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    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


    Tom Newmeyer Elected Director At Large to the 2017 Orange County Bar Association Board of Directors

    China Construction Bank Sued in US Over Reinsurance Fraud Losses

    Congratulations to BWB&O’s 2021 Super Lawyers Rising Stars!

    Conn. Appellate Court Overturns Jury Verdict, Holding Plaintiff’s Sole Remedy for Injuries Arising From Open Manhole Was State’s Highway Defect Statute

    Undercover Sting Nabs Eleven Illegal Contractors in California

    New York Court of Appeals Takes Narrow View of Labor Law Provisions in Recent Cases

    State Farm Too Quick To Deny Coverage, Court Rules

    Professor Senet’s List of 25 Decisions Every California Construction Lawyer Should Know:

    Bank Window Lawsuit Settles Quietly

    A Compilation of Quirky Insurance Claims

    Testimony from Insureds' Expert Limited By Motion In Limine

    Buy a House or Pay Off College? $1.2 Trillion Student Debt Heats Up in Capital

    Claim for Punitive Damages Based on Insurers' Alleged Bad Faith Business Practices Fails

    Gloria Gaynor Sues Contractor over Defective Deck Construction

    Why’d You Have To Say That?

    CAPSA Changes Now in Effect

    Disaster Remediation Contracts: Understanding the Law to Avoid a Second Disaster

    HOA Coalition Statement on Construction-Defects Transparency Legislation

    Focusing on Design Elements of the 2014 World Cup Stadiums

    Workers Hurt in Casino Floor Collapse

    New York Appellate Court Addresses “Trigger of Coverage” for Asbestos Claims and Other Coverage Issues

    California’s Skilled and Trained Workforce Requirements: Public Works and AB 3018, What You Need to Know

    Bill Taylor Co-Authors Chapter in Pennsylvania Construction Law Book

    Toll Brothers Shows how the Affluent Buyer is Driving Up Prices

    A Community Constantly on the Brink of Disaster

    Saving Manhattan: Agencies, Consultants, Contractors Join Fight to Keep New York City Above Water

    Alexus Williams Receives Missouri Lawyers Media 2021 Women’s Justice Pro Bono Award

    Thanks for the Super Lawyers Nod for 2019!

    Ruling Closes the Loop on Restrictive Additional Insured Endorsement – Reasonable Expectations of Insured Builder Prevails Over Intent of Insurer

    Updated 3/13/20: Coronavirus is Here: What Does That Mean for Your Project and Your Business?

    I.M. Pei, Architect Who Designed Louvre Pyramid, Dies at 102

    Arizona Contractor Designs Water-Repellant Cabinets

    Connecticut Civil Engineers Give the State's Infrastructure a "C" Grade

    NY State Appellate Court Holds That Pollution Exclusions Bar Duty to Defend Under Liability Policies for Claims Alleging Exposure to PFAS

    Late Filing Contractor Barred from Involving Subcontractors in Construction Defect Claim

    Insurer’s Duty to Indemnify Not Ripe Until Underlying Lawsuit Against Insured Resolved

    Legislation Update: S-865 Public-Private Partnerships in New Jersey Passed by Both Houses-Awaiting Governor’s Signature

    Balcony Collapses Killing Six People

    Endorsements Do Not Exclude Coverage for Wrongful Death Claim

    Portion of Washington State’s Prevailing Wage Statute Struck Down … Again

    Pennsylvania Federal Court Addresses Recurring Asbestos Coverage Issues

    The Indemnification Limitation in Section 725.06 does not apply to Utility Horizontal-Type Projects

    Courts Are Ordering Remote Depositions as the COVID-19 Pandemic Continues

    Accident/Occurrence Requirement Does not Preclude Coverage for Vicarious Liability or Negligent Supervision

    BIM Legal Liabilities: Not That Different

    Settlement Reached on Troubled Harbor Bridge in Corpus Christi, Texas

    Loss Caused by Subcontractor's Faulty Work Covered in Georgia

    When “Substantially Similar” Means “Fundamentally Identical”: Delaware Court Enforces Related Claim Provision to Deny D&O Coverage for Securities Class Action

    Unlicensed Contractors Nabbed in Sting Operation

    Assignment of Insured's Policy Ineffective
    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

    Patti Santelle Honored by Rutgers School of Law with Arthur E. Armitage Sr. Distinguished Alumni Award

    March 01, 2021 —
    White and Williams is proud to announce that Patti Santelle, Chair Emeritus, will be honored by the Rutgers School of Law-Camden Alumni Association with the 2020 Arthur E. Armitage Sr. Distinguished Alumni Award. The Armitage Award was established in 1983 in memory of Armitage, who, with a group of interested citizens, founded both the South Jersey Law School in 1926 and its companion College of South Jersey in 1927. Past recipients include governors, member of Congress, state and federal judges, and industry leaders. Patti, a 1985 graduate, is a Co-Chair of the Executive Committee of the newly established Rutgers Law Alumnae Network and a Past Chancellor and long-time member of the Board of the Rutgers-Camden Law Alumni Association. While in law school, she was President of the Student Bar Association, winner of the Hunter Advanced Moot Court Competition and a member of the National Moot Court Team. In 2010, Patti received the Scarlet Oak Meritorious Service Award from Rutgers University for her contributions as an alumni leader and student mentor at the law school. For the past seven years, she served as the Managing Partner and Chair of the Executive Committee at White and Williams, the first woman in the firm’s history and in the City of Philadelphia to serve in that role in a major law firm. Read the court decision
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    Reprinted courtesy of Patricia Santelle, White and Williams
    Ms. Santelle may be contacted at santellep@whiteandwilliams.com

    Noncumulation Clause Limits Coverage to One Occurrence

    January 07, 2015 —
    Injury suffered by children of different families living at different times in the same apartment was limited to one occurrence under the policy's noncumulation clause. Nesmith v. Allstate Ins. Co., 2014 N.Y. LEXIS 3350 (N.Y. Nov. 25, 2014). The landlord had a liability policy issued by Allstate. The declarations page stated there was a $500,000 limit for "each occurrence." The policy contained the following noncumulation clause:
    Regardless of the number of insured persons, injured persons, claims, claimants or policies involved, our total liability . . . for damages resulting from one accidental loss will not exceed the limit shown on the declarations page. All bodily injury . . . resulting from one accidental loss or from continuous or repeated exposure to the same general conditions is considered the result of one accidental loss.
    Read the court decision
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    Reprinted courtesy of Tred R. Eyerly, Insurance Law Hawaii
    Mr. Eyerly may be contacted at te@hawaiilawyer.com

    Jury's Verdict for Loss Caused by Collapse Overturned

    September 18, 2023 —
    The Florida Court of Appeal overturned the jury's verdict findng loss caused by collapse. Universal Prop. & Cas. Ins. Co. v. Caboverde, 2023 Fla. App. LEXIS 4474 (Fla. Ct. App. June 28, 2023). The insured homeowners had two claims. One was a 2016 ceiling collapse; the second was loss caused by Hurricane Irma in 2019. The homeowners' policy covered collapse defined as "an abrupt falling down or caving in of a building or any part of a building with the result that the building . . . cannot be occupied for its intended purpose." Collapse had to be caused by, among other things, decay or insect damage that was hidden from view. Read the court decision
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    Reprinted courtesy of Tred R. Eyerly, Damon Key Leong Kupchak Hastert
    Mr. Eyerly may be contacted at te@hawaiilawyer.com

    The Colorado Construction Defect Reform Act Explained

    December 11, 2013 —
    Colorado passed its Construction Action Defect Reform Act twelve years ago, but as Anne K. McMichael of Zupkus & Angell, PC, points out, “while portions of this act are reasonably straightforward, several of the sections are subject to ongoing debate as to how these concepts should be applied to achieve fair and unbiased results.” The process for a construction defect claim under the CDARA starts with filing a notice of defects, after which the construction professional is permitted to inspect the alleged defect. The construction professional can then offer to repair or settle. The law offers protections for construction professionals who follow through with the process. But, as Ms. McMichael notes, these are denied to construction professionals who do not make offers, fail to meet settlement agreements, or offers a settlement that is insufficient for repairs. Read the court decision
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    Reprinted courtesy of

    Haight Expands California Reach – Opens Office in Sacramento

    October 21, 2015 —
    Haight Brown & Bonesteel LLP is excited to announce that the firm has opened an office in Sacramento with the addition of two new attorneys – Elizabeth W. Lawley has joined as Managing Partner for the Sacramento office and Gino Cano as Senior Counsel. Lawley and Cano bring their thriving practices to Haight with expertise in construction law and general liability matters. With the addition of Sacramento, Haight now has six offices throughout the State of California. Our footprint and ability to provide exceptional service is greatly expanded. Haight Brown & Bonesteel LLP 2485 Natomas Park Drive Suite 450 Sacramento, CA 95833 www.hbblaw.com Read the court decision
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    Reprinted courtesy of

    Guarantor’s Liability on Partially Secured Debts – The Impacts of Pay Down Provisions in Serpanok Construction Inc. v. Point Ruston, LLC et al.

    October 24, 2021 —
    In Serpanok Construction, Inc. v. Point Ruston, LLC, Division Two of the Washington Court of Appeals decided an issue of first impression in Washington—whether a guarantor of a partially secured debt remains liable until the last dollar of the entire debt is paid off. After examining cases from other jurisdictions, the court held that that a guarantor is liable until the underlying debt is paid in full unless the agreement contains an express pay down provision. A pay down provision sets forth the guarantor’s right to reduce its obligation to the extent of any payment toward the debt, and it establishes that the guaranty applies only until an amount equivalent to the guaranteed amount is paid off. The Serpanok decision addressed several other issues, but the published portion of this part-published case focused on whether an entity involved in a real estate development, Point Ruston LLC, was discharged from its guaranty obligation following a foreclosure sale where the proceeds did not cover the entire debt owed to a subcontractor. Point Ruston LLC, Point Ruston Phase II LLC (“Phase II”), and Century Condominiums (“Century”) were affiliated entities (collectively “Point Ruston parties”) that constructed retail and residential structures on a site in Point Ruston. Serpanok Construction Inc. (“Serpanok”) entered into subcontract agreements with Phase II and Century to perform concrete and steel work on a parking garage and movie theater for the project. Point Ruston LLC was not a party to either subcontract. Read the court decision
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    Reprinted courtesy of Margarita Kutsin, Ahlers Cressman & Sleight
    Ms. Kutsin may be contacted at margarita.kutsin@acslawyers.com

    24th Annual West Coast Casualty Construction Defect Seminar A Success

    June 05, 2017 —
    The 24th Annual West Coast Casualty Construction Defect seminar was once again, a huge success . On May 18-19, 2017 attendees from the legal, insurance, builder, contractor, subcontractor and numerous other industries came from across the United States and several foreign countries to the 24th Annual West Coast Casualty Construction Defect Seminar. Caryn Siebert, Vice President and Chief Claims Officer of The Knight Insurance Group was awarded The Jerrold S. Oliver Award of Excellence. This award recognizes a person who has contributed to the betterment of the construction defect community. For more information on the Oliver Award of Excellence, please visit: http://www.westcoastcasualty.com/seminar/ollie-award-voting/ Bert L. Howe & Associates, Inc.’s golf challenge raised $2,225.00 for the National Coalition for Homeless Veterans and $1,900 for Final Salute. The grand total for all charitable contributions raised this year at the seminar was $45,300.00. For more information on the National Coalition for Homeless Vets, please visit: http://nchv.org/ To learn more about how Final Salute provides homeless women Veterans with safe and suitable housing, please visit: http://www.finalsaluteinc.org/ Read the court decision
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    Reprinted courtesy of

    Ohio Supreme Court Case to Decide Whether or Not to Expand Insurance Coverage Under GC’s CGL Insurance Policies

    August 14, 2018 —
    According to W. Matthew Bryant of Saul Ewing Arnstein & Lehr LLP, the Ohio Supreme Court will be deciding whether or not a general contractor's commercial general liability ("CGL") insurance policy may provide coverage for damage caused by a subcontractor's defective construction work. Bryant explained the status quo in Ohio: “Since 2012, Ohio has followed the rule that a CGL policy would not cover damage caused by a contractor to the contractor's own work.” That could change depending on how the Ohio Supreme Court rules in an upcoming case: “The Ohio Supreme Court will decide whether to affirm or overturn Ohio Northern University v. Charles Construction Services, Inc., 77 N.E.3d 538 (Ohio Ct. App. 2017) ("ONU"), an Ohio Court of Appeals decision holding that CGL coverage may exist for property damage caused by faulty work performed by the subcontractor of an insured general contractor.” Read the court decision
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    Reprinted courtesy of