BERT HOWE
  • Nationwide: (800) 482-1822    
    industrial building building expert Seattle Washington concrete tilt-up building expert Seattle Washington casino resort building expert Seattle Washington townhome construction building expert Seattle Washington production housing building expert Seattle Washington retail construction building expert Seattle Washington hospital construction building expert Seattle Washington custom home building expert Seattle Washington landscaping construction building expert Seattle Washington Medical building building expert Seattle Washington structural steel construction building expert Seattle Washington multi family housing building expert Seattle Washington office building building expert Seattle Washington institutional building building expert Seattle Washington parking structure building expert Seattle Washington condominiums building expert Seattle Washington tract home building expert Seattle Washington custom homes building expert Seattle Washington mid-rise construction building expert Seattle Washington low-income housing building expert Seattle Washington housing building expert Seattle Washington high-rise construction building expert Seattle Washington
    Seattle Washington forensic architectSeattle Washington building expertSeattle Washington engineering expert witnessSeattle Washington building envelope expert witnessSeattle Washington construction safety expertSeattle Washington construction project management expert witnessesSeattle Washington construction project management expert witness
    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


    Law Firm Settles Two Construction Defect Suits for a Combined $4.7 Million

    NJ Condo Construction Defect Case Dismissed over Statute of Limitations

    Concurrent Causation Doctrine Applies Where Natural and Man-made Perils Combine to Create Loss

    Case-Shiller Redo Shows Less Severe U.S. Home-Price Slump

    Speeding up Infrastructure Projects with the Cloud

    Most Common OSHA Violations Highlight Ongoing Risks

    Behavioral Science Meets Construction: Insights from Whistle Rewards

    Manhattan Trophy Home Sellers Test Buyer Limits on Price

    A Proactive Approach to Construction Safety

    Recent Bribery and Anti-Corruption Enforcement Trends in Global Construction Industry

    Ex-Construction Firm That Bought a $75m Michelangelo to Delist

    Decline in Home Construction Brings Down Homebuilder Stocks

    The Secret to Success Is Doing Things a Little Bit Differently

    Charges in Kansas Water Park Death

    WSHB Secures Victory in Construction Defect Case: Contractor Wins Bench Trial

    Court Orders House to be Demolished or Relocated

    MTA’S New Debarment Powers Pose an Existential Risk

    Unwrapped Pipes Lead to Flooding and Construction Defect Lawsuit

    Amazon Urged to Review Emergency Plans in Wake of Deadly Tornado

    GE to Repay $87 Million for Scaled-Back Headquarters Plan

    Washington First State to Require Electric Heat Pumps

    BLOK, a Wired UK Hottest 100 Housing Market Startup, Gets Funding from a Renowned Group of Investors

    Insurer's Quote on Coverage for Theft by Hacker Creates Issue of Fact

    A Race to the Finish on Oroville Dam Spillway Fix

    Alabama Court Upholds Late Notice Disclaimer

    Traub Lieberman Partner Eric D. Suben and Associate Laura Puhala Win Summary Judgment in Favor of Insurer, Determining it has No Duty to Defend

    Points on Negotiating Construction Claims

    Important Environmental Insurance Ruling Issued In Protracted Insurance-Coverage Dispute

    Appellate Court reverses district court’s finding of alter ego in Sedgwick Properties Development Corporation v. Christopher Hinds (2019WL2865935)

    #4 CDJ Topic: Vita Planning and Landscape Architecture, Inc. v. HKS Architects, Inc.

    Chambers USA 2021 Recognizes Five Partners and Two Practices at Lewis Brisbois

    Hawaii Federal District Court Denies Title Insurer's Motion for Summary Judgment

    Top Developments March 2024

    New Jersey Judge Declared Arbitrator had no Duty to Disclose Past Contact with Lawyer

    Why You Should Consider “In House Counsel”

    Difference Between a Novation And A Modification to a Contract

    Hyundai to Pay 47M to Settle Construction Equipment's Alleged Clean Air Violations

    Wow! A Mechanic’s Lien Bill That Helps Subcontractors and Suppliers

    In Appellate Division First, New York Appellate Team Successfully Invokes “Party Finality” Doctrine to Obtain Dismissal of Appeal for Commercial Guarantors

    Techniques for Resolving Construction Disputes

    Neither Designated Work Exclusion nor Pre-Existing Damage Exclusion Defeat Duty to Defend

    The Sounds of Silence: Pennsylvania’s Sutton Rule

    How to Remove a Mechanics Lien from Your Property

    Corps Spells Out Billions in Infrastructure Act Allocations

    Corporate Transparency Act’s Impact on Real Estate: Reporting Companies, Exemptions and Beneficial Ownership Reporting (webinar)

    With VA Mechanic’s Liens Sometimes “Substantial Compliance” is Enough (but don’t count on it)

    The Clock is Ticking: Construction Delays and Liquidated Damages

    Global Insurer Agrees to Pay COVID-19 Business Interruption Claims

    Steel Makeover Under Way for Brooklyn's Squibb Footbridge

    Obama Asks for $302 Billion to Fix Bridges and Potholes
    Corporate Profile

    SEATTLE WASHINGTON BUILDING EXPERT
    DIRECTORY AND CAPABILITIES

    Leveraging from more than 7,000 construction defect and claims related expert witness designations, the Seattle, Washington Building Expert Group provides a wide range of trial support and consulting services to Seattle's most acknowledged construction practice groups, CGL carriers, builders, owners, and public agencies. Drawing from a diverse pool of construction and design professionals, BHA is able to simultaneously analyze complex claims from the perspective of design, engineering, cost, or standard of care.

    Building Expert News & Info
    Seattle, Washington

    Ahlers & Cressman’s Top 10 Construction Industry Contract Provisions

    July 02, 2014 —
    James R. Lynch of Ahlers & Cressman, PLLC, has published the first two parts of the four-part “Top 10 Construction Contract Provisions” series: “As a powerful mechanism to control contract risk, increase predictability, and reduce the cost and complexity of potential disputes, we frequently recommend that our clients’ contracts include a mutual waiver of consequential damages.” The first part “explains the significance of such a clause and the risk a contractor assumes without it,” while the second part discusses “the various categories of damages flowing from a breach of contract and conclude[s] with examples of how parties can limit these damages to reflect their agreed allocation of risk.” Read the full story, Part 1... Read the full story, Part 2... Read the court decision
    Read the full story...
    Reprinted courtesy of

    Colorado’s Abbreviated Legislative Session Offers Builders a Reprieve

    October 26, 2020 —
    Would you believe me if I told you that this year could have been worse for builders? Had COVID-19 not hit, the Colorado Legislature may have passed bills that would have had a severely negative impact on the home building industry. In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Legislature temporarily adjourned in mid-March, 67 days into the 120-day legislative session. After a two-month recess, the Legislature returned for approximately one month to pass critical bills including the state budget, the school finance act and what to do with the money from the federal CARES Act. Of the bills on the calendar when the Legislature temporarily adjourned, legislators focused on those that were “fast, free, and friendly,” and let the others fall by the wayside. Bills that died included SB 20-138, which would have extended Colorado’s statute of repose for construction defect claims from six plus two years to 10 plus two years. The bill also contained a number of accrual and tolling provisions, which would have made it harder for builders to convince tribunals that claims were untimely. This bill died on the Senate floor, for lack of support. We will see whether plaintiffs’ attorneys will revive this effort next year. SB 20-093, while not an outright ban on arbitration or a legislative overturning of the Vallagio decision, would have made it harder to administer and more difficult to get cases into arbitration. The bill died under the “fast, free, and friendly” test, i.e., it faced too much opposition. I expect to see this bill again next year, in some form. Read the court decision
    Read the full story...
    Reprinted courtesy of David McLain, Higgins, Hopkins, McLain & Roswell
    Mr. McLain may be contacted at mclain@hhmrlaw.com

    2019’s Biggest Labor and Employment Moves Affecting Construction

    January 27, 2020 —
    The construction industry is fueled by change, which is the only constant in life and construction. Still, continuous change makes compliance with state and federal laws and regulations more difficult. While contractors may thrive on the frantic pace, sometimes it is good to look back and ensure they have an understanding of, and are complying with, the newest regulations and laws. Top 10 Stories Dominating Employment Law in Construction 1. Trio of Federal Joint Employment Rules Expected in December 2019 Joint employment took center stage during the November 20, 2019 release of the Fall Regulatory Agenda, as three separate federal agencies announced plans to move forward with revised joint employment rules in December. While the Department of Labor and the National Labor Relations Board had already released versions of their draft rules, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission also announced that it would weigh in on the topic before the end of 2019. As of January 10, 2020, the EEOC had not done so. 2. NLRB Tightens Union Access to Employer Property In a ruling that levels the labor relations playing field, the NLRB ruled that employers could rightfully eject outside union representatives soliciting petition signatures from a shared shopping center parking area. When read in conjunction with an earlier 2019 decision conferring greater rights to limit on-premises union activity by abolishing the “public space” exception, the NLRB has significantly restricted union access to private employer property. Reprinted courtesy of Micah Dawson, Construction Executive, a publication of Associated Builders and Contractors. All rights reserved. Read the court decision
    Read the full story...
    Reprinted courtesy of
    Mr. Dawson may be contacted at mdawson@fisherphillips.com

    Housing Starts Plunge by the Most in Four Years

    March 19, 2015 —
    (Bloomberg) -- Housing starts plummeted in February by the most since 2011 as plunging temperatures and snow became the latest hurdles for an industry struggling to recover. Work began on 897,000 houses at an annualized rate, down 17 percent from January and the fewest in a year, the Commerce Department reported Tuesday in Washington. The pace was slower than the most pessimistic projection in a Bloomberg survey of 81 economists. “Today’s report leaves me a little concerned,” said Michelle Meyer, deputy head of U.S. economics at Bank of America Corp. in New York. “While the initial reaction is to dismiss much of the drop because of the bad weather, the level of home construction continues to be depressed.” Read the court decision
    Read the full story...
    Reprinted courtesy of Bloomberg News
    Michelle Jamrisko may be contacted at mjamrisko@bloomberg.net

    More Money Down Adds to U.S. First-Time Buyer Blues: Economy

    August 20, 2014 —
    The challenges facing prospective buyers of the least expensive homes in the U.S. are getting harder to overcome. Already beset by stagnant wages, growing student debt and competition from investors who are snapping up listings, those looking to purchase moderately priced houses must also provide more cash up front. The median down payment for the cheapest 25 percent of properties sold in 2013 was $9,480 compared with $6,037 in 2007, the last year of the previous economic expansion, according to data from 25 of the largest metro areas compiled by brokerage firm Redfin Corp. The higher bar is a symptom of still-tight credit that is crowding out first-time buyers even as interest rates remain near historical lows. Younger adults, who would normally be making initial forays into real estate, are among those most affected, weakening the foundations of the housing market and limiting its contribution to economic growth. Ms. Jamrisko may be contacted at mjamrisko@bloomberg.net; Ms. Leondis may be contacted at aleondis@bloomberg.net Read the court decision
    Read the full story...
    Reprinted courtesy of Michelle Jamrisko and Alexis Leondis, Bloomberg

    Megaproject Savings Opportunities

    April 15, 2014 —
    Joel Levy in Construction Digital interviewed Christopher Dann, a Partner of Booz & Company’s Energy, Chemicals and Utilities practice, regarding how to be more efficient and save money when managing billion dollar construction megaprojects. According to Construction Digital, “Booz & Company, (recently rebranded as Strategy&), is celebrating its 100th anniversary this year, and over a century of working with huge clients in several sectors, has gathered the knowledge to identify what it terms a $40 trillion opportunity for savings in construction megaprojects over the next 20 years as clients combat a 30 percent average figure of overrun in schedule and cost.” Dann cited several reasons for inefficiencies in megaprojects, including “inefficient advance planning and analysis” and “lack of completion of detail design engineering prior to the start of construction,” reported Construction Digital. The inefficiencies can be countered, according to Dann, “when following a clear strategy.” Read the court decision
    Read the full story...
    Reprinted courtesy of

    Navigating Threshold Arbitration Issues in Construction Contracts

    April 29, 2024 —
    Including an arbitration clause in your construction contract may not mean that your dispute will be confined to arbitration. Instead, parties often find themselves in court litigating threshold issues related to the existence and/or enforceability of an arbitration clause. Common issues include whether the underlying contract containing the arbitration clause is valid, whether the dispute falls within the scope of the clause, whether the parties complied with contractual prerequisites to arbitration, whether issues related to arbitrability are decided by the court or arbitrator, and whether one of the parties has waived their right to arbitrate. This blog post highlights two recent construction cases addressing threshold issues that a party seeking to enforce—or oppose enforcing—an arbitration clause might face. Seifert v. United Built Homes, LLC: Delegating Issues of Arbitrability to the Arbitrator In Seifert, an owner sued a homebuilder in Texas federal court for breach of contract and sought damages and declaratory relief. No. 3:22-CV-1360-E, 2023 WL 4826206 (N.D. Tex. July 27, 2023). The builder moved to compel arbitration. The owner opposed and argued that: (1) there was no agreement to arbitrate because the underlying contract was null and void, and (2) its claim for declaratory relief fell outside the scope of the arbitration clause. The court did not address the merits of either argument. Instead, it determined that these were issues for the arbitrator to decide. Reprinted courtesy of Daniel D. McMillan, Jones Day and TJ Auner, Jones Day Mr. McMillan may be contacted at ddmcmillan@jonesday.com Mr. Auner may be contacted at tauner@jonesday.com Read the court decision
    Read the full story...
    Reprinted courtesy of

    Blog: Congress Strikes a Blow to President Obama’s “Fair Pay and Safe Workplaces” Executive Order 13673

    March 22, 2017 —
    On October 25, 2016, the Federal Acquisition Regulatory Council (FAR Council) and the U.S. Department of Labor implemented former President Obama’s Executive Order 13673: “Fair Pay and Safe Workplaces” rules. The rules became effective on October 25, 2016 and fundamentally altered the way federal contractors and subcontractors will need to handle and resolve employment and labor claims, as well as compliance issues involving their entire workforce. The final rules can also result in otherwise-capable companies being “blacklisted” and effectively barred from federal contracts and subcontracts based on labor and employment law violations related or unrelated to prior or current federal contract performance. The centerpiece of the new regulatory scheme was the new disclosure and responsibility requirements. Contractors and subcontractors needed to disclose all “labor law decisions” that they had during the three years (prior to bid submission) as part of the process of applying for a new federal contract or subcontract. If a contractor or subcontractor has too many “labor law decisions” to report or the few it has are too severe, pervasive, repeated, or willful in the eyes of the government “experts,” the company could be deemed “non-responsible” and denied a contract. Read the court decision
    Read the full story...
    Reprinted courtesy of John P. Ahlers, Ahlers & Cressman PLLC
    Mr. Ahlers may be contacted at jahlers@ac-lawyers.com