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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


    Colorado Homebuyers Must be in Privity of Contract with Developer to Assert Breach of Implied Warranty of Suitability

    Read Before You Sign: Claim Waivers in Project Documents

    What Are The Most Commonly Claimed Issues In Construction Defect Litigation?

    What’s in a Name? Trademarks and Construction

    Examining Construction Defect as Occurrence in Recent Case Law and Litigation

    Another Reason to Love Construction Mediation (Read: Why Mediation Works)

    Georgia Appellate Court Supports County Claim Against Surety Company’s Failure to Pay

    Retaining Wall Contractor Not Responsible for Building Damage

    Hurricane Claim Cannot Survive Anti-Concurrent Causation Clause

    OSHA Begins Enforcement of its Respirable Crystalline Silica in Construction Standard. Try Saying That Five Times Real Fast

    White Collar Overtime Regulations Temporarily Blocked

    Sometimes a Reminder is in Order. . .

    Liquidating Agreements—Bridging the Privity Gap for Subcontractors

    Toll Brothers Report End of Year Results

    Contractors Battle Bitter Winters at $11.8B Site C Hydro Project in Canada

    Concerns Over Unstable Tappan Zee Bridge Push Back Opening of New NY Bridge's Second Span

    CGL Coverage Dispute Regarding the (J)(6) And (J)(7) Property Damage Exclusions

    Your Work Exclusion Applies to Damage to Tradesman's Property, Not Damage to Other Property

    Illinois Federal Court Determines if Damages Are Too Remote

    Understanding Lien Waivers

    Insured's Testimony On Expectation of Coverage Deemed Harmless

    Alleged Damage to Personal Property Does Not Revive Coverage for Construction Defects

    Three Kahana Feld Attorneys Selected to 2024 NY Metro Super Lawyers Lists

    Architectural Democracy – Interview with Pedro Aibéo

    Renters Trading Size for Frills Fuel U.S. Apartment Boom

    Arbitration is Waivable (Even If You Don’t Mean To)

    Janus v. AFSCME

    Hunton Insurance Practice Receives Top (Tier 1) National Ranking by US News & World Report

    Blockbuster Breakwater: Alternative Construction Method Put to the Test in Tampa Bay

    New Addition to the ASCE/SEI 7-22 Standard Protects Buildings from a 500-year Flood Event

    FAA Seeks Largest Fine Yet on Drones in Near-Miss Crackdown

    San Francisco Museum Nears $610 Million Fundraising Goal

    Catching Killer Clauses in Contract Negotiations

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

    OSHA Issues Final Rule on Electronic Submission of Injury and Illness Data

    Construction Leads World Trade Center Area Vulnerable to Flooding

    Anti-Concurrent Causation Endorsements in CGL Insurance Policies: A Word of Caution

    Arizona Rooftop Safety: Is it Adequate or Substandard?

    New York Court Finds No Coverage Owed for Asbestos Losses Because Insured Failed to Prove Material Terms

    Green Buildings Could Lead to Liabilities

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

    Without Reservations: Fourth Circuit Affirms That Vague Reservation of Rights Waived Insurers’ Coverage Arguments

    With Wildfires at a Peak, “Firetech” Is Joining Smart City Lineups

    Gordie Howe Bridge Project Team Looks for a Third Period Comeback

    Construction Venture Sues LAX for Nonpayment

    2021 2Q Cost Report: Industry Execs Believe Recovery Is in Full Swing

    Homeowner’s Claims Defeated Because “Gravamen” of Complaint was Fraud, not Breach of Contract

    Hawaii Appellate Court Finds Agent May Be Liable for Failing to Submit Claim

    Quick Note: Be Careful with Pay if Paid Clauses (Both Subcontractors and General Contractors)

    The Pandemic of Litigation Sure to Follow the Coronavirus
    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

    Precedent-Setting ‘Green’ Apartments in Kansas City

    September 17, 2015 —
    According to the Kansas City Star, the Missouri riverfront apartment development, Second and Delaware, is being constructed with “greener-than-green technology” and features the following: “Sixteen-inch-thick concrete walls. Rooftop gardens. A 90 percent reduction in energy use compared to current building codes.” The two buildings “will comprise the largest U.S. multifamily apartment project using Passive House Institute-certified construction, a system that’s more energy-efficient than the highest LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) building standard.” Read the court decision
    Read the full story...
    Reprinted courtesy of

    Iowa Court Holds Defective Work Performed by Insured's Subcontractor Constitutes an "Occurrence"

    July 28, 2016 —
    The Iowa Supreme Court held that property damage caused by a subcontractor's defective work was an "occurrence." Nat'l Sur. Corp. v. Westlake Invs., LLC, 2016 Iowa LEXIS 71 (Iowa June 10, 2016). In 2002, the insureds, the developers and general contractor, began construction on an apartment complex. While the complex was still under construction, it was purchased by Westlake Investments, LLC. During construction, numerous problems surfaced, including visible water penetration issues in several buildings. In February 2008, Westlake sued the insureds, seeking to recover lost profits, repair costs, and other damages under tort and contract theories. Arch Insurance Group defended under the primary policy. A settlement was eventually reached whereby a consent judgment for $15,600,000 was entered against the insureds and in favor of Westlake. Arch contributed its policy limits of $1,000,000 to the settlement. Other third party defendants contributed $1,737,500, leaving $12,762,500 of the judgment unsatisfied. The insureds assigned rights under their excess policy with National Surety Corporation (NSC) to Westlake. NSC's policy was a following-form policy. 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

    Is a Text a Writing?

    June 10, 2024 —
    Is a text message a writing? Project communication is constantly evolving, and text messages are an increasingly common way teams share pictures, video, and provide project updates. When texting is part of the communication flow on a project, contractors and owners might text approvals for extra work, notices of changed conditions, or other information that could be a basis for a change order. In a text exchange about a compensable event, the notice, reply, and approval are all saved on the phone. But contracts often contain specific requirements for a contractor or subcontractor to request changes and authorization to proceed may be specifically required in writing. For example, the Associated General Contractors of Washington – 2018 Standard Subcontract says the “Subcontractor shall make no claims for extras unless the same shall be agreed upon in writing by Contractor prior to performance of any such extra work.” (emphasis added). The AGC subcontract doesn’t define “writing,” so the subcontractor and contractor might wonder if a text message exchange about a potentially compensable event was an “agreement in writing.” Read the court decision
    Read the full story...
    Reprinted courtesy of Michael Yelle, Ahlers Cressman & Sleight PLLC
    Mr. Yelle may be contacted at michael.yelle@acslawyers.com

    Real Estate & Construction News Roundup (7/10/24) – Strong Construction Investment in Data Centers, Increase Use of Proptech in Hospitality and Effects of Remote-Work on Housing Market

    August 05, 2024 —
    In our latest roundup, renters stay in their units longer, GenAI change how commercial real estate operates, and banks continue high exposure due to commercial real estate.
    • Strong investor interest, particularly in opportunistic and value-add segments, signals a strong market for construction firms specializing in high-yield projects. (Sebastian Obando, Construction Dive)
    • A growing number of renters are staying in their units for longer periods of time than they did a decade ago with over one-third of U.S. renters have lived in the same apartment for more than five years. (Mary Salmonsen, Multifamily Dive)
    • Several U.S. regional and mid-sized banks continue to face the squeeze from high exposure to the commercial real estate sector that has been shaken by higher-for-longer interest rates and empty office buildings. (Reuters)
    Read the court decision
    Read the full story...
    Reprinted courtesy of Pillsbury's Construction & Real Estate Law Team

    Hail Drives Construction Spending in Amarillo

    October 25, 2013 —
    Amarillo had a hailstorm in May and it’s still having an effect on the construction industry there. Prior to the May 28 hailstorm, the city issued 223 permits for roofing projects, worth a total of $1.9 million. But in the four months after the hailstorm, the city issued 13,696 roofing permits worth about $151.4. During the same nine months of 2012, the total was only $6.9 million. The Amarillo Globe-News reports that there has been a slowing of residential roof work, but the commercial roofing is still going strong. Scott McDonald, an Amarillo building official told the paper that a commercial roof can exceed a million dollars. “The commercial aspect is much more complicated, and we’re just now getting started,” said Mr. McDonald. Read the court decision
    Read the full story...
    Reprinted courtesy of

    Flying Solo: How it Helps My Construction Clients

    February 18, 2015 —
    Two and a half years ago, on July 1, 2010, I opened my solo practice. At the time, I really had no insight into how big this change would be from a positive, customer service, perspective. When I made the decision to go solo with my construction law practice, I knew I wanted to have flexibility to serve my client base of contractors and subcontractors in Virginia. I started some flat rate billing and had the ability to take cases that were below the dollar value of those that my old firm was willing to take. I also knew that I would be a master of my own destiny for better or worse (and it has been much more of the former than the latter). What I did not realize is the impact that owning my own business would have on my perspective. I have always believed that, in most cases where construction disputes occur, mediation is a great option. However mediation only occurs with conflict. For any business, whether construction or otherwise, conflict creates expenses that were not likely to have been anticipated or built in to the budget. Litigation is not something that most businesses can, or should, build into their operating budgets. Read the court decision
    Read the full story...
    Reprinted courtesy of Christopher G. Hill, Law Office of Christopher G. Hill, PC
    Mr. Hill may be contacted at chrisghill@constructionlawva.com

    Construction Litigation Roundup: “You May Want an Intervention …”

    June 10, 2024 —
    You may want an intervention … but you are not getting one! So said a federal court in New Orleans to a masonry supplier seeking to intervene in in an upstream subcontractor’s lawsuit against a payment bond surety for allegedly unpaid subcontract sums. It all seems so obvious: the masonry supplier indicates it is unpaid, and the subcontractor to which it supplied materials is saying the same thing and pursuing monies from the general contractor’s surety. Eventually, if the subcontractor prevails against the surety, monies ought to flow to the supplier – a set of facts lending itself to an intervention. The federal district court disagreed, however. Referring to Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 24(a)(2) and prior United States Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals case law the topic, the court opined that the masonry supplier lacked an interest in the subcontractor’s potential recovery that was “related to the property or transaction that forms the basis of the controversy…an interest that is ‘direct, substantial, [and] legally protectable.’" Read the court decision
    Read the full story...
    Reprinted courtesy of Daniel Lund III, Phelps
    Mr. Lund may be contacted at daniel.lund@phelps.com

    Ivanhoe Cambridge Plans Toronto Office Towers, Terminal

    October 01, 2014 —
    Ivanhoe Cambridge, the real estate arm of the Caisse de depot et placement du Quebec, plans to build a C$2-billion ($1.8 billion) officer tower and bus terminal complex in Toronto’s financial district in partnership with regional transport authority Metrolinx. Construction is expected to begin as early as spring 2015, with a new GO bus terminal set to open three years later, the parties said in a joint statement. “We want this project to be iconic for Toronto through inspired design and intelligent integration of public transit with green spaces,” Daniel Fournier, chief executive officer of Montreal-based Ivanhoe Cambridge, said in the statement. The total cost of the complex is expected to be C$2 billion, Fournier said at a press conference in Toronto. Read the court decision
    Read the full story...
    Reprinted courtesy of Scott Deveau and Katia Dmitrieva, Bloomberg
    Mr. Deveau may be contacted at sdeveau2@bloomberg.net