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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


    Study Finds Mansion Tax Reduced Sales in New York and New Jersey

    Weed Property Owner Gets Smoked Under Insurance Policy

    Forethought Is Key to Overcoming Construction Calamities

    Library to Open with Roof Defect Lawsuit Pending

    Key Legal Issues to Consider Before and After Natural Disasters

    Building Materials Price Increase Clause for Contractors and Subcontractors – Three Options

    Microsoft Said to Weigh Multibillion-Dollar Headquarters Revamp

    Rebuilding the West: Construction Considerations After the Smoke Clears

    Cold Weather Causes Power Blackouts, Disruptions on Jobsites

    Stucco Contractor Trying to Limit Communication in Construction Defect Case

    Melissa Pang Elected Vice President of APABA-PA Board of Directors

    Harmon Tower Demolition on Hold Due to Insurer

    Environmental Law Violations: When you Should Hire a Lawyer

    The Impact of the Russia-Ukraine Conflict on the Insurance Industry, Part One: Coverage, Exposure, and Losses

    Tropical Storms Pile Up Back-to-Back-to-Back Out West

    Homebuilders Leading U.S. Consumer Stocks: EcoPulse

    1 De Haro: A Case Study on Successful Cross-Laminated Timber Design and Construction in San Francisco

    Investigators Eye Fiber Optic Work in Deadly Wisconsin Explosion

    Dorian’s Wrath: How Event Cancellation Insurance Helps Businesses Recoup Losses from Severe Weather

    Determining Duty to Defend in Wisconsin Does Not Include Extrinsic Evidence

    Strict Liability or Negligence? The Proper Legal Standard for Inverse Condemnation caused by Water Damage to Property

    Massachusetts Court Holds Statute of Repose Bars Certain Asbestos-Related Construction Claims

    Contractual Assumption of Liability Does Not Bar Coverage

    SNC-Lavalin’s Former Head of Construction Pleads Guilty to Bribery, Money Laundering

    A New Statute of Limitations on Construction Claims by VA State Agencies?

    Guilty Pleas Draw Renewed Interest In Nevada’s Construction Defect Laws

    AMLO Hits Back at Vulcan, Threatens to Use Environmental Decree

    2017 Legislative Changes Affecting the Construction Industry

    Fraud and Construction Contracts- Like Oil and Water?

    Condo Buyers Seek to Void Sale over Construction Defect Lawsuit

    The General Assembly Seems Ready to Provide Some Consistency in Mechanic’s Lien Waiver

    Tallest U.S. Skyscraper Dream Kept Alive by Irish Builder

    Construction Worker Dies after Building Collapse

    California Imposes New Disabled Access Obligations on Commercial Property Owners

    Full Extent of Damage From Turkey Quakes Takes Shape

    Motion to Dismiss Insurer's Counterclaim for Construction Defects Is Granted

    On Rehearing, Fifth Circuit Finds Contractual-Liability Exclusion Does Not Apply

    NY Appeals Court Ruled Builders not Responsible in Terrorism Cases

    Engineers Found ‘Hundreds’ of Cracks in California Bridge

    Fifth Circuit -- Damage to Property Beyond Insured’s Product/Work Not Precluded By ‘Your Product/Your Work Exclusion’

    Small to Midsize Builders Making Profit on Overlooked Lots

    As Single-Family Homes Get Larger, Lots Get Smaller

    Another Municipality Takes Action to Address the Lack of Condominiums Being Built in its Jurisdiction

    Weyerhaeuser Leaving Home Building Business

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

    Anti-Concurrent Causation Clause Bars Coverage for Pool Damage

    Designers Face Fatal Pedestrian Bridge Collapse Fallout

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    MTA Debarment Update

    How to Build Climate Change-Resilient Infrastructure
    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

    As Recovery Continues, Home Improvement Stores Make Sales

    August 27, 2013 —
    Need another sign of the housing recovery? Lowe’s stock price is up. Bloomberg News reports that the home-improvement retailer rose by 88 cents a share in the last quarter. Analysts had predicted gains of 79 cents a share, and the same quarter last year saw profits of 64 cents a share. The increase in profits come from more purchases and higher spending per purchase. While Lowe’s negotiated some better prices with vendors and dropped some items that weren’t selling, none of the profits came from staff reduction; the retailer actually increased staffing. Home Depot, the largest such chain (Lowe’s is number 2), also saw profits that exceeded analysts’ projections. They, too, have decided to focus on assisting customers. Their increase in profits was attributed to greater spending by contractors and homeowners. Read the court decision
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    Reprinted courtesy of

    CFTC Establishes Climate-Risk Unit, Echoing Other Biden Administration Agency Themes

    April 12, 2021 —
    On March 17, the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC or Commission) joined other federal agencies led by Biden Administration appointees in ramping up consideration of climate-related risks in matters under the Commission’s jurisdiction. Stressing the need for a climate-resilient financial system, the CFTC’s new Climate-Risk Unit (CRU) will focus on “the role of derivatives in understanding, pricing, and addressing climate-related risk and transitioning to a low-carbon economy.” Formation of the CRU will accelerate the CFTC’s “engagement in support of industry-led and market-driven processes in the climate – and the larger ESG – space critical to ensuring that new products and markets fairly facilitate hedging, price discovery, market transparency, and capital allocation.” As with similar programs launched by the Securities and Exchange Commission (see our previous alert from March 19), businesses affected by the CFTC’s new initiative should consider active engagement to ensure informed and appropriate approaches are included in any new regulations, policies, or frameworks governing climate-related issues. Reprinted courtesy of Karen C. Bennett, Lewis Brisbois and Jane C. Luxton, Lewis Brisbois Ms. Bennett may be contacted at Karen.Bennett@lewisbrisbois.com Ms. Luxton may be contacted at Jane.Luxton@lewisbrisbois.com Read the court decision
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    Reprinted courtesy of

    Pensacola Bridge Halted Due to Alleged Construction Defects

    July 21, 2018 —
    The Pensacola News Journal reported that cracks were discovered again in the Pensacola Bay Bridge, which caused construction of said bridge to be halted once more: “Cracks found in a portion of the concrete in the Pensacola Bay Bridge project have twice halted construction in the last several months, raising concerns about oversight and disclosure from the state, particularly in light of the Miami bridge collapse earlier this year.” The Florida Department of Transportation stated “that the cracks were found during a routine visual inspection of newly placed concrete in March,” according to the Pensacola News Journal. The $400 million project began in 2017 and was scheduled to be completed by 2020. Read the court decision
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    Reprinted courtesy of

    Contractor Not Liable for Flooding House

    October 02, 2013 —
    Knife River Corp was hired by the town of Post Falls, Idaho to do road and sewer construction work. In the process, they interrupted a 6-inch water supply line, sending the water into a wastewater line. From there, the water flooded a home in Post Fall. The city paid more than $7,800 in damages. Post Falls sued Knife River’s insurer for coverage. The city has lost its lawsuit and is responsible for $18,500 in attorneys’ fees. Despite all this, the city administrator says that the city still has a good working relationship with Knife River. Read the court decision
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    Reprinted courtesy of

    If I Released My California Mechanics Lien, Can I File a New Mechanics Lien on the Same Project? Will the New Mechanics Lien be Enforceable?

    December 29, 2020 —
    If I Released My California Mechanics Lien, Can I File a New Mechanics Lien on the Same Project? Will the New Mechanics Lien be Enforceable? In general, the answer to the above questions is “Yes”, but only if you meet the following requirements:
    1. You must only release the mechanics lien itself, but not the “right” to a mechanics lien: There is an important distinction to be made between releasing a mechanics lien and releasing the right to a mechanics lien. Whether you do one or the other will depend on the specific language used in your release. In the case of Santa Clara Land Title Co. v. Nowack and Associates, Inc. (1991) 226 Cal. App.3d, 1558 a “release of mechanics lien” document was recorded TO THE County Recorder’s office which included a statement that the mechanics lien was “fully satisfied, released and discharged”. Based on this language, the court concluded that the mechanics lien claimant had waived its “right” to a further mechanics lien on the same property for the work in question. The court concluded that since the release stated that the claim was “fully satisfied” the right to mechanics lien on the project had forever been waived. The Nowak case can be distinguished from the case of Koudmani v. Ogle Enterprises, Inc., (1996) 47 Cal.App.4th 1650, where the release of mechanics lien only stated that the mechanics lien was “otherwise released and discharged” and not that it was “satisfied”. Based on the distinction drawn from the two cases, a simple mechanics lien release that only releases the mechanics lien itself, but not the “right” to a mechanics lien should be used. At the following link you will find a proper form to achieve this purpose: https://www.porterlaw.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/06/03PRI-Mechanics-Lien-Release.pdf
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    Reprinted courtesy of William L. Porter, Porter Law Group
    Mr. Porter may be contacted at bporter@porterlaw.com

    Rights Afforded to Employees and Employers During Strikes

    October 16, 2018 —
    One of the most powerful weapons in labor’s arsenal is a strike. Like most powerful weapons there is a dichotomy in a strike. On one hand, it can bring about concessions from management that labor seeks. On the other hand, it can permanently change the relationship between management and labor. However, one thing is certain, strike are – to put it mildly – chaotic. During this chaotic period, employees and employers may wonder what rights they have during union-initiated strikes. We provide some brief explanations below, along with how union litigation can help enforce your rights. Read the court decision
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    Reprinted courtesy of Wally Zimolong, Zimolong LLC
    Mr. Zimolong may be contacted at wally@zimolonglaw.com

    NYC Rail Tunnel Cost Jumps and Construction Start Pushed Back

    October 10, 2022 —
    The cost of the New York City-area Gateway rail tunnel project climbed to $16.1 billion and the expected start of construction was pushed to 2024, its overseer said Wednesday. The plan is to seek more federal aid to cover the rising cost. The new estimate, with finance charges, was 14% higher than last year’s projection to build a passenger rail tunnel between New York and New Jersey, and rehabilitate Amtrak and New Jersey Transit’s only existing link. The start of major construction, once proposed for mid-2023, now is expected in mid-2024, according to a statement from the Gateway Development Commission. The tunnel is anticipated to be in service by 2035. Half the cost was expected to be covered by the federal government, and the rest by New York and New Jersey, with contributions from Amtrak and the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey. The commission now will seek additional US funding under the 2021 Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act. It expects a full funding grant agreement in early 2024, with construction starting later that year. Read the court decision
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    Reprinted courtesy of Elise Young, Bloomberg

    Real Estate & Construction News Round-Up 04/20/22

    May 02, 2022 —
    Construction defects emerge in pandemic-era buildings, investor confidence is improving in China’s real estate market, the proptech field continues to show significant signs of growth, and more.
    • Investor confidence in China’s real estate market is improving, with bond trading volumes and prices rising over the last few weeks, but the market is not projected to resume its high growth rate of the past. (Weizhen Tan & Evelyn Cheng, CNBC)
    • The economic shock caused by soaring mortgage rates over the past few weeks has dramatically increased mortgage payments for new homebuyers. (Lance Lambert, Fortune)
    • With the metaverse economy projected to be worth between $8 and $13 trillion by 2030, blockchain technology serves as a key driver for virtual real estate sales, allowing for “true” ownership of a property. (Robert Koonin, Dan Jasnow, & Kinnon McDonald, TFL)
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    Reprinted courtesy of Pillsbury's Construction & Real Estate Law Team