By Brad Nickel
Ask anyone who works outdoors in Southwest Florida what this summer has felt like, and you will get some version of the same answer: relentless.
The data backs that up. June 2026 finished as one of the hottest Junes on record in Fort Myers, with 20 days climbing above the normal afternoon high of 91 degrees. Only three Junes in recorded history – 1981, 1998 and 2010 – ran hotter. July followed the same pattern, closing out as the sixth-hottest July on record for Fort Myers. Along the way, heat index values pushed past 108 degrees on multiple weekends, with feels-like temperatures reaching between 103 and 110 degrees across the region.
For most people, numbers like those mean staying inside a little longer. For the roughly 700,000 Floridians who work in construction, they define the conditions of the job.
Summer changes the rhythm of a jobsite
At Benchmark General Contractors, summer does not stop the work, but it does reshape how we approach it. We front-load the most physically demanding tasks into the earlier hours of the day when temperatures are lower, and we build in more opportunities for crews to cool down and hydrate. The goal is to stay productive while recognizing that the environment requires a fundamentally different approach during the hottest months.
That means concrete pours, roofing work, steel erection and anything else that puts a body under sustained physical load gets scheduled with the thermometer in mind. It means the afternoon looks different than the morning. And it means supervisors are watching conditions, not just schedules.
Worker safety comes first – always
Protecting crews from heat-related illness starts with the basics done consistently: access to water, access to shade and regular breaks throughout the day. But equipment and infrastructure alone are not enough. The more important piece is culture.
We make sure our employees know how to recognize the signs of heat-related illness in themselves and in each other. Heat exhaustion announces itself through heavy sweating, dizziness, nausea, fatigue and muscle cramps. When someone becomes confused or stops sweating altogether, these are signs of heat stroke, and it is a medical emergency. By looking out for one another and speaking up at the first signs of heat-related illness, crews can prevent minor symptoms from becoming emergencies.
Heat is not the only weather hazard, either. Southwest Florida summers bring sudden, violent afternoon storms. We monitor conditions closely, particularly for thunderstorms and lightning, and we shut down operations whenever conditions become unsafe. There is no version of this work where a schedule justifies putting someone in the path of a lightning strike.
Adapting as conditions change
Construction has always required flexibility. That is even more important today than it was when Benchmark started building in coastal Southwest Florida four decades ago.
As temperatures have risen, we have become more intentional about scheduling, pacing work and reinforcing safety protocols. We are constantly evaluating conditions in the field and making adjustments when necessary to protect our people while keeping projects moving forward. What worked as a summer plan 20 years ago does not fully account for the kind of sustained heat we are now seeing year after year.
Balancing safety with deadlines
The hardest part of this job is not the heat itself. It is the balance.
Our clients depend on us to deliver projects on time, and we take that obligation seriously. But there is never a deadline more important than someone’s well-being. Successful projects come down to planning, communication and collaboration. When the right processes are in place, you can maintain momentum while still making the safety decisions that need to be made. That is not always easy, and it sometimes requires difficult conversations with owners and developers. It is part of doing the job the right way.
What people do not see
A lot of people see the finished building – the resort, the condominium, the restaurant – but do not always appreciate everything that goes into getting there. Construction in Florida means working through extreme heat, sudden weather changes and increasingly complex building requirements, all while maintaining quality and staying on schedule.
It is demanding work. It is also incredibly rewarding, because you are helping build the spaces where people live, work, gather and build community. As Southwest Florida continues rebuilding from Hurricane Ian and growing into its future, the crews doing that work in 100-degree heat deserve to be seen. Protecting them is not a compliance exercise. It is the foundation upon which everything else is built.
About the Author:
Brad Nickel is president of Benchmark General Contractors, a Southwest Florida-based construction firm founded in 1984 that specializes in commercial and luxury residential projects. For more information, visit Benchmark-GC.com or call 239-466-1590.
