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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


    Appellate Court of Maryland Construes Notice Conditions of A312 Performance Bond in Favor of Surety

    L.A. Makes $4.5 Billion Bet on Olympics After Boston Backs Out

    Bally's Secures Funding for $1.7B Chicago Casino and Hotel Project

    Why Being Climate ‘Positive’ Is the Buzzy New Goal of Green Building

    Construction Litigation Roundup: “Stuck on You”

    HHMR is pleased to announce that David McLain has been selected as a 2020 Super Lawyer

    State Farm to Build Multi-Use Complex in Dallas Area

    You’re Only as Good as Those with Whom You Contract

    Navigating Complex Preliminary Notice Requirements

    Office REITs in U.S. Plan the Most Construction in Decade

    The Project “Completion” Paradox in California

    Pollution Created by Business Does Not Deprive Insured of Coverage

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

    Lack of Flood Insurance for New York’s Poorest Residents

    Is Privity of Contract with the Owner a Requirement of a Valid Mechanic’s Lien? Not for GC’s

    The Future of Pandemic Coverage for Real Estate Owners and Developers

    Dorian’s Wrath: How Event Cancellation Insurance Helps Businesses Recoup Losses from Severe Weather

    Matthew Graham Named to Best Lawyers in America

    Pass-Through Subcontractor Claims, Liquidating Agreements, and Avoiding a Two-Front War

    Notice of Completion Determines Mechanics Lien Deadline

    COVID-19 Response: Environmental Compliance Worries in the Time of Coronavirus

    Homebuilders See Record Bearish Bets on Shaky Recovery

    Recent Developments Involving Cedell v. Farmers Insurance Company of Washington

    Delaware Court Holds No Coverage for Faulty Workmanship

    Is Equipment Installed as Part of Building Renovations a “Product” or “Construction”?

    BWB&O’s Motion for Summary Judgment is Granted in a Premises Liability Matter

    Kiewit Hired as EPC for Fire-Damaged Freeport Gas Terminal Fix

    Deterioration Known To Insured Forecloses Collapse Coverage

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    Chicago Makes First Major Update to City's Building Code in 70 Years

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    President Trump Issued Two New EOs on Energy Infrastructure and Federal Energy Policy

    Court Agrees to Stay Coverage Matter While Underlying State Action is Pending

    Condo Association Settles with Pulte Homes over Construction Defect Claims

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    Three lawyers from Haight were recognized in The Best Lawyers in America© 2020 Edition

    Ninth Circuit Upholds Corps’ Issuance of CWA Section 404 Permit for Newhall Ranch Project Near Santa Clarita, CA

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    Montana Supreme Court: Insurer Not Bound by Insured's Settlement

    Hunton Andrews Kurth’s Insurance Recovery Practice, Partners Larry Bracken and Mike Levine Receive Band 1 Honors from Chambers USA in Georgia

    Washington Supreme Court Upholds King County Ordinance Requiring Utility Providers to Pay for Access to County’s Right-of-Way and Signals Approval for Other Counties to Follow Suit

    Expect the Unexpected (Your Design Contracts in a Post-COVID World)

    Motion to Dismiss Insureds' Counterclaim on the Basis of Prior Knowledge Denied

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    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

    Companies Move to Houston Area and Spur Home Building

    December 30, 2013 —
    A number of companies are developing commercial properties in the Kingwood area of the Houston metropolitan region and that’s spurring residential development as well. According to the Houston Chronicle, a number of key industries will be moving the area. And it’s leading to a lot of residential and commercial development. The 4,000-acre mixed-use development Generation Park will include offices, hotels, shops, and other amenities. But an important part of its success is expected to come from the adjacent master-planned community, Summerwood. Another development, Kingwood Parc City Center will include retail, restaurants, a movie theater, and office space. Other development in the Kingwood area includes a $71 million addition to the Kingwood Medical Center. The new tower will specialize in services for women and infants. Read the court decision
    Read the full story...
    Reprinted courtesy of

    Maryland Contractor Documents its Illegal Deal and Pays $2.15 Million to Settle Fraud Claims

    January 07, 2015 —
    Why would a contractor create a contract for illegal work? I really don’t know. Late last year, the FBI announced that a Maryland contractor, Forrester Construction Company, agreed to pay $2.15 million dollars to resolve a criminal investigation into alleged fraud in connection with the use of disadvantaged business enterprises involving more than $145 million of District of Columbia government contracts. Read the court decision
    Read the full story...
    Reprinted courtesy of Craig Martin, Lamson, Dugan and Murray, LLP
    Mr. Martin may be contacted at cmartin@ldmlaw.com

    Mexico’s Construction Industry Posts First Expansion Since 2012

    August 13, 2014 —
    Mexico’s construction industry expanded in June for the first time in 19 months, adding to signs that the economy is rebounding after missing analyst estimates in seven of the last eight quarters. Construction increased 2.2 percent from the year earlier, helping industrial production to expand 2 percent, according to data released today by the national statistics agency. The median estimate of 19 economists surveyed by Bloomberg was for industrial output to rise 2.1 percent. “Industrial activity continued strengthening in June, very much in line with what the market expected,” Mario Correa, the chief Mexico economist at Bank of Nova Scotia, said in a note to clients today. “The construction industry finally showed a positive growth rate.” Read the court decision
    Read the full story...
    Reprinted courtesy of Brendan Case, Bloomberg
    Mr. Case may be contacted at bcase4@bloomberg.net

    Taylor Morrison Home Corp’ New San Jose Development

    October 15, 2014 —
    The Silicon Valley Business Journal reported that Taylor Morrison Home Corp has made the “biggest land acquisition so far in San Jose” after acquiring “an 8-acre chunk of dirt in the developing Montecito Vista area where it has plans to build out 184 townhomes.” The developer “paid about $32.5 million, or roughly $176,600 per buildable unit, for the land, according to public tax records,” according to the Silicon Valley Business Journal. Construction is scheduled to begin November of 2015 and models should be ready by April of 2016. Read the court decision
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    Reprinted courtesy of

    Why A.I. Isn’t Going to Replace Lawyers Anytime Soon

    April 18, 2023 —
    In a recent article entitled, “A.I. Is Coming for Lawyers, Again” the New York Times explored the longstanding idea that the legal profession is most at risk of being disrupted by A.I. The article claimed that: “There are warnings that ChatGPT-style software, with its humanlike language fluency, could take over much of legal work.” And that: “Law is seen as the lucrative profession perhaps most at risk from the recent advance in A.I. because lawyers are essentially word merchants.” The problem with these predictions is that they are based on a fundamental misunderstanding of what lawyers do, which is primarily to provide sound advice and formulate sophisticated strategy. All the wordsmithing in the world won’t make a bad case good, or vice versa. Lawyers do not have a Jedi mind trick. We analyze the facts, we make the best arguments possible under the circumstances, we advise our clients on their prospects, and we come up with a strategy for an optimal outcome, which almost always includes a path towards settlement. We are strategists and trusted advisors. Not wordsmithers. This is not anything ChatGPT or current A.I. can do, or even come close to doing. And how do I know that? Because in a recent Wall Street Journal article, experts on self-driving cars explain that A.I. is nowhere close to being able to drive a car autonomously. In an article entitled “When Will Cars Be Fully Self-Driving?” the experts explain that the main impediment to fully autonomous vehicles is how dumb A.I. is. As one of the leading experts explains, fully autonomous cars “would require human-level artificial intelligence, and there is no commonly accepted theory on how to get there. As long as there is no human-level AI, autonomous mobility will be limited.” Read the court decision
    Read the full story...
    Reprinted courtesy of Amir Kahana, Kahana Feld
    Mr. Kahana may be contacted at akahana@kahanafeld.com

    No Repeal Process for Rejected Superstorm Sandy Grant Applications

    February 12, 2014 —
    Even though it’s been revealed that “faulty data” was used to reject many New Jersey recovery grants for victims of Superstorm Sandy, the state has announced that it’s too late to appeal, according to The Wall Street Journal. “The applicants were informed by letter that they weren't eligible,” state officials told The Wall Street Journal, “and it should have been clear that they needed to appeal last year, so the application process won't be reopened.” The majority of the rejected applicants that did appeal within the open period were found to be eligible for the grant: “Nearly 80% of people who appealed their rejections ended up winning their cases, according to data released by the Fair Share Housing Center, a public-interest law firm critical of the Christie administration. And of the 8,007 applicants rejected from both programs, 5,583 didn't appeal, or 70%, according to Fair Share Housing Center's analysis.” U.S. Representative Bill Pascrell called for “an independent monitor” to be “appointed to oversee the state’s storm spending ‘to ensure there isn’t further mismanagement.’” Read the court decision
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    Reprinted courtesy of

    Construction Up in Northern Ohio

    October 02, 2013 —
    Crain’s Cleveland Business reports that both commercial and residential construction have seen spending increases in the last twelve months. The gain was only 5.4%, but it’s still welcome in the area. “It’s been quiet so long, it wouldn’t take much to generate an upturn,” according to Tom Laird, of Gilbane Building Co. Some of the upturn comes from new building at universities and hospitals, but the corporate sector is also starting new project. Finally, the city of Cleveland is looking for proposals to develop parcels on their waterfront. Still, some are wary. “It might just be a bubble,” said Jason Jones, the general manager of Turner Construction’s Cleveland office. Read the court decision
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    Reprinted courtesy of

    More on Fraud, Opinions and Contracts

    February 06, 2019 —
    Here at Construction Law Musings, I have discussed the interaction between fraud and contracts on many occasions. Recently, I got to put my advice into action. I am counsel for the plaintiff in the matter of Environmental Staffing Acquisition Corp. v. Beamon, et. al. in the Portsmouth, VA Circuit Court and recently got a great opinion (.pdf) right on point that was recently featured in Virginia Lawyers Weekly. The basic facts are these. My client, Environmental Staffing (En-Staff) filed a Little Miller Act claim and a claim for breach of contract for Beamon’s failure to pay for temporary staffing that En-Staff provided it at the Jeffry Wilson housing project demolition in Portsmouth, VA. Beamon then counterclaimed for fraud and breach of contract claiming that some statements to the effect that a particular supervisor was qualified along with presentation of the individual’s resume constituted fraud. My client demurred to the two fraud counts (actual and constructive). Read the court decision
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    Reprinted courtesy of The Law Office of Christopher G. Hill
    Mr. Hill may be contacted at chrisghill@constructionlawva.com