BERT HOWE
  • Nationwide: (800) 482-1822    
    parking structure building expert Seattle Washington low-income housing building expert Seattle Washington office building building expert Seattle Washington concrete tilt-up building expert Seattle Washington Subterranean parking building expert Seattle Washington landscaping construction building expert Seattle Washington institutional building building expert Seattle Washington retail construction building expert Seattle Washington custom home building expert Seattle Washington structural steel construction building expert Seattle Washington multi family housing building expert Seattle Washington high-rise construction building expert Seattle Washington custom homes building expert Seattle Washington condominiums building expert Seattle Washington tract home building expert Seattle Washington townhome construction building expert Seattle Washington condominium building expert Seattle Washington housing building expert Seattle Washington industrial building building expert Seattle Washington mid-rise construction building expert Seattle Washington hospital construction building expert Seattle Washington production housing building expert Seattle Washington
    Seattle Washington expert witness structural engineerSeattle Washington construction expertsSeattle Washington ada design expert witnessSeattle Washington expert witness windowsSeattle Washington eifs expert witnessSeattle Washington structural concrete expertSeattle Washington consulting engineers
    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


    Minnesota Supreme Court Dismisses Vikings Stadium Funding Lawsuit

    California Supreme Court Rejects Third Exception to Privette Doctrine

    Insurance Lawyers Recognized by JD Supra 2020 Readers' Choice Awards

    Reasonable Expectations – Pennsylvania’s Case by Case Approach to the Sutton Rule

    Another Reason to Always Respond (or Hensel Phelps Wins One!)

    An Oregon School District Files Suit Against Robinson Construction Co.

    Consequential Damages Can Be Recovered Against Insurer In Breach Of Contract

    Not a Waiver for All: Maryland Declines to Apply Subrogation Waiver to Subcontractors

    Want to Use Drones in Your Construction Project? FAA Has Just Made It Easier.

    Failure to Comply with Contract Leaves No Additional Insured Coverage

    Parties Can Agree to Anything In A Settlement Agreement………Or Can They?

    Insured's Experts Excluded, But Insurer's Motion for Summary Judgment Denied

    Wildfire Risk Harms California Home Values, San Francisco Fed Study Finds

    Vancouver’s George Massey Tunnel Replacement May Now be a Tunnel Instead of a Bridge

    Wood Smith Henning & Berman LLP Expands into Georgia

    Incorporate Sustainability in Building Design to Meet Green Construction Goals

    Rikus Locati Selected to 2024 Northern California Rising Stars!

    Association Bound by Arbitration Provision in Purchase-And-Sale Contracts and Deeds

    Eastern District of Pennsylvania Confirms Carrier Owes No Duty to Defend Against Claims for Faulty Workmanship

    Meet BWBO’s 2024 San Diego Super Lawyers Rising Stars!

    Application of Frye Test to Determine Admissibility of Expert

    Manhattan to Get Tall, Skinny Tower

    Eight Things You Need to Know About the AAA’s New Construction Arbitration Rules

    Contractors Liable For Their Subcontractor’s Failure To Pay Its Employees’ Wages And Benefits

    Tennessee High Court Excludes Labor Costs from Insurer’s Actual Cash Value Depreciation Calculations

    Saved By The Statute: The Economic Loss Doctrine Does Not Bar Claims Under Pennsylvania’s Unfair Trade Practices and Consumer Protection Law

    Bridge Disaster - Italy’s Moment of Truth

    Third Circuit Holds That Duty to Indemnify "Follows" Duty to Defend

    The Prompt Payment Act Obligation is Not Triggered When the Owner Holds Less Retention from the General Contractor

    California Federal Court Finds a Breach of Contract Exclusion in a CGL Policy Bars All Coverage for a Construction Defect Action

    California Court of Appeal Vacates $30M Non-Economic Damages Award Due to Failure to Properly Apportion Liability and Attorney Misconduct During Closing Argument

    Not to Miss at This Year’s Archtober Festival

    Certificates Of Merit For NC Lawsuits Against Engineers And Architects? (Still No)(Law Note)

    Inverse Condemnation and Roadwork

    Contractor Walks Off Job. What are the Owner’s Damages?

    New Executive Order: Revitalizing Our Nation’s Commitment to Environmental Justice for All

    Why A Jury Found That Contractor 'Retaliated' Against Undocumented Craft Worker

    Party Loses Additional Insured Argument by Improper Pleading

    Handshake Deals Gone Wrong

    Texas Legislative Update

    New OSHA Rule Creates Electronic Reporting Requirement

    Four Dead After Crane Collapses at Google’s Seattle Campus

    Homeowners Sue Over Sinkholes, Use Cash for Other Things

    Don’t Believe Everything You Hear: Liability of Asbestos Pipe Manufacturer Upheld Despite Exculpatory Testimony of Plaintiff

    Legislative Update on Bills of Note (Updated Post-Adjournment)

    U.K. Broadens Crackdown on Archaic Property Leasehold System

    New Home Construction Booming in Texas

    Construction Defect Claims Not Covered

    Inspired by Filipino Design, an Apartment Building Looks Homeward

    Contractors Struggle with Cash & Difficult Payment Terms, Could Benefit From Legal Advice, According to New Survey
    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. Leveraging 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

    Attorneys’ Fees and the American Arbitration Association Rule

    September 09, 2024 —
    A common question from clients, when a dispute arises on a construction project, is whether they can recover their attorney’s fees from the other side if they pursue a case and win. More often than not, such fees are not recoverable. As a general rule (commonly known as the “American Rule”), each party to a dispute must bear their own attorney’s fees unless there is some statutory provision or contractual agreement between the parties allowing otherwise. Since most construction disputes involve claims for breach of contract and/or negligence, no realistic statutory provision often allows for attorney’s fees. Many construction contracts do not typically provide a prevailing party the right to collect attorney’s fees from the other side. However, even if the American Rule applies, there may be another path to recovering attorney’s fees if the parties agree to arbitrate their dispute under the American Arbitration Association (AAA) rules. Reprinted courtesy of Bill Wilson, Robinson & Cole LLP Mr. Wilson may be contacted at wwilson@rc.com Read the full story... Read the court decision
    Read the full story...
    Reprinted courtesy of

    Caterpillar Said to Be Focus of Senate Overseas Tax Probe

    March 26, 2014 —
    A U.S. Senate investigative panel is examining Caterpillar Inc. (CAT) and whether the company improperly avoided U.S. taxes by moving profits outside the country, said three people familiar with the inquiry. The Senate’s Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations will hold a hearing in early April, said two of the people. They spoke on condition of anonymity before an official announcement. Rachel Potts, a spokeswoman for Caterpillar, declined to comment. Two staff members for the subcommittee declined to comment. In 2009, Daniel Schlicksup, an employee who had worked on tax strategy, alleged in a lawsuit in federal court that Caterpillar used a “Swiss structure” to shift profits to offshore companies and avoid more than $2 billion in U.S. taxes. He also alleged that Caterpillar used a “Bermuda structure” involving shell companies to return profits to the U.S. without paying required taxes. Mr. Rubin may be contacted at rrubin12@bloomberg.net; Mr. Drucker may be contacted at jdrucker4@bloomberg.net Read the court decision
    Read the full story...
    Reprinted courtesy of Richard Rubin and Jesse Drucker, Bloomberg

    Heathrow Tempts Runway Opponents With $1,200 Christmas Sweetener

    December 15, 2016 —
    Heathrow Airport Ltd. will offer hundreds of homeowners a 1,000-pound ($1,200) festive sweetener to participate in environmental studies vital to expediting planning for its controversial 16 billion-pound third runway. The owners of houses and farmland on which the new landing strip is due to be built will qualify for the payment in return for agreeing to a handful of visits over about two years, Heathrow Chief Executive Officer John Holland-Kaye said in an interview. The surveys are required to establish the site’s wildlife value. Read the court decision
    Read the full story...
    Reprinted courtesy of Christopher Jasper, Bloomberg

    Insured's Motion for Reconsideration on Denial of Coverage Unsuccessful

    September 28, 2017 —
    The insured's motion to reconsider an order granting the insurer summary judgment challenges the insured's theory it was an additional insured was rejected by the federal district court. Hanover Ins. Co. v. Superior Labor Servs., 2017 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 133127 (E.D. La. Aug. 21, 2017). The court previously granted Lexington Insurance Company's motion for summary judgment, finding Allied Shipyard, Inc. was not an additional insured and was not entitled to a defense in the underlying actions. On reconsideration, Allied argued the court ruled it was not a "certificate holder" under the Lexington policy, but Allied was not given the opportunity to conduct discovery with respect to whether it was a "certificate holder." Summary judgment was granted before Allied answered Lexington's amended complaint in intervention. Allied submitted its answer could have raised a genuine issue of material fact because it was entitled to coverage under the policy if it was a certificate holder. 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

    Florida Duty to Defend a Chapter 558 Right to Repair Notice

    July 30, 2015 —
    In Altman Contractors, Inc. v. Crum & Forster Specialty Insurance Co., 2015 WL 3539755 (S.D. Fla. 2015), Altman was the general contractor for a residential condominium project. The condominium association served Altman with Chapter 558 notices. A Chapter 558 notice is a statutory prerequisite to a property owner’s construction defect lawsuit and provides the contractor with an opportunity to respond and avoid litigation. Altman demanded that its CGL insurer, Crum & Forster, provide a defense to the Chapter 558 notices by hiring counsel to represent Altman’s interests. While not disputing that the claimed defects may be covered under the policy, Crum & Forster denied any duty to defend against the notices on the basis that they did not constitute a “suit.” Altman filed suit. Read the court decision
    Read the full story...
    Reprinted courtesy of Scott Patterson, CD Coverage

    Pipeline Safety Violations Cause of Explosion that Killed 8

    April 02, 2014 —
    Bloomberg Business Week reported that “PG&E Corp. (PCG:US), owner of California’s largest utility, was charged with 12 pipeline safety violations by the U.S. government for a 2010 natural gas explosion that killed eight people and left a crater the size of a house.” PG&E was charged “with knowingly and willfully violating the Natural Gas Pipeline Safety Act by failing to test and assess unstable pipelines to determine whether they could fail.” Furthermore, “Federal investigators are studying whether a leaking gas main operated by Consolidated Edison Inc. (ED:US) contributed to an explosion in New York City last month that also claimed eight lives.” Read the court decision
    Read the full story...
    Reprinted courtesy of

    Scientists found a way to make Cement Greener

    October 01, 2014 —
    According to Futurity, scientists say by “paying attention to concrete’s atomic structure…they could make it better and more environmentally friendly.” Cement currently is “the third-largest source of carbon dioxide released to the atmosphere.” Materials scientist Rouzbeh Shahsavari stated that “[t]he heart of concrete is C-S-H—that’s calcium, silicate, and hydrate (water). There are impurities, but C-S-H is the key binder that holds everything together, so that’s what we focused on.” The team spent a year in research and “looked at defects in about 150 mixtures of C-S-H to see how the molecules lined up and how their regimentation or randomness affected the product’s strength and ductility.” Read the court decision
    Read the full story...
    Reprinted courtesy of

    Tenth Circuit Finds Appraisal Can Decide Causation of Loss Under Colorado Law

    November 29, 2021 —
    The Tenth Circuit determined that the Colorado Supreme Court would agree with other state courts that appraisers can decide the causation of a loss. Bonbeck Parker, LLC v. The Travelers Indem. Co. of Am., 2021 U.S. App. LEXIS 29607 (10th Cir. Oct. 1, 2021). A hailstorm damaged three buildings owned by BonBeck. A claim was submitted to Travelers under BonBeck's commercial property policy. Travelers acknowledged that some hail damage occurred to all the buildings except for the roofs. Travelers paid $34,200 for damage to the buildings. Coverage for the roof damage was denied because it resulted not from the hail damage but from uncovered events like wear and tear, deterioration, and improperly installation. BonBeck requested an appraisal. Travelers insisted that the appraisal would only determine the amount of loss of covered claims. BonBeck rejected these conditions and Travelers filed suit. Read the court decision
    Read the full story...
    Reprinted courtesy of Tred R. Eyerly, Damon Key Leong Kupchak Hastert
    Mr. Eyerly may be contacted at te@hawaiilawyer.com