BERT HOWE
  • Nationwide: (800) 482-1822    
    townhome construction building expert Seattle Washington tract home building expert Seattle Washington custom homes building expert Seattle Washington concrete tilt-up building expert Seattle Washington mid-rise construction building expert Seattle Washington multi family housing building expert Seattle Washington low-income housing building expert Seattle Washington condominium building expert Seattle Washington production housing building expert Seattle Washington housing building expert Seattle Washington casino resort building expert Seattle Washington Medical building building expert Seattle Washington industrial building building expert Seattle Washington hospital construction building expert Seattle Washington condominiums building expert Seattle Washington custom home building expert Seattle Washington retail construction building expert Seattle Washington Subterranean parking building expert Seattle Washington structural steel construction building expert Seattle Washington institutional building building expert Seattle Washington office building building expert Seattle Washington high-rise construction building expert Seattle Washington
    Seattle Washington forensic architectSeattle Washington expert witness commercial buildingsSeattle Washington construction forensic expert witnessSeattle Washington contractor expert witnessSeattle Washington expert witnesses fenestrationSeattle Washington building envelope expert witnessSeattle Washington building consultant expert
    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


    Franchisors Should Consider Signing a Conditional Lease Assignment Rather Than a Franchisee’s Lease

    VOSH Jumps Into the Employee Misclassification Pool

    Motion to Dismiss Denied Regarding Insureds' Claim For Collapse

    Withdrawal Liability? Read your CBA

    More on Fraud, Opinions and Contracts

    Pennsylvania Federal Court Addresses Recurring Asbestos Coverage Issues

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

    The Argument for Solar Power

    Singer Akon’s Multibillion-Dollar Futuristic City in Africa Gets Final Notice

    No Duty to Defend Under Renter's Policy

    Virtual Jury Trials of Construction Disputes: The Necessary Union of Both Sides of the Brain

    Partner Vik Nagpal is Recognized as a Top Lawyer of 2020

    You Can Take This Job and Shove It!

    First Circuit: No Coverage, No Duty to Investigate Alleged Loss Prior to Policy Period

    How Retro-Commissioning Can Extend the Life of a Building—and the Planet

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

    Just Because You Record a Mechanic’s Lien Doesn’t Mean You Get Notice of Foreclosure

    Guidance for Structural Fire Engineering Making Its Debut

    Supreme Court of Washington State Upholds SFAA Position on Spearin Doctrine

    The Pandemic of Litigation Sure to Follow the Coronavirus

    Extreme Weather Events Show Why the Construction Supply Chain Needs a Risk-Management Transformation

    ASCE Statement on Senate Passage Of Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act

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

    Insurance Company Must Show that Lead Came from Building Materials

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

    Order for Appraisal Affirmed After Insureds Comply with Post-Loss Obligations

    Construction Up in Northern Ohio

    London Shard Developer Wins Approval for Tower Nearby

    Anti-Concurrent Causation Clause Preserves Possibility of Coverage

    Contractor Sues Supplier over Defective Products

    Court Addresses HOA Attempt to Restrict Short Term Rentals

    Avoiding Disaster Due to Improper Licensing

    Balancing Risk and Reward: The Complexities of Stadium Construction Projects

    Experts: Best Bet in $300M Osage Nation Wind Farm Dispute Is Negotiation

    Power Point Presentation on Nautilus v. Lexington Case

    Window Installer's Alleged Faulty Workmanship On Many Projects Constitutes Multiple Occurrences

    West Coast Casualty’s Construction Defect Seminar Returns to Anaheim May 15th & 16th

    Judgment Proof: Reducing Litigation Exposure with Litigation Risk Insurance

    Unpredictable Power Surges Threaten US Grid — And Your Home

    Delaware Supreme Court Choice of Law Ruling Vacates a $13.7 Million Verdict Against Travelers

    More Business Value from Drones with Propeller and Trimble – Interview with Rory San Miguel

    Contractor Wins in Arbitration Only to Lose Before the Superior Court on Section 7031 Claim

    TARP Funds Demolish Homes in Detroit to Lift Prices: Mortgages

    Skipping Depositions does not Constitute Failure to Cooperate in New York

    Top 10 Insurance Cases of 2024

    Woodbridge II and the Nuanced Meaning of “Adverse Use” in Hostile Property Rights Cases in Colorado

    Balfour in Talks With Carillion About $5 Billion Merger

    Sureties and Bond Producers May Be Liable For a Contractor’s False Claims Act Violations

    Insurance Measures Passed by 2015 Hawaii Legislature

    Construction Litigation Roundup: “A Close Call?”
    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

    US Court Questions 102-Mile Transmission Project Over River Crossing

    February 07, 2022 —
    A federal judge will decide in February whether to stop construction of a $492-million Iowa-to-Wisconsin transmission line, after issuing an opinion in mid-January “declaring” that federal rules preclude the 102-mile Cardinal-Hickory Creek project from crossing the 261-mile Upper Mississippi River National Wildlife and Fish Refuge by right-of-way or land transfer. Reprinted courtesy of Mary B. Powers, Engineering News-Record ENR may be contacted at enr@enr.com Read the full story... Read the court decision
    Read the full story...
    Reprinted courtesy of

    Moving Toward a Telework Future: A Checklist of Considerations for Employers

    July 27, 2020 —
    Businesses contemplating moving to a virtual workplace in this post-COVID-19 world must consider the legal ramifications of such decisions. Virtual workplaces may provide businesses with many benefits, such as cost savings, access to a more geographically diverse worker pool and the possibility of more flexible employment relationships. But a virtual workplace may also include hidden employment-related issues, costs, and traps. This is especially so for California-based companies. This article identifies some of the significant employment-law issues related to transitioning to a virtual workplace. Specifically, this article analyzes three scenarios: (1) employers seeking to have their workers continue working from home; (2) workers desiring to continue working from home — and specifically, seeking to work outside of California; and (3) the hiring of new employees. Reprinted courtesy of Daniel F. Fears, Payne & Fears and Raymond J. Nhan, Payne & Fears Mr. Fears may be contacted at dff@paynefears.com Mr. Nhan may be contacted at rjn@paynefears.com Read the court decision
    Read the full story...
    Reprinted courtesy of

    New Washington Law Nixes Unfair Indemnification in Construction Contracts

    April 25, 2012 —

    Contractual fairness ? it is part of my mantra. If you read the blog, you probably know that I preach brevity, balance and clarity in contracting. The State of Washington did well to finally eliminate something that has angered me for quite some time ? unfair indemnification.

    One of my favorite construction contract revisions is mutual indemnification. Many “up the chain” contractors and owners are going to stick you with a unilateral indemnification clause that protects them for just about everything, including their own fumbling of a project. Adding mutual indemnification provides some balance, and keeps parties reliant upon each other for success on the job site.

    Read the full story…

    Reprinted courtesy of Douglas Reiser of Reiser Legal LLC. Mr. Reiser can be contacted at info@reiserlegal.com

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

    California Appellate Court Holds “Minimal Causal Connection” Satisfies Causation Requirement in All Risk Policies

    July 20, 2020 —
    On May 26, 2020, a California Court of Appeals (4th District) issued its decision in Mosley et al. v. Pacific Specialty Ins. Co. The case arose in the context of a marijuana-growing tenant who rerouted a home’s electrical system and caused an electrical fire. The issue was whether the homeowner’s policy covered the loss. The trial court granted the insurer’s motion for summary judgment and, in a divided decision, the Court of Appeals reversed in part. The policy excluded losses “resulting from any manufacturing, production or operation, engaged in … the growing of plants.” The parties agreed that the fire resulted from the rewiring of the electrical system, but disagreed on “whether that means the damage” “result[ed] from” “the growing of plants.” The Court held that “resulting from” “broadly links a factual situation with the event creating liability, and connotes only a minimal causal connection or incidental relationship.” In doing so, it equated the terms “results from” and “arising from.” Concluding that a “common sense” approach was to be used, it found a “minimal causal connection” to be present. This expansive standard could be beneficial to policyholders in arguing the causal connection between COVID-19 and ensuing business interruption losses; specifically, that the pandemic, a covered event, is the underlying and proximate cause of the insureds’ physical loss and/or damage and the insured’s resulting business interruption loss, and that intervening events, whether they be orders of civil authority, prevention of ingress/egress or otherwise, would not sever the chain of causation. Reprinted courtesy of Scott P. DeVries, Hunton Andrews Kurth and Michael S. Levine, Hunton Andrews Kurth Mr. DeVries may be contacted at sdevries@HuntonAK.com Mr. Levine may be contacted at mlevine@HuntonAK.com Read the court decision
    Read the full story...
    Reprinted courtesy of

    Lewis Brisbois Listed on Leopard Solutions Top 10 Law Firm Index

    March 21, 2022 —
    New York, N.Y. (March 17, 2022) – Lewis Brisbois has been listed as a top 10 firm by Leopard Solutions in its annual rankings list of the healthiest law firms in 2021 across the country. Lewis Brisbois was ranked 7th on the list, with a “very good” score of 439. Other firms in the top 10 include Kirkland & Ellis, Greenberg Traurig, and Latham & Watkins. The Leopard Law Firm Index provides insight into law firm health and stability, using a robust list of criteria. This includes attorney growth and retention, financial stability over time, lateral recruiting success, an "Insider Score" based on surveys of attorneys at firms about their workplace (done in partnership with Above the Law), attorney promotions, and overall diversity. Leopard Solutions is a provider of business development solutions and market research reports, for law firms, legal recruiters, and legal departments. Read the court decision
    Read the full story...
    Reprinted courtesy of Lewis Brisbois

    The Heat Is On

    June 13, 2022 —
    Every year, NASA and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) team up to assess global temperatures and climate trends. (Yes, that NASA. A big part of the space agency’s mission is focused on Earth science, with the goal of better understanding the planet’s interconnected systems.) The two groups released their findings for 2021 this past January, with several predictably alarming highlights:
    • 2021 was the sixth-warmest year on record, with the average global surface temperature about 1.5°F over the 20th-century baseline periods that the agencies use for comparison and nearly 2°F higher than in the late-19th century.
    • The surface temperature in the Northern Hemisphere was also the sixth-highest on record, at nearly 2°F over baseline, with the land temperature exceeding the baseline by 2.8°F.
    • Extreme climate events included an above-average Atlantic hurricane season, with 21 storms, and a severe heat wave in the northwestern United States and western Canada in June during which Canada recorded its highest temperature ever, at 121°F.
    Reprinted courtesy of Christopher Durso, Construction Executive, a publication of Associated Builders and Contractors. All rights reserved. Read the court decision
    Read the full story...
    Reprinted courtesy of

    Saved By The Statute: The Economic Loss Doctrine Does Not Bar Claims Under Pennsylvania’s Unfair Trade Practices and Consumer Protection Law

    May 10, 2021 —
    In Earl v. NVR, Inc., No. 20-2109, 2021 U.S. App. LEXIS 6451, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit (Third Circuit) considered whether, under Pennsylvania law, the plaintiff’s Unfair Trade Practices and Consumer Protection Law (UTPCPL) claims against the builder of her home were barred by the economic loss doctrine. The UTPCPL is a Pennsylvania statute that prohibits “unfair methods of competition and unfair or deceptive acts or practices in the conduct of any trade or commerce.” 73 Pa. Stat. Ann. § 201-3. The Third Circuit previously addressed the impact of the economic loss doctrine on UTPCPL claims in Werwinski v. Ford Motor Co., 286 F.3d 661 (3d Cir. 2002). In Werwinski, the court held that the plaintiff’s UTPCPL claim was barred by the economic loss doctrine. The Court of Appeals overturned its decision in Werwinski and held that the economic loss doctrine does not bar UTPCPL claims since such claims are statutory, and not based in tort. In Earl, the plaintiff, Lisa Earl, entered into an agreement with defendant NVR, Inc. (NVR) for the construction and sale of a home in Allegheny County, Pennsylvania. Ms. Earl learned of the home through NVR’s marketing, which described the home as containing “quality architecture, timeless design, and beautiful finishes.” Ms. Earl alleged that during the construction of the home, she had further discussions with agents of NVR, who made representations that the home would be constructed in a good and workmanlike manner and that any deficiencies noted by Ms. Earl would be remedied. The defendant also assured Ms. Earl that the home would be constructed in accordance with relevant building codes and industry standards. After moving into the home, Ms. Earl discovered several material defects in the construction. She provided notice of these defects to NVR, but NVR’s attempts to repair some of the defects were inadequate. Read the court decision
    Read the full story...
    Reprinted courtesy of Gus Sara, White and Williams
    Mr. Sara may be contacted at sarag@whiteandwilliams.com

    Illinois Appellate Court Finds That Damages in Excess of Policy Limits Do Not Trigger Right to Independent Counsel

    June 22, 2020 —
    Under Illinois law, an insurer’s duty to defend includes the right to control the defense, which allows insurers to protect their financial interest in the outcome of the litigation. However, where a conflict of interest exists, the insured, rather than the insurer, is entitled to assume control of the defense of the underlying action. If this occurs, the insurer satisfies its obligation to defend by reimbursing the insured for the cost of defense provided by independent counsel selected by the insured. What circumstances and situations arise to the level of an actual conflict of interest between the insurer and insured are often grounds for dispute. In Joseph T. Ryerson & Son, Inc. v. Travelers Indemnity Co. of America, 2020 IL App (1st) 182491 (Apr. 7, 2020), the Illinois Appellate Court addressed whether damages awarded by a jury in excess of the policy limits were sufficient to trigger a right to independent counsel for post-trial and appellate proceedings. According to the Illinois Appellate Court, at least under the facts of the Ryerson case, the answer is “no.” In Ryerson, Nancy Hoffman sued Ryerson for injuries sustained in a tractor-trailer accident. Ryerson tendered the suit to its primary insurer, Travelers, and its umbrella insurer, Illinois National. The policy limits were $2 million and $25 million, respectively. A jury found in favor of Hoffman for over $27.6 million in damages, and Ryerson appealed. Read the court decision
    Read the full story...
    Reprinted courtesy of Jason Taylor, Traub Lieberman
    Mr. Taylor may be contacted at jtaylor@tlsslaw.com