BERT HOWE
  • Nationwide: (800) 482-1822    
    casino resort building expert Seattle Washington concrete tilt-up building expert Seattle Washington condominium building expert Seattle Washington office building building expert Seattle Washington Medical building building expert Seattle Washington custom homes building expert Seattle Washington mid-rise construction building expert Seattle Washington Subterranean parking building expert Seattle Washington production housing building expert Seattle Washington low-income housing building expert Seattle Washington tract home building expert Seattle Washington townhome construction building expert Seattle Washington retail construction building expert Seattle Washington industrial building building expert Seattle Washington institutional building building expert Seattle Washington parking structure building expert Seattle Washington landscaping construction building expert Seattle Washington structural steel construction building expert Seattle Washington high-rise construction building expert Seattle Washington hospital construction building expert Seattle Washington housing building expert Seattle Washington condominiums building expert Seattle Washington
    Seattle Washington construction claims expert witnessSeattle Washington OSHA expert witness constructionSeattle Washington civil engineering expert witnessSeattle Washington construction scheduling and change order evaluation expert witnessSeattle Washington construction expert witnessesSeattle Washington expert witness commercial buildingsSeattle Washington architect 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


    Milhouse Engineering and Construction, Inc. Named 2022 A/E/C Building a Better World Award Winner

    Real Estate & Construction News Roundup (05/10/23) – Wobbling Real Estate, Booming (and Busting) Construction, and Eye-Watering Insurance Premiums

    Potential Pitfalls Under the Contract Disputes Act for Federal Government Contractors

    Handling Construction Defect Claims – New Edition Released

    Environmental and Regulatory Law Update: New Federal and State Rulings

    More on the VCPA and Construction

    OH Supreme Court Rules Against General Contractor in Construction Defect Coverage Dispute

    Required Contract Provisions for Construction Contracts in California

    Property Owner Found Liable for Injuries to Worker of Unlicensed Contractor, Again

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

    Montrose III: Appeals Court Rejects “Elective Vertical Stacking,” but Declines to Find “Universal Horizontal Exhaustion” Absent Proof of Policy Wordings

    California Ranks As Leading State for Green Building in 2022

    Trump Administration Issues Proposed 'Waters of the U.S.' Rule

    Mental Health and Wellbeing in Construction: Impacts to Jobsite Safety

    Mediating is Eye Opening

    Professional Liability and Attorney-Client Privilege Bulletin: Intra-Law Firm Communications

    Claim for Punitive Damages Based on Insurers' Alleged Bad Faith Business Practices Fails

    Definitions Matter in Illinois: Tenant Held Liable Only for Damage to Apartment Unit

    Court Rules that Collapse Coverage for Damage Caused “Only By” Specified Perils Violates Efficient Proximate Cause Rule and is Unenforceable

    Hudson River PCB Cleanup Lands Back in Court

    The Best Laid Plans: Contingency in a Construction Contract

    Coverage Established for Property Damage Caused by Added Product

    Congratulations to BWB&O’s Newport Beach Team on Obtaining a Defense Verdict in Favor of their Subcontractor Client!

    What You Need to Know About Enforcement Actions by the Contractors State License Board

    Suffolk Pauses $1.5B Boston Tower Project for Safety Audit After Fire

    Eighth Circuit Remands to Determine Applicability of Collapse Exclusion

    The Dog Ate My Exclusion! – Georgia Federal Court: No Reformation to Add Pollution Exclusion

    Housing Starts Plunge by the Most in Four Years

    Connecticut Appellate Court Breaks New Ground on Policy Exhaustion

    Bel Air Mansion Construction Draws Community Backlash

    Zell Says Homeownership Rate to Fall as Marriages Delayed

    Alabama Federal Magistrate Recommends Dismissal of Construction Defect Declaratory Judgment Action Due to Expanded Duty to Defend Standard

    SB 721 – California Multi-Family Buildings New Require Inspections of “EEEs”

    Failing to Release A Mechanics Lien Can Destroy Your Construction Business

    Coverage Article - To Settle or Not To Settle?

    LA Lakers Partially Survive Motion to Dismiss COVID-19 Claims

    It Has Started: Supply-Chain, Warehouse and Retail Workers of Essential Businesses Are Filing Suit

    Super Lawyers Recognized Five Lawyers from Hunton’s Insurance Recovery Group

    Blog Completes Fifteenth Year

    Engineer at Flint Negligence Trial Details Government Water Errors

    Eleven WSHB Lawyers Honored on List of 2016 Rising Stars

    Thank You for 14 Consecutive Years of Legal Elite Elections

    Kansas City Airport Terminal Project Faces Delays, Rising Costs

    Claims against Broker for Insufficient Coverage Fail

    West Virginia Couple Claim Defects in Manufactured Home

    Insurers Need only Prove that Other Coverage Exists for Construction Defect Claims

    Property Damage to Insured's Own Work is Not Covered

    Remembering Joseph H. Foster

    The Court of Appeals Holds That Indifference to Safety Satisfies the Standard for a Willful Violation Under WISHA

    Best Lawyers® Recognizes 37 White And Williams Lawyers
    Corporate Profile

    SEATTLE WASHINGTON BUILDING EXPERT
    DIRECTORY AND CAPABILITIES

    The Seattle, Washington Building Expert Group is comprised from a number of credentialed construction professionals possessing extensive trial support experience relevant to construction defect and claims matters. Leveraging from more than 25 years experience, BHA provides construction related trial support and expert services to the nation's most recognized construction litigation practitioners, Fortune 500 builders, commercial general liability carriers, owners, construction practice groups, and a variety of state and local government agencies.

    Building Expert News & Info
    Seattle, Washington

    New Green Standards; Same Green Warnings for Architects & Engineers (law note)

    January 13, 2014 —
    The newest version of the LEED ratings system, LEED v4, has officially been released. For a comparison of the major changes between LEED 2009 and LEEDv4, check out this downloadable form from the USGBC. As the folks at Schinnerer’s pointed out, there is one major change that is fraught with peril for design professionals– the requirement for increased transparency concerning the composition and performance requirements of composition materials. Notes the insurance carrier: “While design firms always had a level of responsibility for ongoing product research, the lack of standardized, affirmative industry data made it difficult for design firms and project owners to assess the impact of building materials on human health. “As with many aspects of sustainability in design and construction, the danger to design firms is likely to come from self-inflicted perils. When a firm accepts responsibility to ‘ensure that a project meets its goals by using the best products that align with project requirements,’ it is essentially giving the project owner a guarantee that is both beyond the firm’s control and uninsurable by any insurance carried by a firm.” Read the court decision
    Read the full story...
    Reprinted courtesy of Melissa Dewey Brumback
    Ms. Brumback can be contacted at mbrumback@rl-law.com

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

    January 11, 2022 —
    When an association files a lawsuit pertaining to matters of common interest, the lawsuit is typically filed as a class on behalf of the owners that make up the association (i.e., the association’s members). How do you deal with an arbitration provision that is included in an owner’s purchase-and-sale agreement or recorded in the deed? The recent opinion in Lennar Homes, LLC v. Martinique at the Oasis Neighborhood Association, Inc., 47 Fla. L. Weekly D15c (Fla 3rd DCA 2021) dealt with this exact issue with a homeowner’s association ruling that the association was required to arbitrate its latent construction defect claims against the developer (homebuilder). In this case, a community in Miami consisted of 26 townhouse buildings. There was a broad arbitration provision in each owner’s purchase-and-sale agreement that included disputes relating to property damage. Further, with each closing, a special warranty deed was recorded that included a nearly identical arbitration provision. The association became aware of latent defects relating to the exterior walls of the buildings and filed a lawsuit against the developer (homebuilder). The developer moved to compel the dispute to arbitration which was denied by the trial court because there was no specific agreement between the association and the developer that required arbitration and the lawsuit dealt with matters that the association was obligated to maintain. Read the court decision
    Read the full story...
    Reprinted courtesy of David Adelstein, Kirwin Norris, P.A.
    Mr. Adelstein may be contacted at dma@kirwinnorris.com

    After Restoring Power in North Carolina, Contractor Faces Many Claims

    August 10, 2017 —
    Having successfully helped to restore power to two North Carolina barrier islands, PCL Civil Constructors now faces the fallout from a July 27 construction incident that forced a week-long evacuation of 60,000 visitors, putting a potential multimillion-dollar dent in the region’s tourism-dependent economy. Read the court decision
    Read the full story...
    Reprinted courtesy of Jim Parsons, ENR
    ENR may be contacted at ENR.com@bnpmedia.com

    #1 CDJ Topic: McMillin Albany LLC v Superior Court of California

    December 30, 2015 —
    Stephen A. Sunseria of Gatzke Dillon & Balance LLP discussed how the Fifth Appellate District court “issued a blistering criticism of the Fourth Appellate District’s prior opinion in Liberty Mutual Ins. Co. v. Brookfield Crystal Cove LLC (2013) 219 Ca.App.4th 98, which severely limited the reach of the Act to actions not involving property damage and allowing property damage claims to proceed freely under common law without any constraints posed by the Act.” Sunseri stated that “McMillin is a great victory for homebuilders, but battle lines are now clearly drawn between the two appellate districts.” Read the full story... In another article regarding the McMillin Albany LLC case, Garret Murai of Wendel Rosen Black & Dean LLP posted an article on his California Construction Law Blog that went over the legal debate of California’s Right to Repair Act including Liberty Mutual, Burch v. Superior Court, and KB Home Greater Los Angeles, Inc. v. Superior Court and concluded with a discussion of the McMillin Albany case. Murai predicted, rightly it turned out, that the case would see a “final round before the California Supreme Court.” Read the full story... In their December 2, 2015 article, authors Richard H. Glucksman, Glenn T. Barger, Jon A. Turigliatto, and David A. Napper of Chapman Glucksman Dean Roeb & Barger reported that the California Supreme Court granted the petition for review of the McMillin Albany decision: “The holdings in Liberty Mutual and McMillin Albany present a conflict of authority that the California Supreme Court has appropriately deemed worthy of review. The parties will now be permitted to file briefs on the merits and amicus briefs will certainly be submitted by the defense and plaintiff bars.” Read the full story... Read the court decision
    Read the full story...
    Reprinted courtesy of

    Not Pandemic-Proof: The Ongoing Impact of COVID-19 on the Commercial Construction Industry

    December 06, 2021 —
    The impact of COVID-19 has been felt in nearly every industry and arena across the country, with the exception of construction—or so that is the general perception. Perceptions are often wrong though, and this one is no different. The truth is that the construction industry has been hit just as hard, if not harder, than every other industry. As the COVID-19 pandemic struck in the spring of 2020, construction projects plowed forward full steam ahead. Roadwork seemed to increase and developers continued to systematically acquire property and initiate large-scale projects. Perhaps it was these observations that led many to the conclusion that construction was pandemic-proof as the rest of society attempted to cobble together something that vaguely resembled a normal business year. But the construction industry has endured many challenges over the last 18 months, and unfortunately, the challenges do not appear to be evaporating anytime soon. The industry has been primarily affected in the areas of scheduling, manpower and permitting, which has ultimately affected pricing. The entire way jobs are scheduled has been turned upside down. The supply chain issues that many have experienced for everyday household items have hit the construction industry as well. Reprinted courtesy of George B. Green Jr., Construction Executive, a publication of Associated Builders and Contractors. All rights reserved. Read the court decision
    Read the full story...
    Reprinted courtesy of
    Mr. Green may be contacted at ggreen@wwhgd.com

    The Economic Loss Rule and the Disclosure of Latent Defects: In re the Estate of Carol S. Gattis

    January 15, 2014 —
    In a recent case of first impression, the Colorado Court of Appeals determined that the economic loss rule does not bar a nondisclosure tort claim against a seller of a home, built on expansive soils which caused damage to the house after the sale. The case of In re the Estate of Carol S. Gattis represents a new decision regarding the economic loss rule. Because it is a case of first impression, we must wait to see whether the Colorado Supreme Court grants a petition for certiorari. Until then, we will analyze the decision handed down on November 7, 2013. The sellers of the home sold it to an entity they controlled for the purpose of repairing and reselling the home. Before that purchase, Sellers obtained engineering reports including discussion of structural problems resulting from expansive soils. A structural repair entity, also controlled by Sellers, oversaw the needed repair work. After the repair work was completed, Sellers obtained title to the residence and listed it for sale. Sellers had no direct contact with Gattis, who purchased the residence from Sellers. The purchase was executed through a standard-form real estate contract, approved by the Colorado Real Estate Commission: Contract to Buy and Sell Real Estate, to which no changes were made. Several years after taking title to the residence, Gattis commenced action, pleading several tort claims alleging only economic losses based on damage to the residence resulting from expansive soils. Read the court decision
    Read the full story...
    Reprinted courtesy of Brady Iandiorio, Higgins, Hopkins, McLain & Roswell, LLC
    Mr. Iandiorio may be contacted at iandiorio@hhmrlaw.com

    Edward Beitz and William Taylor Recognized by US News – Best Lawyers as a "Lawyer of the Year"

    August 31, 2020 —
    White and Williams is proud to announce that Edward Beitz and William Taylor have been recognized by U.S. News – Best Lawyers® as a “Lawyer of the Year” in their respective practices in Philadelphia. Ed was named in the area of Medical Malpractice and Bill was named in Construction Law. "Lawyer of the Year" recognitions are awarded to individual lawyers with extremely high overall peer-feedback for a specific practice area and geographic location. Ed is a member of the Healthcare Group and focuses his practice on medical malpractice defense, defending doctors, nurses, physician assistants and hospitals at the trial and appellate court levels, as well as general liability matters. He has successfully defended numerous medical malpractice cases at trial involving complex issues of the human anatomy, such as cardiac surgery, neurosurgery, orthopedic surgery, nursing care, obstetrical complications, nerve injury and vascular injury. Ed has authored briefs on appellate issues in healthcare and coverage matters to the Superior Court of Pennsylvania, the New Jersey Appellate Division and the Third Circuit Court of Appeals. Reprinted courtesy of Edward Beitz, White and Williams and William Taylor, White and Williams Mr. Beitz may be contacted at beitze@whiteandwilliams.com Mr. Taylor may be contacted at taylorw@whiteandwilliams.com Read the court decision
    Read the full story...
    Reprinted courtesy of

    Client Alert: Expert Testimony in Indemnity Action Not Limited to Opinions Presented in Underlying Matter

    February 18, 2015 —
    In National Union Fire Insurance Co. of Pittsburgh Pa. v. Tokio Marine and Nichido Fire Insurance Co. (filed 2/4/2015, B24899 and B247258), the California Court of Appeal, Second District, held that the insurer of Costco Wholesale Corporation, in a subsequent indemnity action, could offer expert opinions which were not developed by the third-party plaintiff’s experts in an underlying dispute. Jack Daer filed suit against Costco and Yokohama Tire Corporation, alleging a tire manufactured by Yokohama (and sold by Costco), was defective and caused an accident resulting in Mr. Daer’s injuries. The case proceeded through expert discovery and depositions. On the first day of trial, Costco settled with Daer for $5.5 million, and Yokohama settled for $1.1 million. Reprinted courtesy of R. Bryan Martin, Haight Brown & Bonesteel LLP and Kristian B. Moriarty, Haight Brown & Bonesteel LLP Mr. Martin may be contacted at bmartin@hbblaw.com, Mr. Moriarty may be contacted at kmoriarty@hbblaw.com Read the court decision
    Read the full story...
    Reprinted courtesy of