Industry · Construction
Compliance for construction and project sites
A project site has a start date, a crowd of contractors and an end date, and labour law follows all three. We handle BOCW and contract labour compliance from the notice before work starts to the closure after handover.
- BOCW compliance under the OSH Code
- Contractor licences and registers
- Inter-state migrant workers
- Site closure handled
The life of a site
What falls due, from first notice to closure
Construction compliance runs on the project's clock. Some duties come before the first worker arrives, some last as long as the site is open, and some only end once it has closed.
Notice of commencement
Sent electronically before operations begin on the site.
Before day oneBefore day one · Before work starts
Registration of the establishment
Applied for electronically within 60 days, with the number of inter-state migrant workers.
Within 60 daysWithin 60 days · Before work starts
Contractor licences
Held by each contractor engaging 20 or more workers, for the number of workers it names.
Each contractorEach contractor · Before work starts to while the site runs
Registers, wages and returns
Kept for each contractor. Wages paid by the 7th, by bank transfer or electronic mode.
Every monthEvery month · While the site runs
EPF and ESIC for site workers
Remitted by each contractor and checked by you. You remain liable if a contractor defaults.
Every monthEvery month · While the site runs
Changes in particulars
A change in ownership, management or registered details intimated within 30 days.
Within 30 daysWithin 30 days · While the site runs
Accidents
Notified to the authorities. A death leads to an inquiry within two months of the notice.
On the eventOn the event · While the site runs
Cessation and closure
Cessation intimated, and within 30 days of closing, all dues to workers certified as paid.
Within 30 daysWithin 30 days · After handover
Central rules under the OSH Code were notified on 8 May 2026, and states are still notifying theirs. Forms and time limits come from the rules of the state the site is in.
The numbers
Six numbers that decide a site's duties
Most construction obligations switch on at a headcount, a wage or a cost. These come from the OSH Code itself. State rules add the forms and the detail.
- When a site is an establishment
- 10workers
- Building or other construction work with 10 or more workers is an establishment under the OSH Code, and registers electronically within 60 days.
- When a contractor needs a licence
- 20contract workers
- A contractor engaging 20 or more needs a licence, valid for five years for the number of workers it names.
- When safety officers are required
- 250building workers
- The employer appoints safety officers, with the qualifications the rules prescribe, where 250 or more are ordinarily employed.
- Who is an inter-state migrant worker
- ₹18,000a month
- A worker recruited in one state for work in another, or who came on their own, earning up to this amount or a higher one the Centre notifies.
- When a home is not covered
- ₹50 lakh
- Building an individual's own residence is not building or other construction work where the total cost does not exceed this amount, or a higher notified one.
- To close the registration
- 30days
- Within 30 days of closing, the employer informs the registering officer and certifies that all dues to workers have been paid.
Handled under Contractor & vendor compliance
At the site office
Every contractor's file, checked on site
We work at construction sites and at greenfield and brownfield project sites, with a service model for each type of establishment.
- Audits done
- 5,000+
- Establishments and factories covered
- 250+
- Challans and returns filed every month
- 300+
- Client retention
- 85%
Every client has a dedicated relationship manager, and we reply within two working hours.
Common risks
Where project sites usually slip
The contractor makes most of these mistakes. As principal employer, you are the one who answers for them.
Mistake 01 of 05
Work started before the notice
The OSH Code requires notice before an employer of building or other construction work starts operations, given electronically. Starting first puts the site in breach from its first day.
How we prevent it
BOCW compliance at project sites starts with the notices and the registration, before work begins.
Contractor & vendor complianceServices that apply
The services that run a project site
Each card opens the service page with the full scope and the questions employers ask.
Contractor & vendor compliance
BOCW and contract labour compliance, contractor by contractor, at each site.
Licences & registrations
Registrations obtained, amended as contractors change, and closed after handover.
PF & ESI compliance
PF and ESI for your own site and office staff, with challans by the 15th.
Payroll services
Payroll for site and office staff, with every statutory line worked out.
EHS compliance
DG set approvals, accident reporting and the safety records a site keeps.
Compliance risk audits
Vendor audits across your contractors, with each gap rated for risk.
FAQ
Questions about construction compliance
Can't find your answer? Ask us on WhatsApp and we'll reply within 2 working hours.
Does the BOCW Act still apply?
The Building and Other Construction Workers Act, 1996 was replaced by the OSH Code on 21 November 2025. The BOCW Welfare Cess Act was replaced by the Code on Social Security. BOCW compliance now sits within these two Codes. Central rules were notified on 8 May 2026 and states are still notifying theirs.
What counts as building or other construction work?
The Code covers construction, alteration, repairs, maintenance or demolition of buildings, roads, railways, power lines, pipelines, towers, dams, bridges and similar works. It excludes construction related to a factory or mine, and an individual's own residence costing up to ₹50 lakh, or a higher notified amount.
Who is responsible for contract workers on a project site?
The contractor employs and pays them, and the principal employer is the backstop. If wages are paid late or short, you pay the balance and recover it from the contractor. You remain liable for EPF and ESIC if the contractor defaults, and lapses can lead to arrears with interest, fines and prosecution.
What do we owe inter-state migrant workers?
Their number is declared when the establishment registers. The employer pays a yearly lump sum for the journey home and back, and extends the same benefits as other workers, including ESI and PF. A fatal accident or serious injury is reported to the authorities of both states and to the worker's next of kin.
Do we need safety officers on site?
Where 250 or more building workers are ordinarily employed, the employer appoints safety officers with the qualifications the rules prescribe. The government can also require an establishment to set up a safety committee of employer and worker representatives.
How is the construction cess assessed now?
Under the Code on Social Security, employers can self-assess their cess liability for building and other construction work. Earlier, a notified government authority made the assessment.
What does construction compliance cost?
It depends on the number of sites, contractors and workers, and the states the sites are in. Send us an enquiry with those details and we will come back with a quote.
Enquiry
Talk to a compliance expert
Share your states and headcount, and we will get back to you within 2 working hours.
- Call+91 98457 40938
- WhatsApp+91 98457 40938
- Emailinfo@nkonehrsolutions.com
- Head office, Bengaluru1163, 9th Main, 11th A Cross, Nagapura, Mahalakshmipuram, near Rajajinagar Metro Station, Rajajinagar 1st Block, Bengaluru, Karnataka 560086
