BERT HOWE
  • Nationwide: (800) 482-1822    
    retail construction building expert Seattle Washington Subterranean parking building expert Seattle Washington condominium building expert Seattle Washington multi family housing building expert Seattle Washington Medical building building expert Seattle Washington parking structure building expert Seattle Washington structural steel construction building expert Seattle Washington custom homes building expert Seattle Washington casino resort building expert Seattle Washington industrial building building expert Seattle Washington low-income housing building expert Seattle Washington office building building expert Seattle Washington mid-rise construction building expert Seattle Washington housing building expert Seattle Washington condominiums building expert Seattle Washington tract home building expert Seattle Washington hospital construction building expert Seattle Washington townhome construction building expert Seattle Washington high-rise construction building expert Seattle Washington custom home building expert Seattle Washington production housing building expert Seattle Washington landscaping construction building expert Seattle Washington
    Seattle Washington architectural engineering expert witnessSeattle Washington OSHA expert witness constructionSeattle Washington fenestration expert witnessSeattle Washington roofing construction expertSeattle Washington construction claims expert witnessSeattle Washington building code compliance expert witnessSeattle Washington expert witness roofing
    Arrange No Cost Consultation
    Building Expert Builders Information
    Seattle, Washington

    Washington Builders Right To Repair Current Law Summary:

    Current Law Summary: (SB 5536) The legislature passed a contractor protection bill that reduces contractors' exposure to lawsuits to six years from 12, and gives builders seven "affirmative defenses" to counter defect complaints from homeowners. Claimant must provide notice no later than 45 days before filing action; within 21 days of notice of claim, "construction professional" must serve response; claimant must accept or reject inspection proposal or settlement offer within 30 days; within 14 days following inspection, construction pro must serve written offer to remedy/compromise/settle; claimant can reject all offers; statutes of limitations are tolled until 60 days after period of time during which filing of action is barred under section 3 of the act. This law applies to single-family dwellings and condos.


    Building Expert Contractors Licensing
    Guidelines Seattle Washington

    A license is required for plumbing, and electrical trades. Businesses must register with the Secretary of State.


    Building Expert Contractors Building Industry
    Association Directory
    MBuilders Association of King & Snohomish Counties
    Local # 4955
    335 116th Ave SE
    Bellevue, WA 98004

    Seattle Washington Building Expert 10/ 10

    Home Builders Association of Kitsap County
    Local # 4944
    5251 Auto Ctr Way
    Bremerton, WA 98312

    Seattle Washington Building Expert 10/ 10

    Home Builders Association of Spokane
    Local # 4966
    5813 E 4th Ave Ste 201
    Spokane, WA 99212

    Seattle Washington Building Expert 10/ 10

    Home Builders Association of North Central
    Local # 4957
    PO Box 2065
    Wenatchee, WA 98801

    Seattle Washington Building Expert 10/ 10

    MBuilders Association of Pierce County
    Local # 4977
    PO Box 1913 Suite 301
    Tacoma, WA 98401

    Seattle Washington Building Expert 10/ 10

    North Peninsula Builders Association
    Local # 4927
    PO Box 748
    Port Angeles, WA 98362
    Seattle Washington Building Expert 10/ 10

    Jefferson County Home Builders Association
    Local # 4947
    PO Box 1399
    Port Hadlock, WA 98339

    Seattle Washington Building Expert 10/ 10


    Building Expert News and Information
    For Seattle Washington


    Congratulations to all of our 2023 Attorneys Named as Super Lawyers and Rising Stars

    Attorneys’ Fees Are Available in Arizona Eviction Actions

    With No Evidence of COVID-19 Being Present, DC Trial Court Finds No Claim for Business Interruption

    Insurer Prohibited from Bringing Separate Contribution Action in Subrogation to Rights of Suspended Insured

    Virginia General Assembly Helps Construction Contractors

    Mediating Contract Claims and Disputes at the ASBCA

    Things You Didn't Know About Your Homeowners Policy

    5 Ways Equipment Financing is Empowering Small Construction Businesses

    Expert's Opinions On Causation Leads Way To Summary Judgment For Insurer

    Florida Governor Signs COVID-19 Liability Shield

    Study Finds San Francisco Bay is Sinking Faster than Expected

    Is Solar the Next Focus of Construction Defect Suits?

    Finding Insurer's Declaratory Relief Action Raises Unsettled Questions of State Law, Case is Dismissed

    Appropriation Bill Cuts Military Construction Spending

    Failing to Pay Prevailing Wages May Have Just Cost You More Than You Thought

    No Coverage for Property Damage That is Limited to Work Completed by Subcontractor

    Thank You for 14 Consecutive Years of Legal Elite Elections

    Define the Forum and Scope of Recovery in Contract Disputes

    To Ease Housing Crunch, Theme Parks Are Becoming Homebuilders

    Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court Strikes a Deathblow to Substantial Factor Causation in Most Cases; Is Asbestos Litigation Next?

    APROPLAN and GenieBelt Merge, Creating “LetsBuild” – the Build Phase End-to-End Digital Platform

    Guidance for Construction Leaders: How Is the Americans With Disabilities Act Applied During the Pandemic?

    The Other Side of the North Dakota Oil Boom: Evictions

    Hundreds Celebrated the Grand Opening of the Associated Builders and Contractors of Southern California Riverside Construction Training Center

    Federal Court Enforces “Limits” and “Most We Will Pay” Clauses in Additional Insured Endorsement

    Las Vegas HOA Case Defense Attorney Alleges Misconduct by Justice Department

    Client Alert: Michigan Insurance Company Not Subject to Personal Jurisdiction in California for Losses Suffered in Arkansas

    Insurer Not Entitled to Summary Judgment Based Upon Vandalism Exclusion

    Repair of Part May Necessitate Replacement of Whole

    Spearin Doctrine: Alive, Well and Thriving on its 100th Birthday

    Professional Malpractice Statute of Limitations in Construction Context

    Presidential Executive Order 14008: The Climate Crisis Order

    Arizona Supreme Court Holds a Credit Bid at a Trustee’s Sale Should Not be Credited to a Title Insurer Under a Standard Lender’s Title Policy To the Extent the Bid Exceeds the Collateral’s Fair Market Value

    Denver Parking Garage Roof Collapses Crushing Vehicles

    White and Williams Obtains Reversal on Appeal of $2.5 Million Verdict Against Electric Utility Company

    A DC Office Building Offers a Lesson in Glass and Sculpture

    U.K. Developer Pledges Building Safety in Wake of Grenfell

    Top Five General Tips for All Construction Contracts

    Construction Bidding for Success

    Time Limits on Hidden Construction Defects

    What Every Project Participant Needs to Know About Delay Claims

    National Infrastructure Leaders Visit Dallas' Able Pump Station to Tout Benefits of Water Infrastructure Investment

    Luxury Home Sales are on the Rise

    Texas Federal Court Finds Total Pollution Exclusion Does Not Foreclose a Duty to Defend Waterway Degradation Lawsuit

    Industry Standard and Sole Negligence Defenses Can’t Fix a Defect

    9th Circuit Plumbs Through the Federal and State False Claims Acts

    Appraisal Ordered After Carrier Finds Loss Even if Cause Disputed

    Claim Preclusion: The Doctrine Everyone Thinks They Know But No One Really Knows What it Means in Practice

    Subrogation 101 (and Why Should I Care?)

    San Diego Appellate Team Prevails in Premises Liability Appeal
    Corporate Profile

    SEATTLE WASHINGTON BUILDING EXPERT
    DIRECTORY AND CAPABILITIES

    The Seattle, Washington Building Expert Group at BHA, leverages from the experience gained through more than 7,000 construction related expert witness designations encompassing a wide spectrum of construction related disputes. Drawing from this considerable body of experience, BHA provides construction related trial support and expert services to Seattle's most recognized construction litigation practitioners, commercial general liability carriers, owners, construction practice groups, as well as a variety of state and local government agencies.

    Building Expert News & Info
    Seattle, Washington

    Building Supplier Sued for Late and Defective Building Materials

    December 04, 2013 —
    The Lawson Henry Co. bought an unfinished townhome in Snowshoe, West Virginia with the intent of getting it finished and sold. To reach that goal, they contracted with O.C. Cluss Professional Services and O.C. Cluss Lumber Co. to provide them with building materials. According to the plaintiff, Cluss failed to deliver the building materials by the agreed-on date, causing the plaintiff to miss out on the peak season for selling the townhome. The suit also alleges that in addition to materials being delivered late, some were defective or of poor quality. The Lawson Henry Co. is charging Charles C. Cluss and his companies of breach of contract. Read the court decision
    Read the full story...
    Reprinted courtesy of

    Certificates of Merit: Is Your Texas Certificate Sufficient?

    January 22, 2024 —
    In Eric L. Davis Eng’g, Inc. v. Hegemeyer, No. 14-22-00657-CV, 2023 Tex. App. LEXIS 8899, the Court of Appeals of Texas (Court of Appeals) considered whether the plaintiffs’ certificate of merit, in support of their professional malpractice claim against the defendant engineers, adequately set forth the experience and qualifications of the expert who submitted the certificate. The defendants filed a motion to dismiss, alleging that the certificate of merit was inadequate because it failed to establish that the expert practiced in the same specific areas as the defendants in relation to the work at issue. The lower court denied the defendants’ motion. The Court of Appeals affirmed the lower court’s decision, finding that there was sufficient information for the lower court to have reasonably found that the plaintiffs’ expert practiced in the same area as the defendants. In Hegemeyer, the plaintiffs sued Eric L. Davis Engineering, Inc. (Davis) and Kenneth L. Douglass (Douglass), alleging improper design of their home’s foundation. The plaintiffs retained Davis to design and engineer the home and Douglass prepared the plans for the home. The plans called for the installation of post-tension cables in the home’s foundation. The plaintiffs alleged that the foundation design was improper and brought professional malpractice claims against Davis and Douglass. Read the court decision
    Read the full story...
    Reprinted courtesy of Gus Sara, White and Williams
    Mr. Sara may be contacted at sarag@whiteandwilliams.com

    Contractor Manslaughter? Safety Shortcuts Are Not Worth It

    August 11, 2011 —

    It’s been a while since I discussed the importance of safety. But, a recent article on ENR.com compelled this brief article. Don’t shortcut safety — you could be facing serious criminal repercussions.

    A New York crane company owner and one of his employees are each facing a second-degree manslaughter charge for the death of two construction workers.  The charges stem from the collapse of a crane in New York City. The district attorney determined that the crane owner cut a few corners to reduce its operation costs, significantly sacrificing safety.

    Another example was the 2010 trial of another New York crane operator who was charged with manslaughter. In that case, the criminal charges failed to stick, but an administrative judge found that the contractor used a damaged sling to support the steel collar binding the tower-crane mast to the 18th floor of a high-rise building being constructed. The company also used four slings instead of the eight, as specified by the crane manufacturer; improperly attached the slings and failed to pad or soften them.

    Read the full story…

    Reprinted courtesy of Douglas Reiser of Reiser Legal LLC. Mr. Reiser can be contacted at info@reiserlegal.com

    Read the court decision
    Read the full story...
    Reprinted courtesy of

    Ten Firm Members Recognized as Super Lawyers or Rising Stars

    July 13, 2017 —
    While we avoid using this blog as a platform for self-promotion, we recently received share-worthy distinctions, which both flatter and humble us. We invite you, our loyal readers, to celebrate in our success, which in great measure is due to you. John P. Ahlers, one of the firm's founding partners, was ranked third overall across all practicing industries in Washington 2017 Super Lawyers and founding partner Paul R. Cressman, Jr. was ranked in the Top 100. The following other firm members were also recognized as Super Lawyers: Founding partner Scott R. Sleight, Bruce A. Cohen (Partner), Brett M. Hill (Partner), and Lawrence Glosser (Partner). In addition, Ryan W. Sternoff (Partner), James R. Lynch (Partner), Tymon Berger (Associate), and Lindsay (Taft) Watkins (Associate) were selected as Super Lawyers Rising Stars. Over half of the firm's lawyers received Super Lawyers distinction. Super Lawyers selects attorneys using a patented multiphase selection process. Peer nominations and evaluations are combined with third party research. Each attorney candidate is evaluated on 12 indicators of peer recognition and professional achievement. Only five percent of the total lawyers in Washington State are selected for the honor of Super Lawyers and no more than 2.5 percent are selected for the honor of Super Lawyers Rising Stars. Read the court decision
    Read the full story...
    Reprinted courtesy of Ceslie Blass, Ahlers & Cressman PLLC
    Ms. Blass may be contacted at cblass@ac-lawyers.com

    Evergrande’s Condemned Towers on China’s Hawaii Show Threat

    January 24, 2022 —
    The wrecking ball headed for 39 apartment blocks on a tropical island at the southern tip of China poses the latest threat for China Evergrande Group as local governments race to reclaim land ahead of a looming restructuring of the embattled developer. The government of Danzhou, a city in the province of Hainan, has asked Evergrande to tear down what it says are illegal buildings within 10 days. The order was signed Dec. 30, meaning the company could start demolition work on the near-complete condos by Jan. 9. Evergrande has appealed the order, according to a media report. The Hainan edict is among the most extreme in a spate of government actions to seize Evergande’s property and land holdings, underscoring risks to its most-prized assets as the firm prepares for what could be the largest restructuring ever in China. In recent months, at least 11 land parcels have been targeted for confiscation by local authorities for reasons ranging from idle projects to missing fee payments. Read the court decision
    Read the full story...
    Reprinted courtesy of Bloomberg

    Mitigating the Consequences of Labor Unrest on Construction Projects

    February 14, 2023 —
    Until this past year, we have enjoyed an era of relative labor stability. It’s true, however, that labor unrest frequently coincides with inflationary pressure on prices, something that we are currently experiencing. The recent nationwide rail workers strike was averted only through the extraordinary intervention of the federal government. More recently, thousands of academic workers in the University of California system went on strike. Underscoring this development was a November 2022 New York Times article reporting that polls showed the highest level of support for organized labor since the 1960s. The same article also quoted a professor of labor relations warning that the current economy presents a high potential for strikes. This recalls the sixties and seventies when increased costs due to inflation led to a multitude of strikes. The construction industry has been historically strike-prone with approximately 22% of all strikes during the 1960s involving construction projects, contrasted with the fact that construction workers themselves accounted for only roughly 5% of the nation’s nonagricultural labor force. Incredibly, in 1969 alone, a record number of nearly 1,000 construction strikes occurred nationwide with 20 million worker days lost, more than five times the lost working time of the rest of the economy.[1] Reprinted courtesy of Cameron Lukas, Peckar & Abramson, P.C, Alan Winkler, Peckar & Abramson, P.C and Gregory Begg, Peckar & Abramson, P.C Mr. Lukas may be contacted at clukas@pecklaw.com Mr. Winkler may be contacted at awinkler@pecklaw.com Mr. Begg may be contacted at gbegg@pecklaw.com Read the court decision
    Read the full story...
    Reprinted courtesy of

    Broker for Homeowners Policy Has No Duty to Advise Insureds on Excess Flood Coverage

    November 02, 2017 —
    A broker who assisted the insureds in procuring a homeowners policy had no duty to advise the insureds to secure additional flood coverage. Ring v. Meeker Sharkey Assocs., LLC, 2017 N.J. Super. Unpub. LEXIS 3458 (N.J. Super Ct. App. Div. Sept.26, 2017). The insureds owned two beachfront properties that were located in a designated flood zone. They secured homeowners and flood insurance through Meeker's predecessor. Subsequently, Meeker became the insureds' homeowners insurance broker while Willis, N.A. was their flood insurance broker. Read the court decision
    Read the full story...
    Reprinted courtesy of Tred R. Eyerly - Insurance Law Hawaii
    Mr. Eyerly may be contacted at te@hawaiilawyer.com

    Brief Overview of Rights of Unlicensed Contractors in California

    September 10, 2014 —
    Under California Contractor’s State License Law enumerated in Business and Professions Code Sections 7000 to 7191, a contractor may not “bring or maintain” any action for compensation for performing any act or contract for which a license is required unless the contractor was duly licensed “at all times” during performance. Bus & Prof Code Section 7031(a). What does this mean and who does it include? This is a question that often has to be answered on a case by case basis. Basically, California does not want unlicensed contractors to be able to get paid for work that should be performed by a licensed contractor. The law has set forth some general parameters. General contractors, subcontractors, and master developers must be licensed. However, suppliers, manufacturers, laborers and equipment lessors are exempt and do not need a contractor’s license. Essentially, those parties that merely furnish material or supplies without fabricating them into, or consuming them in the performance of work, do not need to be licensed. Bus & Prof Code Section 7052. There are sever fines and penalties for those who improperly perform construction work without a license. A contract between any contractor and an unlicensed subcontractor is a misdemeanor. Lack of a license bars all actions in law or in equity for collection of compensation for the performance of work requiring a license. There are very few exceptions to this rule. A “savvy” unlicensed contractor cannot simply avoid these requirements by “subbing” out all the work to licensed contractors. Any person who uses the services of an unlicensed contractor may file a court action or cross-complaint to recover all payments made to the unlicensed contractor. In addition, a person who uses the services of an unlicensed contractor is a victim of a crime and eligible for restitution of economic losses regardless of whether that person had knowledge that the contractor was unlicensed. Bus. & Prof Code Sections 7028, 7028.16. It goes without saying that performing work without a license on projects is a bad idea. Reprinted courtesy of William M. Kaufman, Lockhart Park LP Mr. Kaufman may be contacted at wkaufman@lockhartpark.com, and you may visit the firm's website at www.lockhartpark.com Read the court decision
    Read the full story...
    Reprinted courtesy of