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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


    Lockton Expands Construction and Design Team

    Real Estate & Construction News Roundup (10/1/24) – Hybrid Work Technologies, AI in Construction and the Market for Office Buildings

    Insurer Has No Obligation to Cover Arbitration Award in Construction Defect Case

    ASCE Statement on Hurricane Milton and Environmental Threats

    Federal Court Sets High Bar for Pleading Products Liability Cases in New Jersey

    Fifth Circuit Finds Duty to Defend Construction Defect Case

    Meet BWBO’s 2024 San Diego Super Lawyers Rising Stars!

    Steps to Defending against Construction Defect Lawsuits

    Alexis Crump Receives 2020 Lawyer Monthly Women in Law Award

    Candlebrook Adds Dormitories With $230 Million Purchase

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

    Structural Defects in Thousands of Bridges in America

    Indemnification Against Release/“Disposal” of Hazardous Materials

    Construction Defect Attorneys Call for Better Funding of Court System

    Sometimes You Get Away with Unwritten Contracts. . .

    South Carolina Law Clarifies Statue of Repose

    Insurance Agent Sued for Lapse in Coverage after House Collapses

    Future Environmental Rulemaking Proceedings Listed in the Spring 2019 Unified Federal Agenda

    Hawaii Federal District Court Remands Coverage Dispute

    Sustainable, Versatile and Resilient: How Mass Timber Construction Can Shake Up the Building Industry

    Occurrence Definition Trends Analyzed

    Elevators Take Sustainable Smart Cities to the Next Level

    Connecticutt Class Action on Collapse Claims Faces Motion to Dismiss

    EPA Seeks Comment on Clean Water Act Section 401 Certification Rule

    Providing “Labor” Under the Miller Act

    Ambitious Building Plans in Boston

    Quick Note: Expert Testimony – Back to the Frye Test in Florida

    Structural Defects Lead Schools to Close off Areas

    Denver Passed the Inclusionary Housing Ordinance

    Insurer's Failure to Settle Does Not Justify Multiple Damages under Unfair Claims Settlement Law

    Limited Number of Insurance-Related Bills Passed by 2014 Hawaii Legislature

    Measures Landlords and Property Managers Can Take in Response to a Reported COVID-19 Infection

    General Contractors Have Expansive Common Law and Statutory Duties To Provide a Safe Workplace

    Bremer Whyte Congratulates Nicole Nuzzo on OCBA Professionalism and Ethics Committee Appointment

    Verdict In Favor Of Insured Homeowner Reversed For Improper Jury Instructions

    August Home Prices in 20 U.S. Cities Appreciate at Faster Pace

    Gillotti v. Stewart (2017) 2017 WL 1488711 Rejects Liberty Mutual, Holding Once Again that the Right to Repair Act is the Exclusive Remedy for Construction Defect Claims

    Why A.I. Isn’t Going to Replace Lawyers Anytime Soon

    Picketing Threats

    Traub Lieberman Attorneys Lisa Rolle and Christopher Acosta Win Summary Judgment in Favor of Property Owner

    In All Fairness: Illinois Appellate Court Finds That Arbitration Clause in a Residential Construction Contract Was Unconscionable and Unenforceable

    U.S. Building Permits Soared to Their Highest Level in Nearly Eight Years

    Revisiting OSHA’s Controlling Employer Policy

    Contract Change # 10: Differing Site Conditions (law note)

    Life After McMillin: Do Negligence and Strict Liability Causes of Action for Construction Defects Still Exist?

    Builder Exposes 7 Myths regarding Millennials and Housing

    Construction Contract Basics: No Damages for Delay

    1st District Joins 2nd District Court of Appeals and Holds that One-Year SOL Applies to Disgorgement Claims

    Rich NYC Suburbs Fight Housing Plan They Say Will ‘Destroy’ Them

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    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

    Is New York Heading for a Construction Defect Boom?

    March 12, 2015 —
    The New York Times reported that “[t]here is growing concern that some developers are repeating the mistakes of the last housing boom and delivering substandard product.” “My phone is ringing already on projects that were just completed,” Steven D. Sladkus, a Manhattan real estate lawyer who says his firm has dozens of active construction defect cases, told the New York Times. “Uh-oh, here we go again.” Recent data shows a rising trend of building plans in New York: “Last year, the city issued construction permits for 20,300 units of housing, according to the Real Estate Board of New York. And the state attorney general’s office received submissions for 263 offering plans for condo conversions and new construction in 2014, up from 184 in 2011. Those numbers will most likely grow in 2015, encouraged by Mayor Bill de Blasio’s push to build more housing.” Read the court decision
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    Reprinted courtesy of

    District Court's Ruling Affirmed in TCD v American Family Mutual Insurance Co.

    May 10, 2012 —

    In the case, TCD, Inc. v American Family Mutual Insurance Company, the district court’s summary judgment was in favor of the defendant. In response, the Plaintiff, TCD, appealed “on the ground that the insurance company had no duty to defend TCD under a commercial general liability (CGL) insurance policy.” The appeals court affirmed the decision.

    The appeals ruling provides a brief history of the case: “This case arises out of a construction project in Frisco, Colorado. The developer, Frisco Gateway Center, LLC (Gateway), entered into a contract with TCD, the general contractor, to construct a building. TCD entered into a subcontract with Petra Roofing and Remodeling Company (Petra) to install the roof on the building. The subcontract required Petra to "indemnify, hold harmless, and defend" TCD against claims arising out of or resulting from the performance of Petra’s work on the project. The subcontract also required Petra to name TCD as an additional insured on its CGL policy in connection with Petra’s work under the subcontract.”

    Furthermore, “TCD initiated this case against Petra and the insurance company, asserting claims for declaratory judgment, breach of insurance contract, breach of contract, and negligence. The district court entered a default judgment against Petra, and both the remaining parties moved for summary judgment. The court granted summary judgment on the entirety of the action, in favor of the insurance company, concluding that the counterclaims asserted by Gateway against TCD did not give rise to an obligation to defend or indemnify under the CGL policy.”

    The appeals court rejected each contention made by TCD in turn. First, “TCD contend[ed] that Gateway’s counterclaims constitute[d] an allegation of ‘property damage,’ which is covered under the CGL policy.” The appeals court disagreed. Next, “TCD argue[d] that [the court] should broaden or extend the complaint rule, also called the ‘four corners’ rule, and allow it to offer evidence outside of the counterclaims to determine the insurance company’s duty to defend in this case.” The appeals court was not persuaded by TCD’s argument.

    The judgment was affirmed. Judge Roman and Judge Miller concur.

    Read the court’s decision…

    Read the court decision
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    Reprinted courtesy of

    The Cheapest Place to Buy a House in the Hamptons

    August 20, 2018 —
    Figuring out how much a home is worth in a vacation destination is often an uphill battle. Whereas normal property markets have prices that are tied closely to square footage, size of a lot, quality of a building, and its proximity to basic services, many of those calculations go out the window when it comes to a market comprised of second homes. “Nobody needs anything out here,” says Chris Foglia, a broker at the Hamptons-based Daniel Gale Sotheby’s International Realty. “They all want.” Read the court decision
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    Reprinted courtesy of James Tarmy, Bloomberg

    Review your Additional Insured Endorsement

    March 26, 2014 —
    In his blog, Construction Contractor Advisor, Craig Martin explained the importance of reviewing your additional insured endorsement. Martin pointed out that in Mississippi, the “Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals recently ruled in Woodward, LLC v. Acceptance Indemnity Insurance Company, that a general contractor, named as an additional insured, did not have coverage for claims that a subcontractor performed faulty work.” The problem “was the language in the additional insured endorsement, which provided coverage for ongoing operations, not completed operations.” While Martin admitted that the case applies to Mississippi, he concluded that “the issue Midwestern readers should consider is the court’s conclusion that non-conformance with the plans, in essence a construction defect claim, arises from completed operations.” Read the court decision
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    Reprinted courtesy of

    Mitsui Fudosan Said to Consider Rebuilding Tilted Apartments

    October 28, 2015 —
    Mitsui Fudosan Co., Japan’s biggest developer, is considering rebuilding an apartment complex in Yokohama after one of the four buildings started to tilt, according to a person familiar with the situation. Kiyotaka Fujibayashi, president and chief executive officer of Mitsui Fudosan Residential Co., on Thursday explained the plans to residents, according to the person, who asked not to be named because the information is private. Another option the company is studying is buying back the apartments from the residents at a price higher than what they had paid, the person said. The project was sold in 2006. Mitsui Fudosan is the latest developer to come under scrutiny for defects at residential projects in the Tokyo area. Mitsubishi Estate Co., Japan’s biggest developer by market value, said last year it would rebuild a residential complex in the upscale Aoyama neighborhood after finding faults. Also last year, Sekisui House Ltd. said it would reconstruct a residential complex that was being built by Taisei Corp. after finding some columns were missing reinforcing metals. Read the court decision
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    Reprinted courtesy of Katsuyo Kuwako, Bloomberg

    Home-Sales Fall in 2014 Has U.S. Waiting for 2015: Economy

    January 28, 2015 —
    (Bloomberg) -- A three-year winning streak for sales of previously owned homes in the U.S. ended in 2014 as some investors stepped out of the market and first-time buyers failed to fill the void. Purchases totaled 4.93 million last year, down 3.1 percent from the 5.09 million houses sold in 2013, figures from the National Association of Realtors showed Friday in Washington. The share of American homebuyers making their first purchase dropped in 2014 to its lowest level in almost three decades, according to the Realtors group. At the same time, employment gains, growing consumer confidence, mortgage rates at historically low levels and government efforts to lower purchasing costs probably will help bolster demand in 2015. Read the court decision
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    Reprinted courtesy of Bloomberg News

    Cyber Security Insurance and Design Professionals

    March 29, 2017 —
    Cyber security insurance is a relatively new insurance product that has probably become more popular and important in today’s digital age. Think about it. Almost everything is created, transmitted, shared, and stored digitally. Companies utilize cloud-based platforms to store documents, share documents, and transmit documents. Documents are transmitted via e-mail. Documents are created electronically with various software programs. And, finally, technology has made it convenient to create, access, store, share, and transmit documentation digitally through smartphones, tablets, or laptops (and various applications) – so technology enables things to be done remotely in the moment to maximize efficiency and production. Read the court decision
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    Reprinted courtesy of David Adelstein, Florida Construction Legal Updates
    Mr. Adelstein may be contacted at dadelstein@gmail.com

    Victoria Kajo Named One of KNOW Women's 100 Women to KNOW in America for 2024

    May 13, 2024 —
    Los Angeles, Calif. (April 30, 2024) – Los Angeles Partner Victoria Kajo has been named to global media company KNOW Women's 2024 100 Women to KNOW in America list, which honors the top 100 female leaders across North America. The honorees were recognized at the annual KNOW Women Summit, held from April 21-23 at The Palomar Hotel in Phoenix, Arizona. The annual 100 Women to KNOW in America award, presented by JPMorgan Chase, recognizes women entrepreneurs, executives, creatives, and philanthropists who "exemplify what it means to be high achieving and ambitious on the next level and who continue to pour into their communities as they do so," according to KNOW Women. Ms. Kajo was selected as one of this year's honorees following a nomination and interview process. Ms. Kajo is a member of Lewis Brisbois' Professional Liability Practice. She has extensive experience with professional liability litigation, having defended lawyers, design professionals and real estate professionals against claims of alleged negligent acts and omissions in the performance of their professional services. Ms. Kajo also has broad experience in general civil litigation matters involving errors and omissions, real estate, wrongful foreclosures, labor and employment law, civil rights, fraud, personal injury, breach of contract and unlawful detainer matters, amongst others. Read the court decision
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    Reprinted courtesy of Lewis Brisbois