BERT HOWE
  • Nationwide: (800) 482-1822    
    Subterranean parking building expert Seattle Washington custom homes building expert Seattle Washington condominiums building expert Seattle Washington hospital construction building expert Seattle Washington Medical building building expert Seattle Washington condominium building expert Seattle Washington office building building expert Seattle Washington housing building expert Seattle Washington concrete tilt-up building expert Seattle Washington mid-rise construction building expert Seattle Washington production housing building expert Seattle Washington multi family housing building expert Seattle Washington parking structure building expert Seattle Washington low-income housing building expert Seattle Washington landscaping construction building expert Seattle Washington institutional building building expert Seattle Washington custom home building expert Seattle Washington casino resort building expert Seattle Washington structural steel construction building expert Seattle Washington retail construction building expert Seattle Washington townhome construction building expert Seattle Washington high-rise construction building expert Seattle Washington
    Seattle Washington defective construction expertSeattle Washington concrete expert witnessSeattle Washington roofing construction expertSeattle Washington engineering expert witnessSeattle Washington multi family design expert witnessSeattle Washington building envelope expert witnessSeattle Washington architecture 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


    Insured's Experts Excluded, But Insurer's Motion for Summary Judgment Denied

    Teaching An Old Dog New Tricks: The Spearin Doctrine and Design-Build Projects

    Texas Mechanic’s Lien Law Update: New Law Brings a Little Relief for Subcontractors and a Lot of Relief for Design Professionals

    The Results are in, CEO/Founding Partner Nicole Whyte is Elected to OCBA’s 2024 Board of Directors!

    Real Estate & Construction News Roundup (11/8/23) – New Handling of Homelessness, Decline in Investments into ESG Funds, and Shrinking of a Homebuyer’s Dollar

    New Plan Submitted for Explosive Demolition of Old Tappan Zee Bridge

    Damages to Property That is Not the Insured's Work Product Are Covered

    Thank You for 14 Consecutive Years of Legal Elite Elections

    “Since You Asked. . .”

    Pollution Created by Business Does Not Deprive Insured of Coverage

    Iowa Tornado Flattens Homes, Businesses and Wind Turbines

    Investigators Eye Fiber Optic Work in Deadly Wisconsin Explosion

    How a Maryland County Created the Gold Standard for Building Emissions Reduction

    Fifth Circuit Decision on Number of Occurrences Underscores Need to Carefully Tailor Your Insurance Program

    New Home Sales Slip, but Still Strong

    Newmeyer Dillion Named 2022 Best Law Firm in Multiple Practice Areas By U.S. News-Best Lawyers

    U.K. Construction Resumes Growth Amid Resurgent Housing Activity

    Quick Note: Be Careful with Pay if Paid Clauses (Both Subcontractors and General Contractors)

    California Supreme Court Shifts Gears on “Reverse CEQA”

    This New Indicator Shows There's No Bubble Forming in U.S. Housing

    Could This Gel Help Tame the California Fires?

    Judge Gives Cintra Bid Protest of $9B Md. P3 Project Award New Life

    Liability Insurer Precluded from Intervening in Insured’s Lawsuit

    Insurer Must Cover Portions of Arbitration Award

    5 Impressive Construction Projects in North Carolina

    "Ordinance or Law" Provision Mandates Coverage for Roof Repair

    Illinois Favors Finding Construction Defects as an Occurrence

    Appraisal Panel Can Determine Causation of Loss under Ohio Law

    Real Estate & Construction News Roundup (2/21/24) – Fed Chair Predicts More Small Bank Closures, Shopping Center Vacancies Hit 15-year Low, and Proptech Sees Mixed Results

    No Indemnity Coverage Where Insured Suffers No Loss

    Home Buyer Disclosures, What’s Required and What Isn’t

    Insurer Cannot Abandon Defense Agreement on Underlying Asbestos Claims Against Insured

    Karen Campbell, Kristen Perkins to Speak at CLM 2020 Annual Conference in Dallas

    Not in My Kitchen – California Supreme Court Decertifies Golden State Boring Case

    New York Appellate Team Obtains Affirmance of Dismissal of Would-Be Labor Law Action Against Municipal Entities

    Sellers of South Florida Mansion Failed to Disclose Construction Defects

    GIS and BIM Integration Will Transform Infrastructure Design and Construction

    Certain Private Projects Now Fall Under Prevailing Wage Laws. Is Yours One of Them?

    Withholding Payment or Having Your Payment Withheld Due to Disputes on Other Projects: Know Your Rights to Offset

    Are Construction Defect Claims Covered Under CGL Policies?

    SIG Earnings Advance 21% as U.K. Construction Strengthens

    Burden of Proof Under All-Risk Property Insurance Policy

    Andrea DeField Recognized In 2024 List of Influential Business Women By South Florida Business Journal

    Supplement to New California Construction Laws for 2019

    How BIM Can Serve Building Owners

    Lockton Expands Construction and Design Team

    Decaying U.S. Roads Attract Funds From KKR to DoubleLine

    Zinc in London Climbs for Second Day Before U.S. Housing Data

    More Fun with Indemnity and Construction Contracts!

    The EPA’s Renovation, Repair, and Painting Rule: Are Contractors Aware of It?
    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

    Top 10 OSHA Violations For The Construction Industry In 2023

    February 26, 2024 —
    Every year, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) publishes their top violations in the construction industry. And typically, the most common violations are consistent year after year. What separates 2023 is the number of citations involving Fall Protection, Scaffolding, Ladders, and the failure to use personal protective equipment (PPE) or other life safety equipment (LSE). The following is the list of the Top Ten OSHA violations for 2023: (10) Toxic and Hazardous Substances. There were 382 citations issued for “hazardous communication” and improper warnings issued to construction employees. (9) Excavations. There were 395 citations issued for failure to provide proper and specific excavation requirements and instructions. (8) Scaffolding – Aerial Lifts. There were 481 citations issued for improper lifting equipment and supports for building scaffolding. Reprinted courtesy of Dominic Donato, Kahana Feld and Jeff Miragliotta, Kahana Feld Mr. Donato may be contacted at ddonato@kahanafeld.com Mr. Miragliotta may be contacted at jmiragliotta@kahanafeld.com Read the court decision
    Read the full story...
    Reprinted courtesy of

    Determining Duty to Defend in Wisconsin Does Not Include Extrinsic Evidence

    September 22, 2016 —
    The policyholder's attempt to extend the duty to defend analysis beyond the complaint's allegations and the four-corners of the policy failed before the Wisconsin Supreme Court. Water Well Solutions Service Group Inc. v. Consolidated Ins. Co., 2016 Wisc. LEXIS 163 (Wis. Sup. Ct. June 30, 2016). Read the court decision
    Read the full story...
    Reprinted courtesy of Tred R. Eyerly, Insurance Law Hawaii
    Mr. Eyerly may be contacted at te@hawaiilawyer.com

    Receiving a $0 Verdict and Still Being Deemed the Prevailing Party for Purposes of Attorney’s Fees

    May 24, 2018 —
    Low and behold, a party can be the prevailing party for purposes of attorney’s fees even if that party is awarded $0. That’s right, even if the party is awarded a big fat zero, they can still be the prevailing party for purposes of being entitled to attorney’s fees. This is because a party is the prevailing party if they prevail on the significant issues in the case. A party can prevail on the significant issues even if that party is awarded $0. Whoa! For example, in Coconut Key Homeowner’s Association, Inc. v. Gonzalez, 43 Fla.L.Weekly D1045a (Fla. 4th DCA 2018), a homeowner sued her homeowner’s association claiming the association breached its governing documents. There was a basis for fees under Florida’s homeowner’s association law (and there likely was a basis under the governing documents). At trial, the jury held that the association breached its governing documents, but awarded the homeowner nothing ($0). The trial court also issued injunctive relief in favor of the homeowner. The homeowner claimed she should be deemed the prevailing party for purposes of attorney’s fees; however, this was denied by the trial court based on the $0 verdict and no fees were awarded to the homeowner. Read the court decision
    Read the full story...
    Reprinted courtesy of David Adelstein, Florida Construction Legal Updates
    Mr. Adelstein may be contacted at dadelstein@gmail.com

    Are You a Construction Lienor?

    November 15, 2017 —
    When it comes to construction lien rights, not everyone that touches the project is a proper lienor. Forget about timely serving a Notice to Owner or recording a claim of lien, if you are not a proper lienor, it does not matter if you properly perfected your lien rights. If you are not a proper lienor, you have NO lien rights under the law! Florida Statue s. 713.01(18) defines a lienor as follows: (18) “Lienor” means a person who is: (a) A contractor; (b) A subcontractor; (c) A sub-subcontractor; (d) A laborer; (e) A materialman who contracts with the owner, a contractor, a subcontractor, or a sub-subcontractor; or (f) A professional lienor under s. 713.03; and who has a lien or prospective lien upon real property under this part, and includes his or her successor in interest. No other person may have a lien under this part. Read the court decision
    Read the full story...
    Reprinted courtesy of David Adelstein, Florida Construction Legal Updates
    Mr. Adelstein may be contacted at Dadelstein@gmail.com

    Green Construction Trends Contractors Can Expect in 2019

    May 01, 2019 —
    The construction industry has come a long way since it was started building homes out of logs and sticks. Modern homes and buildings are marvels of engineering filled with wood, concrete and steel—much of which could be recycled if the building were ever torn down. Green construction is a growing field that will continue to expand in the coming year. What green construction trends can we expect to see in the coming year? Augmented and Virtual Reality Augmented reality (AR) is growing more popular every year for games and entertainment, but it also has some applications in green construction. AR and virtual reality (VR) programs, either through a headset or on a smartphone, can be used to improve collaboration between companies, allowing each company to see a virtual overlay of their stage of the project. For green and eco-friendly construction, it can be used to show how a finished product will look on undeveloped land, making it easier to judge the ecological impact of the project. The use of AR and VR in green construction is still in its infancy, though we will likely start to see more of it in 2019. Reprinted courtesy of Emily Folk, Construction Executive, a publication of Associated Builders and Contractors. All rights reserved. Read the court decision
    Read the full story...
    Reprinted courtesy of

    Virginia Joins California and Nevada in Passing its Consumer Privacy Act

    March 15, 2021 —
    California tends to be on the forefront in consumer privacy laws within the United States. However, there is a growing momentum for other states to join California in legislating consumer privacy rights, as well as pushes for federal legislation. The latest state to join in and pass consumer privacy legislation is Virginia, with its Virginia Consumer Data Protection Act (VCDPA). With Virginia joining the fray, several questions arise, such as how closely does the VCDPA follow California's legislation? How, if at all, does it differ from already-existing legislation? What do businesses need to comply with the VCDPA, if at all? WHAT IS THE VIRGINIA CONSUMER DATA PROTECTION ACT? The VCDPA largely mimics elements from its Californian cousins, the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA) as modified by the California Privacy Rights Act (CPRA). The main features of the law include: (a) issuing the right to request what information is collected; (b) the right to correct information provided; (c) the right to deletion; (d) providing notice to consumers regarding the collection of their data; and (e) protecting consumer data. Further, the consumer requests, akin to the CCPA, do require verification, and similarly phrased data security practices that rely on how "reasonable" they are, depending on the volume and type of information at issue. Though, the VCDPA does expand on this slightly, requiring "data protection assessments" to determine the security of protected information, how it is shared and used, the benefits in sharing the information and harm resulting from any breaches. Read the court decision
    Read the full story...
    Reprinted courtesy of Kyle Janecek, Newmeyer Dillion
    Mr. Janecek may be contacted at kyle.janecek@ndlf.com

    Priority of Liability Insurance Coverage and Horizontal and Vertical Exhaustion

    June 22, 2020 —
    Recently, I participated in a webinar involving the horizontal and vertical exhaustion of insurance coverage. Say what? This pertains to the PRIORITY of liability insurance coverage and the interface between a general contractor’s (or upstream party’s) primary insurance and the subcontractor’s (or downstream party’s) excess insurance, particularly when the general contractor is required to be indemnified by the subcontractor and named as an additional insured under the subcontractor’s liability policies. For instance, let’s assume the general contractor has a $2M primary policy and a $5M excess policy. Its subcontractor has a $1M primary and a $5M excess policy. The general contractor is an additional insured under the subcontractor’s policies and the subcontractor is required to contractually indemnify the general contractor. An issue occurs caused by the subcontractor’s negligence resulting in a $5M judgment against the general contractor and the subcontractor. Read the court decision
    Read the full story...
    Reprinted courtesy of David Adelstein, Kirwin Norris, P.A.
    Mr. Adelstein may be contacted at dma@kirwinnorris.com

    Subcontractors Aren’t Helpless

    July 26, 2017 —
    As a construction attorney here in Virginia, I often have the pleasure of assisting subcontractors seeking advice on their all important contracts with general contractors. I often sense that these subcontractors feel that they are at the bottom of the food chain and don’t have the “clout” necessary to push back at all against the myriad clauses in these contracts that seek to push the risk downhill. “Pay if Paid” clauses, subordination of lien clauses (which may or may not be enforceable), indemnification language that seems to make the subcontractor liable for way too much, and the dreaded incorporation clauses , would seem to make the subcontractor hold one big “bag of risk” on any construction project. While this may seem bleak, never fear, as a subcontractor you are not totally helpless. Remember, you don’t have to take a job from a general contractor that you get a bad feeling about. Often the best indicator of whether you want to move forward is your “spidey sense” that something seems a bit off or that the GC is trying to cram too much down your throat. Use your experience in the construction industry to guide your contracting activities. It is better to avoid the bad job than to take it in the long run. If you are a quality subcontractor (and I know you are or you wouldn’t be reading this), other work will come along because general contractors need good subs to get their work done. Read the court decision
    Read the full story...
    Reprinted courtesy of Christopher G. Hill, The Law Office of Christopher G. Hill
    Mr. Hill may be contacted at chrisghill@constructionlawva.com