Andrew Berne and Alan Schiess | Babcock, Scott and Babcock
Across the country, construction technology is changing quickly, and masonry is no exception. Robotic systems that assist with laying brick or concrete masonry units are now moving from demonstration to real-world job sites. But the legal and practical question is not whether a robot can place units faster than a human crew. The better question is how the law, the industry, and the workforce will adapt as construction becomes more technology-assisted.
Today’s masonry robots are designed to support, not replace, skilled labor. For example, Construction Robotics in New York has marketed its robot as a “semi-automated mason” or otherwise known as the SAM system. The SAM system works with experienced workers by reducing physical strain and increasing productivity. Likewise, in 2025 the PulteGroup announced a Florida pilot program using Australian-based automation tech firm FBR’s Hadrian X system to construct structural walls in a single day. These developments suggest that robotics may help contractors address efficiency, safety, and labor shortages.
Still, the rise of robotics should not diminish the central role of labor in construction. Masons do far more than repeat one motion on a wall. They read plans, determine layout, handle alignment, evaluate tolerances, manage materials, and ensure contract compliant workmanship in changing field conditions. Even where a machine assists in placing brick or block, skilled workers remain essential to setup, monitoring, quality assurance, correction of deviations, and finishing. The development is analogous to the introduction of the nail gun in framing. The introduction of the gun increased speed and efficiency in driving nails, but it did not displace the framer’s responsibility for layout, alignment, sequencing, and workmanship. In the same way, robotics may alter the process of laying brick or block, but it does not eliminate the need for human skill, judgment, and accountability.
From a construction-law perspective, this transition raises important questions. If a robotic system contributes to a defect, does the contractor, the subcontractor, the manufacturer, the programmer, or some combination of them bear the liability? How should contracts allocate risk for calibration errors, material failures, or deviations from plans? What is the standard of care when using emerging technology that promises greater speed but may introduce different forms of risk? Ideally, these questions of responsibility should be address in the contract between parties.
Utah is a particularly interesting place to ask those questions. Appendix AW to the 2021 Utah State Residential Code addresses 3-D printed building construction, but the appendix is not mandatory unless adopted by ordinance. That means innovation may outpace uniform regulation. At the same time, the general masonry concerns of material consistency, reinforcement, bonding strength, inspection, and structural reliability all remain present with the adoption of 3-D printing capabilities. In other words, even when the technology is new, the legal principles are not. Builders still owe duties tied to safety, compliance, and sound construction practices.
The future of construction is likely not labor versus technology. It is labor working through technology. In an industry still short of workers, the better approach is to treat robotics as a tool that can make work safer and more efficient while increasing the value of skilled tradespeople who know how to build correctly. Just as nail guns transformed framing without replacing framers, robotics may soon become a standard tool working alongside masons on construction projects. For construction law, the challenge is to ensure that innovation strengthens the industry without creating unallocated legal risk that could have been addressed by contract.
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