BERT HOWE
  • Nationwide: (800) 482-1822    
    landscaping construction Building Consultant Seattle Washington industrial building Building Consultant Seattle Washington low-income housing Building Consultant Seattle Washington high-rise construction Building Consultant Seattle Washington hospital construction Building Consultant Seattle Washington housing Building Consultant Seattle Washington Subterranean parking Building Consultant Seattle Washington condominiums Building Consultant Seattle Washington custom home Building Consultant Seattle Washington multi family housing Building Consultant Seattle Washington production housing Building Consultant Seattle Washington custom homes Building Consultant Seattle Washington parking structure Building Consultant Seattle Washington tract home Building Consultant Seattle Washington casino resort Building Consultant Seattle Washington mid-rise construction Building Consultant Seattle Washington condominium Building Consultant Seattle Washington structural steel construction Building Consultant Seattle Washington office building Building Consultant Seattle Washington retail construction Building Consultant Seattle Washington Medical building Building Consultant Seattle Washington institutional building Building Consultant Seattle Washington
    Seattle Washington delay claim expert witnessSeattle Washington structural engineering expert witnessesSeattle Washington construction expert testimonySeattle Washington architect expert witnessSeattle Washington architectural expert witnessSeattle Washington roofing construction expertSeattle Washington expert witness commercial buildings
    Arrange No Cost Consultation
    Building Consultant 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 Consultant Contractors Licensing
    Guidelines Seattle Washington

    A license is required for plumbing, and electrical trades. Businesses must register with the Secretary of State.


    Building Consultant Contractors Building Industry
    Association Directory
    MBuilders Association of King & Snohomish Counties
    Local # 4955
    335 116th Ave SE
    Bellevue, WA 98004

    Seattle Washington Building Consultant 10/ 10

    Home Builders Association of Kitsap County
    Local # 4944
    5251 Auto Ctr Way
    Bremerton, WA 98312

    Seattle Washington Building Consultant 10/ 10

    Home Builders Association of Spokane
    Local # 4966
    5813 E 4th Ave Ste 201
    Spokane, WA 99212

    Seattle Washington Building Consultant 10/ 10

    Home Builders Association of North Central
    Local # 4957
    PO Box 2065
    Wenatchee, WA 98801

    Seattle Washington Building Consultant 10/ 10

    MBuilders Association of Pierce County
    Local # 4977
    PO Box 1913 Suite 301
    Tacoma, WA 98401

    Seattle Washington Building Consultant 10/ 10

    North Peninsula Builders Association
    Local # 4927
    PO Box 748
    Port Angeles, WA 98362
    Seattle Washington Building Consultant 10/ 10

    Jefferson County Home Builders Association
    Local # 4947
    PO Box 1399
    Port Hadlock, WA 98339

    Seattle Washington Building Consultant 10/ 10


    Building Consultant News and Information
    For Seattle Washington


    AI and the Optimization of Construction Projects

    ICC/ASHRAE/USGBC/IES Green Model Code Integrates Existing Standards

    Certified Question Asks Washington Supreme Court Whether Insurer is Bound by Contradictory Certificate of Insurance

    Construction Executives Should Be Dusting Off Employee Handbooks

    Coronavirus and Contract Obligations

    KF-103 v. American Family Mutual Insurance: Tenth Circuit Upholds the “Complaint Rule”

    Waiving Workers’ Compensation Immunity for Indemnity: Demystifying a Common and Scary-Looking Contract Term

    When Is an Arbitration Clause Unconscionable? Not Often

    Ohio Court Finds No Coverage for Construction Defect Claims

    Landlords, Brace Yourselves: New Law Now Limits Your Rental Increases & Terminations

    Building Safety Month Just Around the Corner

    State Supreme Court Cases Highlight Importance of Wording in Earth Movement Exclusions

    Panthers Withdraw City, County Deal Over Abandoned Facility

    HUD Homeownership Push to Heed Lessons From Crisis, Castro Says

    Henderson Land to Spend $839 Million on Hong Kong Retail Complex

    Municipal Ordinances Create Additional Opportunities for the Defense of Construction Defect Claims in Colorado

    Construction Mezzanine Financing

    Congratulations to our 2019 Southern California Super Lawyers Rising Stars

    Little Known Florida Venue Statue Benefitting Resident Contractors

    Harmon Towers Duty to Defend Question Must Wait, Says Court

    AB5 Construction Exemption – A Checklist to Avoid Application of AB5’s Three-Part Test

    Stacking of Service Interruption and Contingent Business Interruption Coverages Permitted

    Haight has been named a Metropolitan Los Angeles Tier 1 “Best Law Firm” in four practice areas and Tier 2 in one practice area by U.S. News – Best Lawyers® “Best Law Firms” in 2021

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

    NJ Transit’s Superstorm Sandy Coverage Victory Highlights Complexities of Underwriting Property Insurance Towers

    Baltimore Project Pushes To Meet Federal Deadline

    New Jersey Imposes New Apprenticeship Training Requirements

    EO or Uh-Oh: Biden’s Executive Order Requiring Project Labor Agreements on Federal Construction Projects

    Alabama Appeals Court Rules Unexpected and Unintended Property Damage is an Occurrence

    Bank Sues over Defective Windows

    Insurers Refuse Indemnification of Subcontractors in Construction Defect Suit

    EPA Issues Interpretive Statement on Application of NPDES Permit System to Releases of Pollutants to Groundwater

    California Court of Appeal Vacates $30M Non-Economic Damages Award Due to Failure to Properly Apportion Liability and Attorney Misconduct During Closing Argument

    The Importance of the Recent Amendment to Rule 702 of the Federal Rules of Evidence

    Pennsylvania Superior Court Tightens Requirements for Co-Worker Affidavits in Asbestos Cases

    Previously Owned U.S. Home Sales Rise to Eight-Month High

    Federal Magistrate Judge Recommends Rescission of Policies

    Court Addresses Damages Under Homeowners Insurance Policy

    Issues to Watch Out for When Managing Remote Workers

    Duuers: Better Proposals with Less Work

    “Rip and Tear” Damage Remains Covered Under CGL Policy as “Accident”—for Now.

    $24 Million Verdict Against Material Supplier Overturned Where Plaintiff Failed to Prove Supplier’s Negligence or Breach of Contract Caused an SB800 Violation

    Window Installer's Alleged Faulty Workmanship On Many Projects Constitutes Multiple Occurrences

    Texas exclusions j(5) and j(6).

    Trump Order Waives Project Environment Rules to Push COVID-19 Recovery

    Oregon Construction Firm Sued for Construction Defects

    Condo Developers Buy in Washington despite Construction Defect Litigation

    What Does “Mold Resistant” Really Mean?

    Haight Ranked in 2018 U.S. News - Best Lawyers "Best Law Firms" List

    Mass. Gas Leak Follows NTSB Final Report, Call for Reforms
    Corporate Profile

    SEATTLE WASHINGTON BUILDING CONSULTANT
    DIRECTORY AND CAPABILITIES

    The Seattle, Washington Building Consultant 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 Consultant News & Info
    Seattle, Washington

    Kahana Feld Welcomes Six Attorneys to the Firm in Q4 of 2023

    January 16, 2024 —
    Kahana Feld is pleased to announce the addition of six attorneys to the team in the fourth quarter of 2023. We are excited to have each of these individuals on the team. In our Houston office, Kahana Feld welcomes Partner Donald Loving II and Attorney Elliott Wright. Mr. Loving is a member of the General Liability and Trucking & Transportation practice groups. He earned his Juris Doctor from the University of Houston and has over 30 years of litigation and trial experience, including working as staff & corporate counsel for several prominent insurance carriers including GEICO, Progressive, USAA and Travelers. Mr. Wright is a member of the Construction Defect, General Liability, and Trucking & Transportation practice groups. He earned his Juris Doctor from SMU Dedman School of Law, and has extensive litigation and insurance defense experience. Read the full story...
    Reprinted courtesy of Linda Carter, Kahana Feld
    Ms. Carter may be contacted at lcarter@kahanafeld.com

    Hirer Not Liable Under Privette Doctrine Where Hirer Had Knowledge of Condition, but not that Condition Posed a Concealed Hazard

    December 11, 2023 —
    The Privette doctrine, so-called because of a case of the same name, Privette v. Superior Court, 5 Cal.4th 698 (1993), provides a rebuttable presumption that a hirer is not liable for workplace injuries sustained by employees of hired parties. In other words, if a property owner hires a contractor, and one of the contractor’s employees gets injured while working on the property, there is a rebuttable presumption that the property owner is not liable for the employee’s injuries, the rationale being that because the contractor is required to carry workers’ compensation insurance the contractor is in the better position to absorb losses incurred a workplace injury. There are, however, two widely recognized exceptions to the Privette doctrine. The first, is the Hooker exception, again named after a case of the same name, Hooker v. Department of Transportation, 27 Cal.th 198 (2002), which provides that a hirer is liable for injuries to a hired parties’ employees, if the hirer retained control over the work being performed, negligently exercised that control, and the negative exercise of that control contributed to the employee’s injury. Read the full story...
    Reprinted courtesy of Garret Murai, Nomos LLP
    Mr. Murai may be contacted at gmurai@nomosllp.com

    Ohio Supreme Court Rules That Wrongful Death Claims Are Subject to the Four-Year Statute of Repose for Medical Claims

    January 16, 2024 —
    Cleveland, Ohio (January 2, 2024) - In a landmark 4-3 ruling, the Supreme Court of Ohio ruled on December 28 that wrongful death claims are subject to the four-year statute of repose contained in O.R.C. 2305.113(C) (“Medical Claim Statute of Repose”). Everhart v. Coshocton County Memorial Hospital, Slip No. 2023-Ohio-4670. Statutes of repose create an absolute bar to filing a lawsuit. When applicable, they bar plaintiffs from filing claims outside a specified time frame. The Medical Claim Statute of Repose creates a four-year window for commencing medical claims, which begins to run from “the occurrence of the act or omission constituting the alleged basis of the medical…claim.” O.R.C. 2305.113(C)(1). Medical claims commenced after the four-year period are barred. The primary question before the Court was whether a wrongful death claim, which is separate and distinct from a medical negligence claim, can qualify as a “medical claim” within the context of the Medical Claim Statute of Repose. The Court answered in the affirmative. A wrongful death claim can qualify as a medical claim if the wrongful death claim “…arises out the medical diagnosis, care, or treatment, of any person.” O.R.C. 2305.113(E)(3). According to the majority, a wrongful death claim can fall within the broad definition of “medical claim” and, if it does, is subject to the Medical Claim Statute of Repose. Read the full story...
    Reprinted courtesy of Lewis Brisbois

    Judgment Proof: Reducing Litigation Exposure with Litigation Risk Insurance

    March 04, 2024 —
    It is not just your imagination: verdicts are getting bigger. So-called “nuclear verdicts” have increased in size and frequency over the past decade, particularly after the COVID-19 pandemic. Litigation risk insurance is a little known, but highly effective, option meant to compliment traditional insurance products and provide additional protection for policyholders nervous about litigation exposure. Unfortunately, it is difficult to predict the exposure presented by any particular case. Between 2020 and 2022, the median verdict increased 95%—from $21.5 million to $41.1 million. In 2022, a jury handed down a verdict worth $7.3 billion for injury to a single plaintiff. Even if an injury or loss is minor, juries have shown that they are willing to penalize corporate defendants with punitive damages that significantly exceed the award of compensatory damages. With such uncertainty and millions (if not billions) at stake, companies can reduce risk with litigation risk insurance. Three key types of litigation risk insurance include: (1) punitive wrap insurance, (2) adverse judgment insurance, and (3) judgment preservation insurance. Reprinted courtesy of Latosha M. Ellis, Hunton Andrews Kurth and Charlotte Leszinske, Hunton Andrews Kurth Ms. Ellis may be contacted at lellis@HuntonAK.com Ms. Leszinske may be contacted at cleszinske@HuntonAK.com Read the full story...

    Can Your Industry Benefit From Metaverse Technology?

    November 06, 2023 —
    As the metaverse evolves, we know there are inherent risks for businesses. But what industries can we expect to be impacted and what are the potential upsides and opportunities? “We are observing how different industries are incorporating this technology to better their business strategy. For example, companies are utilizing augmented reality to assess the risk for large catastrophes, like wildfires. This technology could help prevent major disastrous events if integrated properly,” said Michael Kearney, vice president of emerging technologies and innovation at The Hartford. As virtual and augmented reality technologies become more popular, there is an uptick in demand across industries to mitigate risk, increase company efficiency and build brand awareness. There are several industries that may be significantly impacted by the evolution of the metaverse, including:
    • Technology: It is anticipated that there will be cutting edge technologies at the forefront, building the infrastructure for the metaverse.
    • Gaming: This industry has potential to be the center of the metaverse with gamers developing a deeper connection to the digital world.
    Read the full story...
    Reprinted courtesy of The Hartford Staff, The Hartford Insights

    Protect Projects From Higher Repair Costs and Property Damage

    March 04, 2024 —
    Every aspect of a jobsite costs more today, from materials and labor to tools and equipment. Take construction input costs for example. While relatively flat in 2023, they remain almost 40% higher than they were pre-pandemic. With borrowing costs still high in the face of a stubbornly strong economy, project financing will remain a challenge. Still, contractors are expected to break more ground in 2024, fueled in part by the CHIPS Act, the Inflation Reduction Act and the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act. Despite wages growing and the labor market remaining tight, many businesses are expected to dive deeper into their backlogs. Meanwhile, the economy is expected to grow with a chance for a short and mild recession. As industry leaders gauge economic pressures, it’s clear businesses must manage their costs—and financial risks in 2024. It’s a year where insurance and safety should take priority. Below are economic trends to monitor, and insurance strategies to help protect this year’s bottom line. Reprinted courtesy of Michael Teng, Construction Executive, a publication of Associated Builders and Contractors. All rights reserved. Read the full story...

    BOOK CLUB SERIES: Everything You Want to Know About Construction Arbitration But Were Afraid to Ask

    October 30, 2023 —
    I recently had the pleasure of speaking with construction law notables John Foust and Andy Ness to discuss the release of their new book—Construction Arbitration: The Advocate’s Practical Guide. The goal of their book: to teach attorneys what they need to know to maximize their effectiveness in the arbitration context. To that end, the book covers every aspect of the arbitration process including motion practice, conduct as an advocate, presentation of the case, and post-hearing submissions. Read on for Andy and John’s candid, behind-the-scenes take on how this book came to be and why you should get your copy now, while supplies last! Q: Who is the target audience for this book? Andy: In the editing process (and in writing my own chapter on Navigating an International Construction Arbitration) I pretended that I was speaking with a construction lawyer who was a few years out of law school, with some litigation experience, who was getting ready to take on a significant and complex construction arbitration for the first time. The book presupposes knowledge of the basics and tries to anticipate the questions that would be asked when you are trying to think through the whole arbitration process from start to finish. What should my pleadings look like? How much discovery am I likely to be able to obtain? How should my demeanor be different from what I would do in a courtroom? How much should I object during the hearing? In a nutshell, it’s “What do I need to know to maximize my chances of success in the arbitration setting?” Read the full story...
    Reprinted courtesy of Marissa L. Downs, Laurie & Brennan, LLP
    Ms. Downs may be contacted at mdowns@lauriebrennan.com

    Navigating the New Landscape: How AB 12 and SB 567 Impact Landlords and Tenants in California

    March 11, 2024 —
    There are various changes in the Landlord-Tenant laws in CA that became effective in 2024. For the purposes of this article, I wanted to focus on Assembly Bill (AB) 12 and Senate Bill (SB) 567 only. Governor Gavin Newsom recently signed AB 12 into law, a legislation that limits the amount landlords can charge for security deposits to just one month’s rent for unfurnished apartments. While the law aims to make housing more accessible, it raises several concerns for landlords and tenants alike. AB 12, was authored by Assemblyman Matt Haney, D-San Francisco; it passed both the Senate and the Assembly houses in September. The legislation introduces a notable shift from existing law, under which landlords can charge up to two months’ rent for an unfurnished unit and three months’ rent for a furnished one. This exception does not apply when the prospective tenant is a military service member, however. Read the full story...
    Reprinted courtesy of Sharon Oh-Kubisch, Kahana Feld
    Ms. Oh-Kubisch may be contacted at sokubisch@kahanafeld.com