on a beam with a backing of New York City, the bobbleheads are replicas of the 11 men from the iconic photograph, which has been called “one of the most recognizable photos of the 20th century” and “a piece of American history.” Sitting precariously on a steel beam 850 feet in the air, the 11 ironworkers are casually eating lunch while having carefree conversations.

Each bobblehead is individually numbered to only 1,932 – the year the picture was taken – and they are only available exclusively through the National Bobblehead Hall of Fame and Museum’s Online Store. The bobbleheads, which are expected to ship in January, are $100 each plus a flat-rate shipping charge of $8 per order.

Originally titled “Builders of the City Enjoy Luncheon,” the portrait of 11 ironworkers casually enjoying their lunch break on a steel beam 850 feet above the streets of New York has captured the imagination of people around the world for nearly a century. While it’s most known as “Lunch atop a Skyscraper,” the image has been called different names over the years, including “Lunch on a Beam” and “Men on a Beam.” Despite its seemingly spontaneous nature, the photo was arranged as a publicity shot taken during the construction of the 69th floor of Rock Center’s RCA Building – now known as 30 Rock – where the staged photograph was part of a campaign promoting the skyscraper.

Despite the photo’s worldwide appeal, no one tried to find out who the men or the photographer was until the award-winning 2012 documentary, “Men at Lunch,” investigated. Since no work records remain from the Rockefeller construction, it is difficult to state with 100 percent certainty who were on the beam, especially since more than 40,000 people were hired to help build Rockefeller Center. What is known is that the workers included Irish, Italian, Scandinavian, Eastern European, and German immigrants, along with Mohawk ironworkers from Canada.

Photographers Charles Ebbets, Thomas Kelley, and William Leftwich were all present on the day the image was taken, but it remains unclear who was responsible for capturing the iconic shot. So far, Rockefeller Center archivist Christine Roussel has only been able to confirm two of the 11 men: Joseph Eckner, third from the left; and Joe Curtis, third from the right. According to a New York Post survey, numerous claims have been made regarding the identities of the men in the image. The first man on the right, holding a bottle, has been identified as Slovak worker Gustav (Gusti) Popovic. The photograph was found in his estate, with the note “Don’t you worry, my dear Mariska, as you can see, I’m still with bottle” written on the back. The sixth person from the left is claimed to be Peter Rice, Mohawk construction worker, great grandfather of Burton Rice, of Rice Mohawk Steel. Taken during the Great Depression, the photograph became an icon of New York City and has often been recreated by construction workers. Time magazine included the image in its 2016 list of the 100 most influential images.

About the National Bobblehead Hall of Fame and Museum:
The National Bobblehead Hall of Fame and Museum, which is located at 170 S. 1st St. in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, opened to the public on February 1st, 2019. The HOF and Museum also produces high quality, customized bobbleheads for retail sale as well as organizations, individuals, and teams across the country. Visit us online and on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.