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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


    Pennsylvania’s Supreme Court Limits The Scope Of A Builder’s Implied Warranty Of Habitability

    Engineers Found ‘Hundreds’ of Cracks in California Bridge

    Florida trigger

    ADP Says Payrolls at Companies in U.S. Increase 200,000

    Illinois Supreme Court Limits Reach of Implied Warranty Claims Against Contractors

    Contractor Convicted of Additional Fraud

    Construction Defect Scam Tied to Organized Crime?

    Conflicting Exclusions Result in Duty to Defend

    Prison Contractors Did Not Follow the Law

    Fifth Circuit Certifies Eight-Corners Duty to Defend Issue to Texas Supreme Court

    Montana Theater Threatened by Closure due to Building Safety

    AB 1701 – General Contractor Liability for Subcontractors’ Unpaid Wages

    Quick Note: Charting Your Contractual Rights With Respect To The Coronavirus

    Safety, Compliance and Productivity on the Jobsite

    A Court-Side Seat: Coal-Fired Limitations, the Search for a Venue Climate Change and New Agency Rules that May or May Not Stick Around

    Year and a Half Old Las Vegas VA Emergency Room Gets Rebuilt

    EPA Announces Decision to Retain Current Position on RCRA Regulation of Oil and Gas Production Wastes

    Uniform Rules Governing New York’s Supreme and County Courts Get An Overhaul

    ‘I’m a Scapegoat,’ Says Former CEO of Dubai Construction Firm

    For Smart Home Technology, the Contract Is Key

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    Real Estate & Construction News Round-Up (02/08/23) – The Build America, Buy America Act, ESG Feasibility, and University Partnerships

    Connecticutt Class Action on Collapse Claims Faces Motion to Dismiss

    Deadline for Hurricane Ian Disaster Recovery Applications Announced

    Does “Faulty Workmanship” Constitute An Occurrence Under Your CGL Policy?

    Bank of America’s Countrywide Ordered to Pay $1.3 Billion

    Interpreting Insurance Coverage and Exclusions: When Sudden means Sudden and EIFS means Faulty

    Force Majeure Recommendations

    White House Proposal Returns to 1978 NEPA Review Procedures

    Consider Arbitration Provision in Homebuilder’s Warranty and Purchase-and-Sale Agreement

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    Don’t Spoil Me: Oklahoma District Court Rules Against Spoliation Sanctions

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    Trial Court Abuses Discretion in Appointing Unqualified Umpire for Appraisal

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    Perez Broke Records … But Should He Have Settled Earlier?

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    Appellate Team Secures Victory in North Carolina Governmental Immunity Personal Injury Matter

    Attention Contractors: U.S. Department of Labor Issues Guidance on Avoiding Discrimination When Using AI in Hiring

    Hunton Andrews Kurth Associate Cary D. Steklof Selected to Florida Trend’s Legal Elite Up & Comers List for 2019

    Guarantor’s Liability on Partially Secured Debts – The Impacts of Pay Down Provisions in Serpanok Construction Inc. v. Point Ruston, LLC et al.
    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

    Contractor Given a Wake-Up Call for Using a "Sham" RMO/RME

    October 02, 2015 —
    Two weeks ago we wrote about a disgorgement case winding its way through the courts where a contractor who let its license lapse after assigning its contract to a related but properly licensed entity was still facing disgorgement of the entire contract amount. Judicial Council of California v. Jacobs Facilities, Inc. (Ct. of Appeal, 1st App. Dis., Div. One, A140890, A141393.) Now another disgorgement case, Jeff Tracy, Inc. v. City of Pico Rivera (Ct. of Appeal, 2nd App. District, Div. 2, B258563), shows the risk of not having a genuine RMO/RME. The consequences of disgorgement are potentially devastating and would certainly cause some contractors to go belly-up. The good news for the contractor in this particular case is that the Court of Appeal reversed the trial court. The bad news for the contractor is that damaging facts were revealed during the process of the court trial that will make a victory very difficult to pull off. Reprinted courtesy of Steven M. Cvitanovic, Haight Brown & Bonesteel LLP and David A. Harris, Haight Brown & Bonesteel LLP Mr. Cvitanovic may be contacted at scvitanovic@hbblaw.com Mr. Harris may be contacted at dharris@hbblaw.com Read the court decision
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    New Report: Civil Engineering Salaries and Job Satisfaction Are Strong and Climbing at a Faster Rate Than Past Reports

    October 16, 2023 —
    RESTON, Va. – Civil engineering salaries continue to trend up and at a higher rate than recent years according to the 2023 ASCE Civil Engineering Salary Report today released by the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE), which cites a median pre-tax income from all sources of $128,000. Base salaries have risen by approximately 7% from 2022 to 2023, up from approximately 6% from 2021 to 2022 and 5% from 2020 to 2021. The median primary income for those civil engineers with a Professional Engineers license was $132,000, nearly $30,000 more than those with no licenses or certifications. "The current workforce crisis has created a great demand for civil engineers that the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics states will continue for the next decade," said ASCE 2023 President Maria C. Lehman, P.E., ENV SP, NAC, F.ASCE. "When you consider the age and condition of much of our infrastructure, along with the additional funding being brought to bear, the demand will continue." The report also shows high job satisfaction and opportunities for career growth in 2023. Of the salary survey respondents, 66.3% reported being satisfied or very satisfied with their financial compensation, up from 63.3% in 2022. That number was even higher, though, when asked about overall job satisfaction: 86.7% said they were satisfied or very satisfied with their jobs. In a field that plays such a large role in giving back to and shaping communities, employees want to feel like their role is impactful and creating positive change for others. The ASCE Civil Engineering Salary Report is released every fall, collected from responses of Society members about their jobs and financial compensation. This year's report is derived from over 3,200 member responses. ABOUT THE AMERICAN SOCIETY OF CIVIL ENGINEERS Founded in 1852, the American Society of Civil Engineers represents more than 150,000 civil engineers worldwide and is America's oldest national engineering society. ASCE works to raise awareness of the need to maintain and modernize the nation's infrastructure using sustainable and resilient practices, advocates for increasing and optimizing investment in infrastructure, and improve engineering knowledge and competency. For more information, visit www.asce.org or www.infrastructurereportcard.org and follow us on Twitter, @ASCETweets and @ASCEGovRel. Read the court decision
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    Apartment Projects Fuel 13% Jump in U.S. Housing Starts

    May 19, 2014 —
    A surge in construction of multifamily dwellings in April propelled U.S. housing starts to the highest level in five months, helping overcome slack demand for single-family homes. Housing starts climbed 13.2 percent to a 1.07 million annualized rate following March’s 947,000 pace, according to figures released today by the Commerce Department in Washington. Another report showed a measure of consumer confidence unexpectedly declined from a nine-month high. An almost 40 percent increase in construction starts on projects such as condominiums and apartment buildings accounted for almost all of the April gain, as single-family activity was held back by declining affordability. The report highlights a shift in demand for housing in the wake of the financial crisis, which left many Americans wary of taking on new debts. Michelle Jamrisko may be contacted at mjamrisko@bloomberg.net; Hui-yong Yu may be contacted at hyu@bloomberg.net Read the court decision
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    Reprinted courtesy of Michelle Jamrisko and Hui-yong Yu, Bloomberg

    AIA Releases State-Specific Waiver and Release Forms

    September 05, 2022 —
    The American Institute of Architects (AIA) has released a new series of state-specific waiver and release forms including forms for California. The new California-specific forms are:
    1. G901CA-2022 – California Conditional Waiver and Release on Progress Payment
    2. G902CA-2022 – California Unconditional Waiver and Release on Progress Payment
    3. G903CA-2022 – California Conditional Waiver and Release on Final Payment
    4. G904CA-2022 – California Unconditional Waiver and Release on Final Payment
    California is one of twelve states – including Arizona, Florida, Georgia, Massachusetts, Michigan, Mississippi, Missouri, Nevada, Texas, Utah and Wyoming – which regulate waiver and release forms on construction projects. California’s waiver and release statute, which is codified at Civil Code section 8120 et seq., sets forth specific language which should be used in waivers and releases. While the exact language set forth under California’s waiver and release statutes does not need to be used, the statute provides that the language must be “in substantially” the same form, and most people follow the statutory language exactly. Read the court decision
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    Reprinted courtesy of Garret Murai, Nomos LLP
    Mr. Murai may be contacted at gmurai@nomosllp.com

    Congratulations to BWB&O’s 2023 Mountain States Super Lawyers Rising Stars!

    August 07, 2023 —
    BWB&O is excited to announce Las Vegas Partners Devin Gifford and Madeline Arcellana have been selected in the 2023 Mountain States Super Lawyers list as Rising Stars for their work in Civil Litigation. To read Super Lawyers’ digital publication, please click here. SELECTED AS RISING STARS Devin Gifford: 2023 Madeline Arcellana: 2023 Read the court decision
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    Reprinted courtesy of Dolores Montoya, Bremer Whyte Brown & O'Meara LLP

    The Metaphysics of When an Accident is an “Accident” (or Not) Under Your Insurance Policy

    August 02, 2017 —
    As an undergrad, I remember taking an introductory philosophy class. When we came to the chapter on metaphysics our professor asked what makes an apple an apple? “We have a specific name for it, presumably, to distinguish it from other things,” she said. “But what makes an apple an apple?” From there we went into a rabbit hole. With some students describing an apple by its colors, shape, size, smell and that it grows on trees and others trying to distinguish an apple from other things, which in turn led to further discussions such as why we believe apples come in red, green and yellow, whether an apple is still an apple if a person was colorblind, etc. In the end, we were questioning whether we were even in existence and sitting in a university classroom. Insurance can be a bit like that sometimes. When is an accident an accident? If you engage in an intentional act that results in an unintended consequence, is it an accident? In Navigators Specialty Insurance Company v. Moorefield Construction, Inc. (December 27, 2016) 6 Cal.App.5th 1258, the Court of Appeals for the Fourth District, while not answering the question of the nature of existence, did shed some light on when an accident is an accident. Read the court decision
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    Reprinted courtesy of Garret Murai, Wendel Rosen Black & Dean LLP
    Mr. Murai may be contacted at gmurai@wendel.com

    Safety Officials Investigating Death From Fall

    September 09, 2011 —

    California safety officials are looking into the circumstances surrounding the death of a construction worker who fell from a roof in Tiburon, California. Another worker found Gabriel Vasquez unconscious at the site. Vasquez was later pronounced dead. The State Division of Occupational Safety and Health are trying to determine how Vasquez fell.

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    Arizona Court Affirms Homeowners’ Association’s Right to Sue Over Construction Defects

    October 15, 2024 —
    In Gallery Community Association v. K. Hovnanian at Gallery LLC, No. 1 CA-CV 23-0375, 2024 Ariz. App. Unpub. LEXIS 696 (Ct. App.), the Court of Appeals of Arizona (Court of Appeals) discussed whether a homeowners’ association can file an action for breach of the implied warranty of workmanship and habitability arising from construction defects. At issue was whether the implied warranty extended to the areas within the community that the association maintained, including the common areas. The Court of Appeals held that homeowners’ associations can sue builder-vendors for breach of the implied warranty arising from construction defects. In this case, a homeowners’ association, responsible for managing and maintaining a community of townhomes, sued the developer/builder for alleged construction defects in the common area and exteriors of homes that the association maintained for the homeowners in the community. The alleged defects included the pool cabana and staircase walls in the common areas and the exterior walls, roofs, and staircases on the separately owned townhomes in the community. The builder filed a motion for summary judgment, arguing that the implied warranty extended to dwelling actions initiated by homeowners – not homeowners’ associations – and that the alleged construction defects at issue were not related to a dwelling. The trial court granted the motion. The Court of Appeals vacated the trial court’s grant of summary judgment and remanded for further proceedings. In reaching its decision, the Court of Appeals determined that both common law and statutory law authorized the homeowners’ association’s breach of implied warranty claim. Read the court decision
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    Reprinted courtesy of Melissa Kenney, White and Williams
    Ms. Kenney may be contacted at kenneyme@whiteandwilliams.com