BERT HOWE
  • Nationwide: (800) 482-1822    
    casino resort building expert Seattle Washington tract home building expert Seattle Washington landscaping construction building expert Seattle Washington Medical building building expert Seattle Washington industrial building building expert Seattle Washington townhome construction building expert Seattle Washington high-rise construction building expert Seattle Washington concrete tilt-up building expert Seattle Washington production housing building expert Seattle Washington low-income housing building expert Seattle Washington hospital construction building expert Seattle Washington condominium building expert Seattle Washington structural steel construction building expert Seattle Washington multi family housing building expert Seattle Washington retail construction building expert Seattle Washington office building building expert Seattle Washington custom homes building expert Seattle Washington condominiums building expert Seattle Washington institutional building building expert Seattle Washington parking structure building expert Seattle Washington housing building expert Seattle Washington mid-rise construction building expert Seattle Washington
    Seattle Washington civil engineering expert witnessSeattle Washington expert witnesses fenestrationSeattle Washington forensic architectSeattle Washington construction expert witness public projectsSeattle Washington architectural engineering expert witnessSeattle Washington structural engineering expert witnessesSeattle Washington fenestration 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


    Reminder About the Upcoming Mechanic’s Lien Form Change

    OIRA Best Practices for Administrative Enforcement and Adjudicative Actions

    Free Texas MCLE Seminar at BHA Houston June 13th

    Pulling the Plug

    Calling Hurricanes a Category 6 Risks Creating Deadly Confusion

    Federal Judge Vacates CDC Eviction Moratorium Nationwide

    Ensuing Losses From Faulty Workmanship Must be Covered

    Sean Shecter to Join American University Environmental and Energy Law Alumni Advisory Council

    No Coverage for Negligent Misrepresentation without Allegations of “Bodily Injury” or “Property Damage”

    Appreciate The Risks You Are Assuming In Your Contract

    Virtual Reality for Construction

    Committeewoman Requests Refund on Attorney Fees after Failed Legal Efforts

    Legislation Update: S-865 Public-Private Partnerships in New Jersey Passed by Both Houses-Awaiting Governor’s Signature

    Appellate Division Confirms Summary Judgment in Favor of Property Owners in Action Alleging Labor Law Violations

    What Are The Most Commonly Claimed Issues In Construction Defect Litigation?

    Construction Contract Basics: No Damages for Delay

    California Supreme Court Confirms the Right to Repair Act as the Exclusive Remedy for Seeking Relief for Defects in New Residential Construction

    Appellate Attorney’s Fees and the Significant Issues Test

    CAPSA Changes Now in Effect

    Man Pleads Guilty in Construction Kickback Scheme

    Real Estate & Construction News Round-Up (02/15/23) – Proptech Solutions, Supply Chain Pivots, and the Inflation Reduction Act

    The CA Supreme Court Grants Petition for Review of McMillin Albany LLC v. Super Ct. 2015 F069370 (Cal.App.5 Dist.) As to Whether the Right to Repair Act (SB800) is the Exclusive Remedy for All Defect Claims Arising Out of New Residential Construction

    Illinois Supreme Court Limits Reach of Implied Warranty Claims Against Contractors

    How is Negotiating a Construction Contract Like Buying a Car?

    Price Escalation Impacts

    Pennsylvania Supreme Court Rules that Insurance Salesman had No Fiduciary Duty to Policyholders

    World Green Building Council Calls for Net-Zero Embodied Carbon in Buildings by 2050

    How Many Homes have Energy-Efficient Appliances?

    NY State Appellate Court Holds That Pollution Exclusions Bar Duty to Defend Under Liability Policies for Claims Alleging Exposure to PFAS

    Mobile Home Owners Not a Class in Drainage Lawsuit

    Patriarch Partners Decision Confirms Government Subpoenas May Constitute a “Claim” Under D&O Policy; Warns Policyholders to Think Broadly When Representing Facts and Circumstances to Insurers

    Construction Worker Falls to His Death at Kyle Field

    Appeals Court Affirms Civil Engineer Owes No Duty of Care to General Contractor

    Does Arbitration Apply to Contemporaneously Executed Contracts (When One of the Contracts Does Not Have an Arbitration Provision)?

    What to do about California’s Defect-Ridden Board of Equalization Building

    Metrostudy Shows New Subdivisions in Midwest

    Choice of Laws Test Mandates Application of California’s Continuous and Progressive Trigger of Coverage to Asbestos Claims

    Homeowner may pursue negligence claim for construction defect, Oregon Supreme Court holds

    Vacant Property and the Right of Redemption in Pennsylvania

    Eastern District of Pennsylvania Confirms Carrier Owes No Duty to Defend Against Claims for Faulty Workmanship

    Ninth Circuit Affirms Dismissal Secured by Lewis Brisbois in Coverage Dispute Involving San Francisco 49ers’ Levi Stadium

    Editorial: Qatar Is Champion of Safety Hypocrisy in Migrant Worker Deaths

    Microsoft Urges the Construction Industry to Deliver Lifecycle Value

    Negligence Per Se Claim Based Upon Failure to Pay Benefits Fails

    Delays in Filing Lead to Dismissal in Moisture Intrusion Lawsuit

    Witt Named to 2017 Super Lawyers

    Superior Court Of Pennsylvania Holds Curb Construction Falls Within The Scope Of CASPA

    Big Bertha Lawsuits—Hitachi Zosen Weighs In

    Trio of White and Williams Attorneys Named Top Lawyers by Delaware Today

    Designers “Airpocalyspe” Creations
    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. Drawing 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

    A Recession Is Coming, But the Housing Market Won't Trigger It

    June 12, 2023 —
    One big reason to continue to believe this is no 2008-style financial crisis in the making is the housing market, which has held up well. That means, we’re more likely to experience a garden-variety recession, and I think it will happen sometime later this year. Why this isn’t another 2008-style crisis Residential property was famously the trigger for a cataclysmic global financial crisis a decade and a half ago. That’s because residential property is one of the principal assets of the middle classes across the globe. And it’s a leveraged investment to boot because of the money borrowed through mortgages. That makes large and pervasive house-price declines toxic for the economy. But not that many people are worrying about house prices today. So I thought I’d take a breather from the doom and gloom surrounding commercial real estate, banks and the debt ceiling to focus on house prices and why they aren’t worrying us this go round. And I’ll use one of the pricier markets, the UK, as a first example. Read the court decision
    Read the full story...
    Reprinted courtesy of Edward Harrison, Bloomberg

    Florida Governor Bans Foreign Citizens From Buying Land in Florida

    May 29, 2023 —
    Ft. Lauderdale, Fla. (May 19, 2023) - Florida Governor Ron DeSantis recently signed a bill prohibiting Chinese citizens who are not U.S. citizens or permanent residents from purchasing any residential or commercial land or farmland in Florida. Senate Bill 264, titled “Interests of Foreign Countries,” will prohibit Chinese nationals from buying land unless they are American citizens or permanent residents. The bill also imposes certain restrictions on Chinese citizens – and others, including Russians and Venezuelans – with non-tourist visas when it comes to buying land near a military base in Florida. For example, and in an exception to the new law, Chinese citizens with non-tourist visas would be limited to buying fewer than two acres of land that is at least five miles away from any military institutions. Senate Bill 264 reads in pertinent part:
    …A foreign principal may not directly or indirectly own, have a controlling interest in, or acquire by purchase, grant, devise, or descent agricultural land or any interest, except a de minimis indirect interest, in such land in this state…. …A foreign principal may not directly or indirectly own, or have a controlling interest in, or acquire by purchase, grant, devise, or descent any interest, except a de minimis indirect interest, in real property on or within 10 miles of any military installation or critical infrastructure facility in this state…
    Read the court decision
    Read the full story...
    Reprinted courtesy of Michael Gnesin, Lewis Brisbois
    Mr. Gnesin may be contacted at Michael.Gnesin@lewisbrisbois.com

    Washington State Supreme Court Issues Landmark Decision on Spearin Doctrine

    September 29, 2021 —
    The Washington State Supreme Court’s recent decision in Lake Hills Invs., LLC v. Rushforth Constr. Co. No. 99119-7, slip op. at 1 (Wash. Sept. 2, 2021) marks the first time in over 50 years that it has ruled on the Spearin doctrine. The Court’s opinion clarified the contractor’s burden when asserting a Spearin defense and affirmed the jury’s verdict in favor of contractor AP Rushforth Construction Company (AP). The decision is a major win for Ahlers Cressman & Sleight PLLC attorneys Scott Sleight, Brett Hill, and Nick Korst, who represented AP throughout its long-running dispute with Lake Hills Investments, LLC (LH), including the two-month jury trial and the appeal. Leonard Feldman of Peterson | Wampold | Rosato | Feldman | Luna and Stephanie Messplay of Van Siclen Stocks & Firkins also represented AP on appeal. At trial, the owner—Lake Hills Investments, LLC (LH)—asserted it was entitled to $3 million in liquidated damages and $12.3 million for defects it alleged were caused by AP’s deficient workmanship. AP denied responsibility for the delays and most of the defects and requested payment of $5 million. Regarding LH’s defect claims, AP argued as an affirmative defense that the defects were caused by deficiencies in the plans and specifications provided by LH. This affirmative defense was rooted in the Spearin doctrine, which states that when the contractor follows plans and specifications provided by the owner, the contractor is not responsible for defects caused by the plans and specifications. Read the court decision
    Read the full story...
    Reprinted courtesy of Cameron Sheldon, Ahlers Cressman & Sleight PLLC
    Ms. Sheldon may be contacted at cameron.sheldon@acslawyers.com

    Nomos LLP Partner Garret Murai Recognized by Best Lawyers®

    September 18, 2023 —
    Nomos LLP Partner Garret Murai has been recognized by Best Lawyers® in its 30th edition of The Best Lawyers in America® in the area of Construction Law for 2024. This is the the first year Garret has been recognized by Best Lawyers®. Reprinted courtesy of Garret Murai, Nomos LLP Mr. Murai may be contacted at gmurai@nomosllp.com Read the full story... Read the court decision
    Read the full story...
    Reprinted courtesy of

    Once Again: Contract Terms Matter

    May 11, 2020 —
    I know, you’ve heard this over and over again here at Construction Law Musings: courts in Virginia will interpret a contract strictly and in a manner that gives meaning to its unambiguous terms. A recent case out of the Eastern District of Virginia federal court, White Oak Power Constructors v. Mitsubishi Hitachi Power Systems, reinforces this point. The basic facts of the case relevant to this discussion and the Court’s opinion are these. Old Dominion Electric Cooperative (ODEC) hired White Oak Power Constructors (White Oak) to build a natural gas power plant. The contract between ODEC and White Oak provided for liquidated damages for delay and also contained a risk of loss provision making ODEC responsible for certain losses or damages due to property damage at the plant. I highly recommend that you read the facts of the case in full to get the details of the terms of these clauses. Needless to say (or this case wouldn’t be the subject of a construction law blog), the project ran past completion date and liquidated damages were assessed to the tune of more than $50,000,000.00. The delay was alleged to have been caused in substantial part by property damage due to weather, fire, and ice among other causes. Read the court decision
    Read the full story...
    Reprinted courtesy of The Law Office of Christopher G. Hill
    Mr. Hill may be contacted at chrisghill@constructionlawva.com

    Home Prices in 20 U.S. Cities Rose at Faster Pace in January

    April 01, 2015 —
    (Bloomberg) -- Home prices in 20 U.S. cities appreciated at a faster pace in the year ended in January, indicating the residential real-estate market continues to firm. The S&P/Case-Shiller index of property values increased 4.6 percent from January 2014, the biggest gain since September, after rising 4.4 percent the prior month, a report from the group showed Tuesday in New York. That matched the median projection of 28 economists surveyed by Bloomberg. On a national scale, prices rose 4.5 percent from January 2014. A dearth of supply will continue to drive up home prices heading into the busy spring selling season as demand is spurred by rising rents. Builders like KB Home expect to post strong revenue in the warmer months ahead, based on early signs of strength, particularly among first-time buyers. Read the court decision
    Read the full story...
    Reprinted courtesy of Nina Glinski, Bloomberg
    Ms. Glinski may be contacted at nglinski@bloomberg.net

    When Every Drop Matters, Cities Turn to Watertech

    November 25, 2024 —
    We all need water to survive—but access to the liquid lifeline isn’t always a given. With a shifting climate and ever-increasing agricultural and industrial demands on this limited commodity, UNICEF predicts that by 2025, half of the world’s population could be living in areas facing water scarcity. On top of the obvious resource drains, many countries are losing surprising amounts of potable water to leaks. For example, in the United States alone, an estimated 6 billion gallons of treated drinking water seep out of its supply every day due to aging pipelines and undetected leaks. “Smart” water innovations may offer conservation solutions, though. As part of an overall smart city scheme, where internet of things (IoT) devices work hand-in-hand with AI to improve daily life, many municipalities are giving their water systems a makeover. From new meters to irrigation and pipeline maintenance, we look at some of the key intelligent technologies that endeavor to improve how we harness our water supply. Read the court decision
    Read the full story...
    Reprinted courtesy of James B. Bobotek, Pillsbury
    Mr. Bobotek may be contacted at james.bobotek@pillsburylaw.com

    Tenth Circuit Finds Appraisal Can Decide Causation of Loss Under Colorado Law

    November 29, 2021 —
    The Tenth Circuit determined that the Colorado Supreme Court would agree with other state courts that appraisers can decide the causation of a loss. Bonbeck Parker, LLC v. The Travelers Indem. Co. of Am., 2021 U.S. App. LEXIS 29607 (10th Cir. Oct. 1, 2021). A hailstorm damaged three buildings owned by BonBeck. A claim was submitted to Travelers under BonBeck's commercial property policy. Travelers acknowledged that some hail damage occurred to all the buildings except for the roofs. Travelers paid $34,200 for damage to the buildings. Coverage for the roof damage was denied because it resulted not from the hail damage but from uncovered events like wear and tear, deterioration, and improperly installation. BonBeck requested an appraisal. Travelers insisted that the appraisal would only determine the amount of loss of covered claims. BonBeck rejected these conditions and Travelers filed suit. Read the court decision
    Read the full story...
    Reprinted courtesy of Tred R. Eyerly, Damon Key Leong Kupchak Hastert
    Mr. Eyerly may be contacted at te@hawaiilawyer.com