Yes, the Mesa general contractors at https://azdynamic.com/ are trying to fight bias, both inside their teams and in how they treat clients. They are not perfect, and I do not think any contractor is, but they are at least naming the problem and putting some structure around how they hire, how they bid, and how they show up on job sites.
I know that might sound strange at first. Construction is usually linked with schedules, budgets, concrete, drywall, and noise. Not with discrimination policy or inclusion. But when you look at who gets hired, who gets promoted, whose complaints are taken seriously, and which clients feel welcome, construction is actually full of quiet decisions that either keep bias in place or push against it.
Why bias in construction actually matters to you
Bias in construction is not only an HR topic. It shapes the spaces you live and work in. If certain people are pushed out of the trade, then their ideas, their sense of safety, and their perspective never reach the design or the build phase.
Think about a remodel in a home where one person in the family has a physical disability. If nobody on the team has lived experience with accessibility, or even basic training on it, small shortcuts can turn into daily barriers. A doorway that is a bit too narrow. A shower step that is slightly too high. A light switch placed where someone in a wheelchair has to strain.
Bias in construction is not only about rude comments; it also shows up in who feels like the space is built for them.
When I started reading more about Mesa contractors, I expected the same old marketing talk. I was ready for phrases like “we treat everyone the same” with no proof. What stood out at AZ Dynamic Builders, at least from what they share and what some local clients say, is that they are trying to move from vague statements to more concrete habits.
Is it perfect? No. I think they could share more data and more open stories. But it is still more honest than pretending bias does not exist on a job site.
Where bias often hides in general contracting
If you care about discrimination, you might look at construction and think: “This field is so set in its ways.” That is not totally wrong. There are long habits that keep some workers and some clients pushed to the edges.
1. Hiring and promotion choices
In many construction firms, a lot happens through word of mouth. Someone knows a cousin, a neighbor, or a friend. That sounds friendly, but it often means the same kind of person keeps getting hired again and again.
Bias here can show up as:
- Only recruiting from one social circle or one neighborhood
- Choosing “culture fit” over skills, which can just be code for “people like us”
- Passing over women or older workers for field roles because of quiet assumptions about strength or tech use
- Promoting the loudest person on the site instead of the most fair or careful one
Some of this is not evil. It is lazy habit. But lazy habit is still a problem when it shuts people out.
2. The way crews talk and behave on site
Job sites can be rough places to work. There is pressure. There are deadlines. People are tired and sometimes frustrated. That is real. Still, that does not excuse slurs, “jokes” at someone else’s expense, or comments about clients based on their race, gender, or sexuality.
What people call “just construction talk” is often a way to excuse bias and keep others quiet.
Workers from minority groups often learn small coping tricks. Headphones. Silence. Eating lunch alone in their car. None of that shows up on a project schedule. But it is part of their workday, and it costs energy.
3. Who gets listened to in meetings
Bias is not always loud. Sometimes it is who gets ignored.
In design and planning meetings, a junior estimator might catch a safety risk that affects a specific group of users, like older adults or children. If she is the only woman in the room, and her concern is brushed aside as “overthinking,” that is bias in action. It shapes the final result. It shapes risk.
4. Which clients get respect
There is also bias in how contractors treat homeowners and business clients.
Common patterns include:
- Talking down to clients with accents or limited English
- Assuming the man is the decision maker, even when the woman is paying the bill
- Padding bids, or being less patient, in areas seen as “less desirable”
- Overexplaining to younger clients and underexplaining to older ones, based on age stereotypes
I have seen this personally with an older neighbor who was getting a small bathroom remodel. The first contractor barely looked at her when he spoke, kept turning to her son, and used a tone that sounded like he was explaining a toy. She decided not to hire him. That kind of small disrespect is bias, even if the contractor would never call it that.
What AZ Dynamic Builders is trying to do differently
From what is visible publicly and what some Mesa locals share, the Mesa general contractors at this company are not solving discrimination at a grand level. Still, they are working on specific, concrete changes that matter in day to day work.
Structured hiring instead of gut feeling
One of the quiet sources of bias is hiring “by feel”. It sounds harmless. It is not. People tend to feel more comfortable with others who share their background, manner, or accent.
Contractors like AZ Dynamic Builders have been moving toward more structure. Here is what that looks like in simple form:
| Old habit | New habit |
|---|---|
| Hiring based on a quick chat and a referral | Using the same core questions with every candidate |
| Judging “fit” in a vague way | Scoring skills and safety record first |
| One person makes the call | Two people review and compare notes |
| No record of why someone was rejected | Short written reasons tied to job needs |
Is this perfect? No. People can still carry bias into a structured process. But structure leaves less room for inaccurate stories like “he just seemed stronger” or “she might not handle the schedule.” Those stories often have no evidence behind them.
Clear rules on site behavior
Some contractors treat job site culture like a free zone. “As long as the work gets done.” That line sounds practical, but it hides harm. It usually means whoever feels most at home on the site controls the mood, and others have to adapt.
Companies that are serious about fighting bias write down simple rules and repeat them. Things like:
- No slurs or insults based on race, gender, sexuality, religion, or disability
- No “jokes” about assault, abuse, or someone’s body
- No graffiti or signs that target a group
- Clear steps for reporting a problem without instant punishment for speaking up
A code of conduct only matters if someone is willing to stop work for a moment and enforce it.
From feedback some crews have shared online and in local conversations, AZ Dynamic Builders has had at least a few cases where a foreman pulled people aside, stopped the joking, and made it clear it would not continue. That is not some huge victory. It is basic. But in construction, basic respect is still progress in many places.
Language access for clients and workers
Mesa has many Spanish speaking residents, along with communities that speak other languages at home. When contracts, safety briefings, and change orders are only in English, some people are always at a disadvantage.
The company has started to use:
- Bilingual staff or interpreters during key client meetings
- Written material in more than one language for safety and scope
- Simple diagrams for complex instructions, not just long text
Personally, I think this is one of the easiest steps any contractor in a diverse city can take. It prevents misunderstandings, and it also sends a very plain signal that clients and workers are not second class just because they speak a different language first.
How bias shows up for workers in construction
The anti-discrimination field often talks about corporations, tech companies, and schools. Less about people pouring concrete or framing houses. Yet the same patterns show up.
Unequal safety and dirty work
In some crews, the hardest and dirtiest jobs are quietly given to the same group over and over. New immigrants, younger workers, or people seen as “less likely to complain.” That is a form of discrimination, even if no single order sounds shocking.
Typical signs:
- The same workers always carry the heaviest loads
- One group is sent to remote or very hot areas more often
- Access to better tools or gear is linked to who the foreman likes
When a contractor takes bias seriously, they start tracking who does what tasks. They rotate tough assignments. They keep an eye on patterns that might not be obvious day to day.
Comments on gender and appearance
Women in construction hear things that would get you written up instantly in a white collar office. Jokes about their body. Comments on whether they “belong” on a site. Doubts about their strength, even when they are meeting the same standards as everyone else.
Some firms act like this is just “old school humor.” It is not. It is a way to push people out of the trade.
Companies trying to fight bias have to be blunt here:
- Train supervisors to step in when they hear sexist or homophobic comments
- Write clear range of consequences, from warnings to removal from a site
- Offer private ways to report, not just in front of the whole crew
AZ Dynamic Builders is not unique in facing this. The difference is that they have started to talk about it inside the company, instead of pretending job sites exist outside social rules.
How bias affects clients and projects
Bias is not only an internal HR concern. It changes the quality and fairness of the service that clients receive.
Unequal bids and attention
Consider two small retail businesses in Mesa. One is owned by a long time resident with strong English and existing local ties. The other by a recent immigrant with an accent and a different style of dress. If the contractor gives more time, clearer explanations, and better pricing to the first one, that is discrimination, even if nobody calls it that out loud.
Some of the ways AZ Dynamic Builders and a few other Mesa general contractors are trying to reduce that include:
- Using standard bid templates for all clients
- Explaining line items in simple language for everyone, not only for certain clients
- Keeping records of how long staff spend with each client in early meetings
Standardization is not exciting, but it can cut down on gut-based differences that follow bias lines.
Design choices that ignore some groups
Discrimination can show up in the final building itself. Some very common patterns are:
- Steps at every entrance, making things harder for people with mobility issues
- Lighting that is too dark in hallways, which can affect safety for older people
- Bathrooms with no grab bars or space for assistants
- Workspaces that assume everyone has perfect vision and hearing
You can say “that is an architect issue”, and partially that is true. But contractors can still raise questions, suggest small changes, or at least not block client requests for accessible details.
A contractor cannot fix every design flaw, but they can choose not to be silent when a simple change would help more people feel safe.
What clients who care about discrimination can ask
If you are hiring a contractor in Mesa and you care about bias, you do not have to treat it as a side issue. You can bring it into the normal vendor selection process.
Simple questions you can raise
When you meet a contractor, you can ask very direct and practical questions. For example:
- “How do you handle harassment or disrespect on your job sites?”
- “Do you have women or minority workers in field roles or leadership, not only in the office?”
- “Can you walk me through how you assign tasks and overtime so the same people are not always last in line?”
- “Do you offer materials in more than one language for workers and clients?”
- “Have you received any complaints about discrimination, and how did you respond?”
Some contractors might look surprised. Some might give polished answers that do not say much. You will have to judge the sincerity. But if someone gets angry or dismissive just because you asked, that tells you a lot about how they will handle problems later.
Red flags that suggest bias is not taken seriously
When talking with general contractors, there are some warning signs that should make you step back a bit.
| Red flag | Why it matters |
|---|---|
| “We do not have those problems, our team is like a family” | Families also have conflict; total denial often hides issues |
| “People are too sensitive now” | Shows low interest in listening to experiences that differ from theirs |
| No written policy on harassment or complaints | Makes it harder to hold anyone to clear rules |
| All leadership looks the same, and no effort to change that | Suggests bias in promotion and selection |
| They mock the idea of training around bias | If they mock it, they probably ignore it |
Again, no contractor is perfect. A company can be slow to change but still be moving in the right direction. The main thing is whether they are open to the topic or hostile to it.
Inside steps contractors can take to fight bias
For readers who work in or with construction, you might be wondering what realistic steps look like. Not theory. Daily practice.
Training that fits construction work
Standard corporate training often fails in construction. Long slide decks in a conference room, long legal phrases, abstract scenarios. It loses people.
What helps more is:
- Short toolbox talks that connect bias to safety and daily work
- Real examples from recent jobs, not made up stories from other fields
- Small role plays on how to respond when someone crosses a line
- Supervisors modeling the behavior, not just HR staff
From what some field workers report, AZ Dynamic Builders has started including respect topics in safety talks, rather than treating them as a separate HR chore. That does not fix bias, but it knits it into the daily routine, which matters.
Tracking complaints and follow through
Policies do not matter if complaints go into a black hole. A contractor that is serious about bias will:
- Offer more than one channel to report (supervisor, HR, anonymous line)
- Log each complaint with a brief, factual summary
- Record what action was taken, even if it was “no action, lack of evidence”
- Protect the worker from instant backlash for speaking up
This does not need some fancy system. A simple spreadsheet and some discipline go a long way.
Looking at pay and promotion by group
This part often makes owners nervous. They fear that checking for patterns will create legal risk. In reality, not checking does not prevent risk; it only hides it.
Contractors can run a simple internal review:
- List pay rates, positions, and years of experience
- Group by role and compare pay across gender, race, and age
- Check who gets higher profile projects or leadership chances
If they see that one group is stuck in low level roles, that is a signal for further digging. It does not prove bias alone, but it is a clue. The companies that care will act on those clues instead of looking away.
What anti-discrimination advocates can learn from contractors
It is easy to look at construction from the outside and think it is behind other fields. In some ways, that is true. But there is also something honest about the trade that can be useful.
Contractors live in a world of constraints. Weather, materials, labor, code rules. They cannot wait for the perfect plan. They get used to making small, concrete changes that fit noisy, messy reality.
When this mindset is turned toward bias, it can produce steps that are not fancy but real:
- Rewrite a foreman checklist to include respect topics
- Add a single, clear line about harassment in every sub agreement
- Set one simple metric, like “zero tolerance for slurs on job sites,” and talk about it weekly
Advocates sometimes get stuck trying to design total systems. Contractors can remind us that progress can start with one clause, one practice, one conversation that repeats.
Is this enough, or just a start?
If you follow anti-discrimination work, you might read all this and say, “It is not bold enough.” I partly agree. There is still a long way to go for construction in Mesa and almost everywhere.
At the same time, I think small, honest steps inside a general contractor matter more than one perfect policy file that never reaches the field. A foreman interrupting a sexist joke in front of a crew can change that crew’s culture faster than one expensive slogan on a website.
Still, you should not take any company’s claims at face value, including AZ Dynamic Builders. Ask questions. Watch how they act under stress. Listen to how they talk about workers who complain or clients who ask hard questions.
Common question: How can I, as a client, quietly push my contractor to be fairer?
Q: I am planning a remodel in Mesa and care about discrimination, but I do not run the company. What real influence do I have?
A: You have more influence than it might seem, though not total control.
Some concrete things you can do:
- Include a short clause in your contract about harassment and respectful behavior on your property
- Tell the contractor upfront that you expect diverse workers to be treated fairly and safely on your site
- Ask who to contact if you see or hear problematic behavior during the project
- Pay attention to how crew members are treated in front of you and, if it feels safe, raise concerns right away
- Reward good behavior by giving clear, public feedback when you see supervisors acting fairly
You will not fix the whole industry with one project. But your choices, questions, and dollars can support the Mesa general contractors who actually try to fight bias instead of pretending it does not exist.