The California Supreme Court has recently raised the risk of liability for developers and builders constructing projects on their own real property for injuries suffered by independent contractors based on a failure by the developer or builder to disclose hazardous conditions on the property to the independent contractor. Numerous potential nondisclosed hazardous conditions might create builder liability such as unstable soils/slide potential, presence of underground fuel tanks, presence of combustible underground natural gasses, presence of lead or asbestos, unstable buildings in a remodel situation, or unstable trees near construction site.

Prior to this recent decision, the independent contractors sole remedy was worker's compensation insurance coverage.