Long Island’s local rules for building — setbacks, height limits, lot coverage, septic/sewer requirements, special-use reviews, and permit procedures — vary town-by-town. If you’re planning work anywhere on Long Island, you must check the specific town code and speak with the local building or planning department before breaking ground. Below is a concise, town-by-town rundown of the 13 towns that make up Long Island (Nassau County: Hempstead, North Hempstead, Oyster Bay; Suffolk County: Babylon, Brookhaven, East Hampton, Huntington, Islip, Riverhead, Shelter Island, Smithtown, Southampton, Southold) with the most important construction constraints and where to verify rules. Each town paragraph cites the town code or official planning/building pages you’ll want to read.

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November, December, and January are one of the busiest, and family-oriented months for Americans. During this time, we celebrate Thanksgiving, Christmas, Hanukah, and New Year’s Eve. With that said, these holidays and their celebratory months come with endless cooking, roaring fireplaces, candles, and decorative lights. According to the U.S. Fire Administration, the leading causes of house fires are Cooking, Heating, and Electrical Malfunctions. The U.S. Fire Administration also states that months from November – March are most prone to house fires. Coincidence? or Carelessness?

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Sustainable construction has moved from a niche priority to a national standard, driven by climate goals, rising energy costs, and growing public demand for healthier, high-performance buildings. Across the United States, several states stand out for their aggressive policies, innovative materials, and widespread adoption of renewable energy and green design practices. This article explores which states are leading the transition toward sustainable construction, why they stand out, and how states like Florida are also advancing their own climate-resilient approach to green building.

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To minimize potential legal problems when planning construction, whether the project is a large commercial project, a new residence, or even a renovation to an existing structure, care must be taken to have essential terms included in the contract. The failure to identify essential terms in the construction contract will lead to project confusion, extended completion time and expenses, as well as raise the likelihood of a future legal dispute. Below are several terms to consider in any construction contract:

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In today’s rapidly evolving solar industry, the challenge isn’t simply installing more panels — it’s about ensuring each stage of the value chain is resilient, the homeowner is protected, and the built environment is transformed. A recent piece in Solar Power World points out the critical importance of a strong domestic manufacturing base, robust partnerships and innovation in making large-scale solar projects less risky. At the same time, homeowners and developers are navigating warranty complexities, legal protections, and architectural integration of solar systems (as illustrated in blog posts from The Law Offices of John Caravella). Together, these threads paint a fuller picture of how to build a truly resilient American solar ecosystem.

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Each year, fire incidents in the United States increase during the Thanksgiving and holiday season, particularly from cooking and heating sources. According to the U.S. Fire Administration (USFA), Thanksgiving Day has more than twice the number of reported home fires compared to an average day.

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Employers who learn about a dangerous condition or a defective product and fail to take reasonable steps to fix or warn about it raise sharply practical — and legal — questions. In New York the answers depend on (1) who was injured (an employee or a non-employee), (2) what statutory regimes apply (notably the workers’ compensation statutes and the Labor Law), and (3) what evidence exists showing the employer had actual or constructive notice of the hazard. Below I explain how notice figures into negligence and Labor Law claims in New York, how post-accident conduct (including failure to fix) is treated in evidence, and then walk through a representative case study so you can see those rules in action.

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