BERT HOWE
  • Nationwide: (800) 482-1822    
    landscaping construction building expert Seattle Washington low-income housing building expert Seattle Washington office building building expert Seattle Washington housing building expert Seattle Washington concrete tilt-up building expert Seattle Washington industrial building building expert Seattle Washington institutional building building expert Seattle Washington Subterranean parking building expert Seattle Washington condominium building expert Seattle Washington retail construction building expert Seattle Washington high-rise construction building expert Seattle Washington custom home building expert Seattle Washington hospital construction building expert Seattle Washington production housing building expert Seattle Washington condominiums building expert Seattle Washington tract home building expert Seattle Washington mid-rise construction building expert Seattle Washington parking structure building expert Seattle Washington Medical building building expert Seattle Washington casino resort building expert Seattle Washington multi family housing building expert Seattle Washington custom homes building expert Seattle Washington
    Seattle Washington construction defect expert witnessSeattle Washington eifs expert witnessSeattle Washington testifying construction expert witnessSeattle Washington expert witness commercial buildingsSeattle Washington engineering expert witnessSeattle Washington expert witness structural engineerSeattle 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


    Multifamily Building Pushes New Jersey to Best Year since 2007

    Federal Miller Act Payment Bond Claim: Who Gets Paid and Who Does Not? What Are the Deadlines?

    California Contractor Tests the Bounds of Job Order Contracting

    Homebuilders Leading U.S. Consumer Stocks: EcoPulse

    In Midst of Construction Defect Lawsuit, City Center Seeks Refinancing

    Planned Everglades Reservoir at Center of Spat Between Fla.'s Gov.-Elect, Water Management District

    Wildfire Is Efficient Proximate Cause of Moisture Reaching Expansive Soils Under Residence

    The NAR asks FAA to Amend their Drone Rules for Real Estate Use

    Illinois Court of Appeals Addresses Waiver and Estoppel in Context of Suit Limitation Provision in Property Policy

    Construction Activity on the Upswing

    Will Colorado Pass a Construction Defect Reform Bill in 2016?

    World Green Building Council Calls for Net-Zero Embodied Carbon in Buildings by 2050

    California Subcontractor Gets a Kick in the Rear (or Perhaps the Front) for Prematurely Recorded Mechanics Lien

    Best Lawyers® Recognizes 37 White And Williams Lawyers

    Sales of New U.S. Homes Rose More Than Forecast to End 2014

    Indiana Court of Appeals Holds That Lease Terms Bar Landlord’s Carrier From Subrogating Against Commercial Tenant

    Massachusetts Federal Court Holds No Coverage for Mold and Water Damage Claim

    Handshake Deals Gone Wrong

    A Few Construction Related Bills to Keep an Eye On in 2023 (UPDATED)

    South Carolina Homeowners May Finally Get Class Action for Stucco Defects

    Discussion of History of Construction Defect Litigation in California

    Construction Delays for China’s Bahamas Resort Project

    What Construction Firm Employers Should Do Right Now to Minimize Legal Risk of Discrimination and Harassment Lawsuits

    Iowa Tornado Flattens Homes, Businesses and Wind Turbines

    AAA Revises its Construction Industry Arbitration Rules and Mediation Procedures

    Insurers' Motion to Knock Out Bad Faith, Negligent Misrepresentation Claims in Construction Defect Case Denied

    Dealing with Hazardous Substances on the Construction Site

    Wisconsin Court Applies the Economic Loss Doctrine to Bar Negligence Claims for Purely Economic Losses

    Navigating the Hurdles of Florida Construction Defect Lawsuits

    Florida Lawmakers Fail to Reach Agreement on Condominium Safety Bill

    No Duty to Indemnify When Discovery Shows Faulty Workmanship Damages Insured’s Own Work

    California’s Right To Repair Act Is The Sole Remedy For Damages For Construction Defects In New Residential Construction

    Montana Federal Court Upholds Application of Anti-Concurrent Causation Clause

    Happy Thanksgiving from CDJ

    Construction Defect Settlement in Seattle

    The Need for Situational Awareness in Construction

    Construction Company Head Pleads Guilty to Insurance and Tax Fraud

    Skilled Labor Shortage Implications for Construction Companies

    HHMR Lawyers Recognized by Best Lawyers

    Tenants Underwater: Indiana Court of Appeals Upholds Privity Requirement for Property Damage Claims Against Contractors

    Apartment Building Damaged by Cable Installer’s Cherry Picker

    A Survey of New Texas Environmental and Regulatory Laws Enacted in the 88th Session (Updated)

    White and Williams Earns Tier 1 Rankings from U.S. News "Best Law Firms" 2020

    Traub Lieberman Senior Trial Counsel Timothy McNamara Wins Affirmation of Summary Judgment Denial

    Governor Murphy Approves Legislation Implementing Public-Private Partnerships in New Jersey

    Quarter Four a Good One for Luxury Homebuilder

    New Jersey’s Proposed Construction Defect Law May Not Cover Everything

    New York’s Comprehensive Insurance Disclosure Act Imposes Increased Disclosure Requirements On Defendants at the Beginning of Lawsuits

    Indiana Court Enforces Contract Provisions rather than Construction Drawing Markings

    Landowners Try to Choke Off Casino's Water With 19th-Century Lawsuit
    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

    OSHA Announces Expansion of “Severe Violator Enforcement Program”

    November 15, 2022 —
    (October 28, 2022) - Employers beware! The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) is significantly expanding its “Severe Violator Enforcement Program” (SVEP). Employers that are placed into the program by OSHA will be significantly scrutinized, with the potential for very damaging information about their failure to maintain a safe workplace being made public for customers, partners, and vendors to see. As the name suggests, the program is meant to identify, classify, and then stringently monitor employees deemed to be “severe violators” of the OSH Act. According to the OSHA website alert, to be deemed a “severe violator”, the agency must find that the employer has demonstrated “indifference” to the regulations by committing “willful, repeated, or failure-to-abate” violations. Reprinted courtesy of Kip J. Adams, Lewis Brisbois and Steven G. Gatley, Lewis Brisbois Mr. Adams may be contacted at Kip.Adams@lewisbrisbois.com Mr. Gatley may be contacted at Steven.Gatley@lewisbrisbois.com Read the court decision
    Read the full story...
    Reprinted courtesy of

    Insured's Remand of Bad Faith Action Granted

    December 30, 2019 —
    The federal district court agreed remand of the insured's bad faith action to state court was appropriate. Kavanaugh v. Nat'l Union Fire Ins. Co., 2019 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 138465 (C.D. Calif. Aug. 15, 2019). The insured sued National Union and Great American Insurance Company in state court for failing to defend him in three civil actions. In the alternative, claims were brought against Gallagher Risk Management Services, Inc. and Chelsea Laing for professional negligence in failing to broker and procure adequate insurance for him. Laing acted as an "agent and/or broker and procured at least one of the policies at issue." Gallagher removed the action based on federal diversity jurisdiction. Although Laing was a citizen of California, Gallagher argued she was fraudulently joined and was a sham defendant, so her citizenship should be disregarded for purposes of diversity jurisdiction. The insured moved to remand because Laing was a proper defendant. 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

    Forethought Is Key to Overcoming Construction Calamities

    February 10, 2020 —
    Without warning, an under-construction structure in the southern United States suffered a catastrophic collapse. The tragedy resulted in the death of several people. As a result, engineering and construction post-collapse forensics experts engaged in an 18-month investigation. Those involved in the design and build project included the general contractor hired by the owner, a prime engineer, a consulting peer-review engineer and a prime structural design firm supported by a sub-consulting structural engineer. Although significant cracking was noticed several weeks before the failure, no one sounded the alarm or deemed the cracking worthy of corrective action. In their findings, forensic experts found the collapse resulted from the combined failure of the general contractor, engineers and even the owner, who all failed to shut down the work once the cracking reached unacceptable levels and/or take the appropriate actions needed to secure the public safety and mitigate the risk. This was even after the general contractor requested that the engineer-of-record and design manager assess the structure’s extreme cracking. Consequently, the choice to not seriously investigate the crack or seek an independent peer review to design a rectification plan contributed directly to the tragedy. This is typically referred to within the industry as a “negligent professional design error.” Reprinted courtesy of Mitch Cohen, Construction Executive, a publication of Associated Builders and Contractors. All rights reserved. Read the court decision
    Read the full story...
    Reprinted courtesy of
    Mr. Cohen may be contacted at mitch.cohen@rtspecialty.com

    LA Lakers Partially Survive Motion to Dismiss COVID-19 Claims

    June 13, 2022 —
    While the appellate court affirmed dismissal of a majority of the claims submitted by the Los Angeles Lakers for closure of the Staples Center and other properties due to COVID-19, a portion of their claims survived. L.A. Lakers v. Fed Ins. Co., 2022 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 31503 (C.D. Calif. March 17, 2022). Government orders closed the Staples Center in March 2020. The Lakers alleged they lost tens of millions of dollars in revenue. They further alleged that the presence of coronavirus particles on fixtures and building systems caused physical alterations to the covered properties. The Lakers had to upgrade their properties to include new air filters, touchless light switches, toilets and sinks; sleeves or coatings for high-touch surfaces; and plexiglass dividers. The Lakers also alleged that five Metro stations within a mile of the Staples Center, that was used to get to games, were closed by civil authorities due to the presence of COVID-19. The Lakers submitted a claim for property damage and business interruption to Federal. The claim was denied and the Lakers filed suit. In February 2021, the court granted Federal's motion to dismiss without prejudice, after concluding that the Lakers' allegations of direct physical loss or damage were mere legal conclusions and not sufficient to state a claim. 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

    Congratulations to Las Vegas Team on Their Successful Motion for Summary Judgment!

    May 06, 2024 —
    This case arose from an alleged trip and fall on an uneven surface in a parking lot outside of BWBO’s client’s restaurant. Plaintiff alleged more than $385,000 in past medical specials (with high potential for future care and treatment) with exposure in excess of $1,000,000.00. The Plaintiff named as Defendants BWBO’s client as well as several entities related to their landlord. Early in the case, Las Vegas Partner Jeffrey W. Saab and Senior Associate D. Ryan Efros moved for summary judgment based on terms of the restaurant’s lease. They argued that based on the lease, the duty to maintain the surface of the parking lot fell exclusively to the landlord, rather than the restaurant’s client. Plaintiff opposed the motion arguing that the prevailing case law held that any agreement between a tenant and its landlord does not preclude a plaintiff from asserting either or both defendants breached their duties of care. Jeff and Ryan distinguished that case and successfully persuaded the Court that there could be no contractual duty and no common law duty to maintain the parking surface, clearing the way for the court to grant summary judgment. Read the court decision
    Read the full story...
    Reprinted courtesy of Dolores Montoya, Bremer Whyte Brown & O'Meara LLP

    U.S. Architecture Firms’ Billing Index Faster in Dec.

    February 05, 2015 —
    (Bloomberg) -- Billings at U.S. architecture firms grew at a higher rate in December, according to the American Institute of Architects. Billings at architecture firms, tracked by the Work-on-the-Boards survey, measured 52.2 in December compared to 50.9 a month earlier. The inquiry index, which tracks a firm’s capacity to take on additional work, moved to 58.2. Read the court decision
    Read the full story...
    Reprinted courtesy of Bloomberg News

    Fixing the Problem – Not the Blame

    November 30, 2016 —
    Who is responsible for defective design under Texas law? The contractor, under Lonergan? The owner, under Spearin? A recent Fifth Circuit decision suggests that in some cases this might be the wrong question when design responsibility is disputed. The appellate court recently remanded a case back to the district court to determine whether the contractor or owner breached an implied duty to cooperate in discovering defects in design and subsequently pricing the change required to correct the problem. Read the court decision
    Read the full story...
    Reprinted courtesy of Curtis W. Martin, Peckar & Abramson, P.C.
    Mr. Martin may be contacted at cmartin@pecklaw.com

    Harsh New Time Limits on Construction Defect Claims

    April 26, 2011 —

    A recent Colorado Supreme Court decision, Smith v. Executive Custom Homes, Inc., 230 P.3d 1186 (Colo. 2010), considerably shortens the time limit for bringing many construction defect lawsuits. Homeowners and homeowner associations risk losing the right to seek reimbursement from builders, developers and other construction professionals unless they carefully and quickly act upon discovery of evidence of any potential construction defect.

    The Statute of Limitations for Construction Defect Claims
    Colorado’s construction defect statute of limitations limits the time for homeowners and homeowners associations to bring lawsuits for construction defects against “construction professionals,” including developers, general contractors, builders, engineers, architects, other design professionals, inspectors and subcontractors. The statute requires homeowners and associations to file suit within two years “after the claim for relief arises.” A claim for relief “arises” when a homeowner or association discovers or reasonably should have discovered the physical manifestation of a construction defect.

    The two-year time limitation applies to each construction defect separately, and will begin to run upon the appearance of a “manifestation” of a construction defect (which may include, for example, a condition as simple as a roof leak or drywall cracks), even if the homeowner or association does not know the cause of the apparent problem.

    The Smith Opinion and its Effect on the Statute of Limitations
    In Smith v. Executive Custom Homes, Inc., the plaintiff homeowner, Mrs. Smith, slipped on ice that had accumulated on her sidewalk because of a leaking gutter and suffered injury. When she first noticed the leak, she reported it to her property manager, who reported it to the builder. The builder attempted to repair the gutter, unbeknownst to Mrs. Smith, and she did not notice further problems until approximately one year after she first observed the leak, when she fell and suffered serious injury. She sued the builder within two years of her injury, but nearly three years after she first learned of the leak.

    The Colorado Supreme Court dismissed Mrs. Smith’s claims as untimely and held that under the construction defect statute of limitations, the two-year period for suing for injuries due to construction defects begins when the homeowner first observes the physical manifestation of the defect, even if the resulting injury has not yet occurred. The court acknowledged that this ruling could result in “unfair results,” especially if a serious and unforeseeable injury occurs more than two years after the first time the homeowner noticed the problem, and as a result the victim is unable to seek redress from those responsible for the defect.

    Read the full story…

    Reprinted courtesy of Scott F. Sullan, Esq., Mari K. Perczak, Esq., and Leslie A. Tuft, Esq. of Sullan2, Sandgrund, Smith & Perczak, P.C., and they can be contacted through their web site.

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