2023 April Building Insight

COMMUNICATIONS

Janelle Guthrie

Hannah Cassara

VISUAL DESIGNER

Lena Anderson

EXECUTIVE VICE PRESIDENT CONTENT SPECIALIST

Greg Lane

Al Audette

LEGISLATIVE DIRECTOR

Josie Cummings

COMMUNICATIONS DIRECTOR

Janelle Guthrie

MANAGING DIRECTOR OF EXTERNAL AFFAIRS

Jan Himebaugh

MANAGING DIRECTOR OF OPERATIONS

Stephen Hyer

ROII DIRECTOR

Jenn Kavanaugh

ASSOCIATION SERVICES DIRECTOR

Brenda Kwieciak

GENERAL COUNSEL

16 Green building father-son team

Built Green Washington trailblazers Ted L. Clifton and his son, Ted W. Clifton, have made it their mission to build homes as sustainably as possible and won several awards along the way.

18

ROII-approved safety solutions

ROII Field Representative Jesse Balbin shares the latest and greatest safety tech, tools and products you might want to consider adding to your safety program.

For editorial inquiries, contact Hannahc@biaw.com

Interested in advertising in Building Insight? Contact communications@biaw.com

www.BIAW.com

ROII Field Representative Jim Breidenbach models the ROII motto: Safety Has Its Rewards. Learn more about those rewards on page 10.

@BuildingIndustryAssocWA

President’s message

The 2023 legislative session is scheduled to come to an end on April 23—and time will tell if our legislators will truly honor the commitment to housing so many of them shared when session started back in January.

The BIAW legislative team reports the most promising legislative session in a while—and we thank all our members who’ve been answering our calls to action, visiting our legislative action center to sign in pro or con, and testifying before the legislature at important hearings. We’re especially grateful for all the members who joined our Legislative Action Day just a few weeks ago!

Legislative Action Day resulted in huge success

For the first time since 2020, home builders, remodelers and associates from across Washington met in person with their legislators at the Washington State Capitol. With a renewed focus on Washington’s housing shortage, most of our members told us they had great meetings with their legislators during BIAW’s Builder Legislative Day on March 21.

Government affairs staff from across the state did a wonderful job scheduling meetings and preparing members to discuss our issues. BIAW staff made sure everyone had talking points as well as a stack of 310 $100 “BIAW bucks” to represent the average $31,000 added to the price of a new home due to permitting delays at local permit departments.

the House Laurie Jinkins, who stayed for more than an hour to discuss housing with members.

Stay tuned to help out in the final days of session

As this issue of Building Insight goes to print, several important pro-housing bills continue through the legislature. Bills allowing for more “middle housing” and “transit-oriented development” help our more urban areas accommodate more families and reduce commutes by increasing housing density.

We’re also having good success on bills that help builders across the state reduce the cost of building new homes and remodeling existing ones by consolidating permit review processes, improving State Environmental Policy Act (SEPA) review and exempting certain interior remodel permits from full site reviews.

But as you’ll read in this month’s legislative update, there are many other bills that continue to throw up barriers to home building and increase costs for everyone. In a particularly awful move, Puget Sound Energy is pushing a bill to eliminate natural gas for all new construction in its service area by June 30, 2023 and for all customers by 2050. They’re transferring their costs to decarbonize onto the backs of their existing ratepayers, forcing families to choose between heating their homes or buying groceries.

At a time when we’re facing a housing shortage and skyrocketing inflation, BIAW is fighting hard, not just for builders, but for the families we serve.

Speaker of the House Laurie Jinkins at the Hammer & Highballs Legislative Reception with BIAW President Gary Wray, Executive Vice President Greg Lane and First Vice President/ Treasurer Jay Roberts.

Our Hammers & Highballs reception later that evening gave members a chance to socialize with legislators from both parties. Over 200 legislators, members and guests attended the event, including Speaker of

Stay tuned for full coverage of the Winter Board Meeting and Legislative Action Day in the May issue of Building Insight!

2022 Remodeler of the Year becomes Certified Builder

Born and raised in Yakima, Kimberley Martin of Cyneburg Services, Inc. in Mill Creek, earned a Bachelor of Fine Arts Degree in Graphic Design from the University of Washington, and initially pursued a career in graphic design for over a decade before finding her passion in outdoor spaces.

Over the next eight years, she soaked up all the knowledge she could, eventually becoming the special projects lead for Callunas Gardens. In 2015, Martin took the leap and started Cyneburg Services, Inc., focusing on creating exceptional outdoor spaces as well as remodeling.

Martin has been an active participant at BIAW, the Master Builders Association of King and Snohomish Counties (MBAKS) and the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB). She has served as a BIAW director for eight years and serves as the 2023 vice chair of the Remodelers Council.

“I’m all about education,” Martin said. “Earning credentials shows I care about my industry, helps me stay on top of trends and shows my clients I’m always learning and striving to improve. Education is never wasted.”

At MBAKS she is active in several committees, including the Professional Women in Building (PWB) Council, PWB Events Committee and Membership Committee. She actively participates in the Remodelers Committee and has been the presenting sponsor of the PWB Annual Conference three times.

In 2019, Martin was honored with the MBAKS Sandy McAdams PWB Woman of the Year Award. She won the BIAW Excellence in Remodeling award in 2019 and was selected as BIAW’s 2022 Remodeler of the Year.

At NAHB, Martin is a member of the NAHB Build-PAC Platinum Club, a Professional Women in Building (PWB) Trustee, a Remodelers Council Trustee and a PWB BuildPAC trustee. As an NAHB delegate, she regularly attends the International Builders Show and NAHB Leadership Meetings.

Earning credentials shows I care about my industry, helps me stay on top of trends and shows my clients I’m always learning and striving to improve. Education is never wasted.

Kimberley Martin Cyneburg Services, Inc.

Executive Vice President’s message

Welcome to the annual “ROII Takeover” issue of Building Insight! In this issue, our amazing ROII staff have gathered some valuable content to shed light on all the many services ROII offers its participants.

We can’t wait to share the 2023 adjustment refund results from L&I with our ROII participants—stay tuned for that in next month’s Building Insight! But while we wait, let’s take a moment to acknowledge the excellent service ROII offers.

Greg Lane Executive Vice President

ROII: An all-inclusive retro ROII proudly offers all-inclusive services, including claims assistance, safety and prevention, risk management and returnto-work assistance. That’s all with no addons or surprise charges. ROII participants consistently rave about the quality of service provided by ROII staff—check out the story on page 12 and see what Alexa Amatto at Condron Homes has to say.

A big thanks to our hardworking ROII staff for all they do to get claims closed quickly and for providing fantastic customer service along the way. Thank you as well to the ROII participants for continuing to run safe and professional operations.

State Building Code Council lawsuit against natural gas restrictions

In late February, BIAW joined forces with a coalition of other trade associations, union representatives, businesses and homeowners in a lawsuit to fight back against the State Building Code Council’s costly new codes restricting natural gas and propane in new residential and commercial construction.

The new rules require builders to install heat pumps for space and water heating in all new buildings built after July 1, 2023. By surveying our members, we estimated these changes would increase the cost of a newly constructed home by a minimum of $9,200, pricing out even more Washington families.

BIAW is proud to lead this effort uniting a group across political, economic and geographic boundaries to fight back against these unnecessary and expensive new codes.

That said, it could take a while to resolve this issue in the courts so we’re preparing you for code compliance in the meantime. Be sure to watch our classes page for new codes classes taught by experts online and in your area.

New BIAW swag supporting the Washington Home Builders Foundation

Last month during our Winter Board Meeting, we were excited to announce the opening of our new BIAW Swag Shop! The new apparel line offers something for everyone—from hats to shirts to bags to cups, you name it. Plenty of high-quality options are available.

Even more exciting is that a percentage of each apparel and merchandise purchase benefits our foundation, the Washington Home Builders Foundation. The foundation’s mission is to empower and inspire the next generation of builders through funding scholarships and grants for students and organizations developing our next generation of workforce.

We invite you to take a minute to shop the new apparel line by visiting apparelnow.com/ biaw-apparel.

Or, if you’d like to donate directly to the Washington Home Builders Foundation, visit BIAW.com/washingtonhome-builders-foundation All contributions are eligible for charitable tax deductions.

We appreciate your support of these new opportunities! I look forward to seeing you in your new BIAW swag.

Protect your business against new liability limits with BIAW’s Contract Subscription Service

by Janelle Guthrie Communications Director

A little over four months ago, the Washington Supreme Court created significant uncertainty in the market when it invalidated common contractual liability limits for builders.

In a 5-4 decision in Tadych v. Noble Ridge Construction, Inc., the Court invalidated a local builder’s one-year contractual liability limit. They said contractual liability limits such as Noble Ridge’s one-year limit “shock the conscience” because they are less than the state’s six-year statute of limitation for such claims.

Noble Ridge, a member of the Master Builders Association of King and Snohomish County (MBAKS), filed a request for reconsideration. In late November, BIAW and MBAKS filed an amicus brief in support, stressing the significant detrimental effect of the case on the building industry and contract law generally in the state. Unfortunately, the court denied the motion.

The bottom line

One-year liability limitation provisions in residential construction contracts are now potentially unenforceable.

Recognizing the substantial effects of this decision on the home building industry, BIAW worked with its expert attorneys to review the ramifications of the decision and updated its Contract Subscription Service accordingly.

Next steps: Address liability limits

If you’ve already subscribed to BIAW’s Contract Subscription Service, you should have received an email from us with new contracts to replace those you already have on hand.

If you’re a builder member and haven’t subscribed to our Contract Subscription Service, consider checking it out.

For just $399 through March 2024, BIAW builders and remodelers will receive unlimited online access to a suite of more than two dozen contracts and addenda.

Covering most common construction needs (and updates from new caselaw like Tadych), this subscription could save you thousands of dollars in legal fees.

If you’re not interested in this service, we advise you to contact your lawyer to protect your business and update your contracts to address the ramifications of this decision as soon as possible.

Learn more about BIAW’s Contract Subscription Service, exclusively for builder and remodeler members, at biaw.com/program/legal

If you have questions, please contact legal@biaw.com

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BIAW partners to offer economic forecasts to help members plan for the future

by Janelle Guthrie Communications Director

lot of material, so cutting through to actionable data specific to this question is always the goal.”

BIAW Executive Vice President Greg Lane first met Blanton at the Building Industry Association of Clark County (BIACC) January membership meeting where he provided a localized economic forecast.

Timely economic forecasts

BIAW has teamed up with Noah Blanton of WFG National Title Insurance Company to offer quarterly economic forecasts to assist members in making decisions for their businesses. He gave his first economic forecast to the BIAW board of directors at the Winter Board Meeting on March 22.

President of WFG National Title Insurance Company’s Oregon Direct Operations, Blanton has been a respected leader in the Portland metro real estate market since 1998. In this role, he oversees the growth and administration of an operation that closes one of every four residential transactions in the market.

Actionable, data-driven analysis

While guiding WFG National Title’s direct operations through market cycles, he focuses on providing actionable, data-driven real estate market analysis that clients and consumers can use to make decisions.

“I like to present the same information I consume for my business planning and strategy,” Blanton said. “The question is always, what is the basis for increasing or decreasing supply and demand in the homeownership space? You can pay attention to a

“Noah presented state and local economic information in an engaging and educational way that kept our members interested throughout,” Lane said. “I knew this type of information would be highly valuable to our membership statewide. Members have expressed a need for this information, and Noah is a great fit.”

BIAW’s partnership with Blanton includes:

n A quarterly economic outlook report for Washington and

n Opportunities for local associations to invite him to provide economic updates to their members

Prepared for the future

The National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) provides regular updates on housing economics. This new offering from BIAW will delve deeper into local economic trends.

“Coupled with the excellent national economic insights we receive from NAHB, this information should help our members feel more prepared for the future,” Lane said. “It’s just one reason belonging to a local home builders association, and being part of BIAW, is such a valuable investment. We’re excited to partner with Noah to share his wisdom and economic expertise.”

Blanton has served on the board of several local real estate associations. He has a B.S. in Finance and an MBA

Economist Noah Blanton (center) with 2021 President Tracy Doriot (l), BIACC President Caleb Blanton (2nd from left) and 2018 President Kevin Russell (r) at the Winter Board Meeting.

Keeping the legislature committed to housing

by Josie Cummings Legislative Director

As this issue of Building Insight goes to print, your government affairs team continues to watch several important bills moving into the final days of the legislative session so we can build more homes families can afford and help more students find their pathway to work in residential construction.

HB 1110 – Middle housing

HB

1308 – Graduation pathways

HB 1181 – Climate change in the Growth Management Act (GMA)

This bill encourages local governments to reduce construction in deeply flawed mapping of the wildland-urban interface (most of which is within our current urban growth areas). This bill limits residential zones and housing types by requiring zoning to reduce vehicle miles traveled. Additional requirements to the GMA limit available land for home construction and add time and money to the price of homes.

SB 5217 – Ergonomics

SB

5466 – Increasing transit-oriented development

It’s time to increase zoned capacity, especially around transit, providing better commuting options and lowering reliance on single-occupancy vehicles. We need to increase diversity in housing stock and provide more ownership opportunities in homes of all types.

SB 5290 – Consolidating local permit process reviews

This measure exempts certain interior remodel permits from full site reviews while still requiring permits, inspections and compliance with building codes. It clarifies permit timelines, provides resources to local governments, ensures they adopt best permit practices and offers refunds to applicants when permit timelines are unmet. Saving time saves money—one week can save homeowners over $1,100.

SB 5412 and HB 1293 – SEPA State Environmental Policy Act review

These bills categorically exempt residential construction consistent with the comp plan from SEPA. They require exterior design review standards to be clear and objective. This bill cuts red tape, creates an efficient permitting process and maintains environmental review.

Washington’s junior and high school students need to be equipped with the option to graduate high school and go into a good-paying career. Washington homebuilders need a robust, diverse and capable workforce. This bill ensures parents and students are informed about all the available pathways for graduation and adds a new performance-based graduation pathway.

It’s not all sunshine and rainbows unfortunately. We’re fighting the following bad bills because they’re bad for homeowners and create barriers for future homeowners by driving up the cost to build new homes.

HB 1589 – Decarbonization of natural gas

This bill allows Puget Sound Energy (PSE) to cease new natural gas service on June 30, 2023, and completely stop serving natural gas for all existing customers by Jan. 1, 2050. The bill creates an effective building moratorium on residential projects where natural gas is the only utility option, like large portions of Kittitas County.

It also provides no details on how current natural gas users are to bear the costs to transition homes to fully electric. Electrification of an existing home costs over $20,000 – so ratepayers will pay higher rates, need to rewire their homes and purchase new appliances, all while PSE profits.

This bill kills jobs and overturns the vote of the people. Voters approved banning L&I from making ergonomics rules. Targeted technical assistance is more effective in addressing the intricacies of individuals and job types. Ergonomics claims are decreasing for almost every industry and they’re already covered by Washington’s workers’ comp system. This bill will force businesses to automate systems, replacing workers in the future.

SB 5452 – Impact fees for bike and pedestrian lanes

You can’t make housing more affordable by ADDING MORE FEES! This bill allows expanded use of impact fees for bicycle lanes – meaning impact fees will increase to fund not only current transportation-allowed uses but also bicycle lanes of the right-of-way. Nonright-of-way bike paths can be paid for using the existing park impact fees and bike lanes on the right-of-way are already covered under transportation impact fees. Increased fees make it harder for Washington families to buy a home.

Stay in the loop!

We hold a Zoom call every Tuesday morning during session to keep you updated on everything happening each week. To sign up for these calls, email josiec@biaw.com.

You can also receive calls to action by signing up for our text alerts by texting “BIAW” to 50457

Everyone wins when you have a great safety program

by Leah Jaber ROII Marketing Manager

Want to be rewarded for safety in your workplace? Join the crowd—by joining the state’s largest, longest-operating construction Retro (Retrospective Rating) safety incentive program: ROII. It’s the workers’ comp safety program trusted by more Washington businesses.

Our goal at ROII is to eliminate injuries through improvements in workplace safety and preventative strategies. If an employee is injured, we’ll help you help them get better quicker with a successful return-to-work experience. Businesses that participate and share our goal can earn an average refund

of 39%. Only ROII has returned over $500 million in refunds to participating companies since 1982.

We’re anxiously awaiting the 2023 adjustment refund results from L&I. We are expecting some pretty stellar numbers, so stay tuned for the next issue of Building Insight for the reveal!

Wondering how your current Retro group stacks up against ROII? Fill out the online inquiry at ROII.com to get a comparison and see how much you could have earned if you were enrolled in ROII.

roii other abc smart ‘a’ team

Last year over $33 million dollars were earned by safe companies enrolled in ROII from all corners of Washington.

In-house services you can count on It’s not all about the refunds! While ROII offers more services than you can shake a 2x4 at, here’s a peek into some of our participants’ favorites:

Claims Assistance: Our seasoned claim reps go straight to L&I on your behalf to get claims closed quicker. Rest assured; we’ll keep a pulse on your claim every step of the way.

Safety and Prevention: The best injury claim is the one that never happens. Because prevention is our top priority, we’re here to help you develop and implement effective safety strategies. Risk Management: Our job is to identify risk and assist you with implementing preventative measures to avoid claims from happening. If a claim does occur, we offer strategies to help control the severity and cost of the injury.

Return-to-Work: Our goal is to keep an injured worker engaged in the recovery process and connected with their employer to help ensure better outcomes. Each claim is unique, as

services. We don’t believe in add-ons, surprise charges, or “we outsource that.” (Unlike some Retro programs that use additional fees to chip away at your bottom line—while adding to theirs.) With rewards like these, not every business can qualify. Participants must

share a high bar for excellence and safety. And in turn, they get to reap the rewards. Contact us to find out if ROII is a good fit for your business. Email enroll@biaw.com or call (360) 352-7800 or complete the online inquiry by going to ROII.com.

ROII Field Representative Kevin Patrick (left photo) and ROII Claim Services Manager Ben Bower (right photo) present ROII refund checks.

Claims & Rejections: Effectively navigating a tricky claim

by ROII Staff

What do you do if a former employee who hasn’t been with your company for months because they walked off a jobsite and quit submits an injury claim? What if you have an ironclad safety program and have documentation proving they knew how to run a machine and file a report of accident claiming they were

injured on that machine? What if you also had multiple witnesses who stated the former employee told them the injury didn’t actually happen on the job? You might think this scenario would be plenty of information for Labor and Industries (L&I) to reject this claim, but unfortunately, you would be wrong. You’d be surprised

how hard it is to fight the allowance of bogus claims like this one and how hard it is to navigate the L&I system in general.

For companies in Washington, it can be hard to know what steps to take when you question the validity of a workers’ comp injury claim. This was the situation for ROII participant

Corey Condron, owner, Condron Homes, and Alexa Amatto, VP of Administrative Services, leaned on ROII for their expertise in navigating a complicated workers’ comp injury claim.

was

—Alexa

VP of Administrative Services Condron Homes

Condron Homes in Spokane—they were saddled with a claim they knew wasn’t fair. With the help of ROII and their ROII Claim Representative Joanne Nichols, they knew what roads were dead-ends, what proof they could actually pursue, and most importantly, they had someone in their corner advocating for them.

“With ROII, I felt like I was just the girl down the road,” said Alexa Amatto, VP of Administrative Services at Condron Homes. “They emailed me back almost immediately. I was able to leave messages and got a call back in 24 hours. I felt like they really got to know me. They got to know my case. I didn’t feel like just another number. It was like a friend helping a friend or a family member. They were on my side the entire time.”

ROII’s claim assistance services are operated in-house, just like all of our other services, which is just another way ROII sets itself apart from other retro groups. That means all our ROII claim representatives work for ROII and BIAW. Because who knows the program and needs of our members better than us?

L&I’s workers’ comp system is daunting. Its rules and laws are complicated, and most employers don’t understand them. A complicated claim like the one Condron Homes experienced had many moving parts and required a very specific strategy to get the claim rejected. Even with everything working in their favor, getting L&I to reject a claim is never a guarantee.

Lucky for them, their ROII claim representative walked them through each step, explaining the ‘whys’ along the way. And there were a lot of ‘whys’ with this claim. Why do we need to offer a light-duty job to someone who quits and doesn’t have a legitimate injury? Besides being an ROII program requirement, offering a light-duty job is important because if an injured employee turns it down, they are not eligible for time loss. This is what happened in this case. The injured worker turned down the light-duty

help us. Someone to advocate for us,” said Amatto.

Claims are never a fun experience, but you can make the process more streamlined and efficient by utilizing the experts at ROII. We’ve been doing this since 1982, and we understand how things work where you work. We’ve got your back every step of the way.

If you’d like to learn more about how to utilize the many benefits of ROII, get started at ROII.com

I felt like they really got to know me. They got to know my case. I didn’t feel like just another number. It

like a friend helping a friend or a family member. They were on my side the entire time.

Amatto

Good hiring practices may expose red flags

by ROII Staff

Finding employees for the construction trades has become a real challenge, and worse yet, finding skilled employees. Everyone is frustrated with the labor shortage, but cutting corners on sound hiring practices can lead to an even worse situation than not hiring at all. Every year, ROII can trace a large percentage of claim costs back to poor hiring practices.

Unlike buying a used car from a dealer, employees do not come with a warranty. You take them as they are, and once you have signed on the dotted line, you’re now responsible for their injuries and workers’ comp claims, even “pre-existing” injuries. There are no guarantees when it comes to hiring, but there are steps in the hiring process that you can take to help minimize the odds of a difficult situation.

Work history

A complete work history can help in many ways and can also serve as a loss control tool for certain types of workers’ comp claims. Employers can use a detailed work history to help with certain injury claim situations. Work histories also expose gaps in employment. These gaps can sometimes be red flags, and determining what occurred during these gaps is crucial. This work history can also give you a chance to contact previous employers regarding past performance. Many millions of dollars could have been saved by employers had they just made one phone call to a previous employer.

Post job offer—pre-hire physicals and drug screens

Pre-hire physicals and drug screens can also serve as deterrents for those who may have pre-existing injuries or a predisposition to engage in drug activity in the workplace. Both can be a recipe for disaster and may even lead to the loss of another valued employee. Hiring people who are not physically fit to do the type of work task that you are asking them to perform may also lead to an expensive workers’ comp claim and the loss of an employee.

Background checks

Background checks are another good hiring practice that should be added to your hiring checklist. Consulting with an employment attorney is always a good idea, but background checks can be worth their weight in gold. Avoiding just one bad hire can pay for a background check many times over.

Drug and return-to-work policies

Drug and return-to-work policies presented during the hiring process can also help deter those who may wish to engage in drug activity or file a misrepresented workers’ comp claim. There are many company policies that can serve a wide range of situations and are very beneficial to your company.

Pre-work safety training and demonstration of skills

We often see a large percentage of injuries that occur in the first 30 days of employment. Making sure an

employee understands the company’s safety expectations and demonstrates knowledge of skills, whether running equipment and tools or setting up fall protection, is paramount before your new hire goes out onto the worksite. Obviously, no one likes to make hiring mistakes. A lot of time and money goes into finding the right employees for your workforce, so it’s a terrible waste to overlook red flags—no matter how appealing a candidate is on paper. But good hires can make all the difference when it comes to keeping claim costs down and productivity up.

If you’re interested in protecting your company and employees while earning outstanding refunds on your workers’ comp premiums, get started at ROII.com

Disclaimer: The information provided in this article does not, and is not intended to, convey or constitute legal advice. Instead, all information, content, and materials available to members are for general informational purposes only. The information presented in this article may not reflect the most up-to-date legal or other information. Members should contact a qualified attorney to obtain advice with respect to any particular issue or question. No member should act or refrain from acting on the basis of information in this article without first seeking legal advice from counsel in the relevant jurisdiction. Use of and access to the information herein does not create an attorneyclient relationship between BIAW and any individual member.

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Father-son team promotes pathways to energy efficiency

by Janelle Guthrie Communications Director

Skagit/Island County Builders Association Member Ted L. Clifton and his son, Ted W. Clifton, a member of the Building Industry Association of Whatcom County, have spent their careers building high-performance homes. Both recently won 2022 Housing Innovation Awards (HIA) from the US Department of Energy (DOE). The younger Clifton of TC Legend Homes

Saving energy, saving money

The highest honor builders can receive for building Zero Energy Ready Homes (ZERH), the Housing Innovation Awards recognize highperformance homes so energy efficient they can offset most or all the energy they need with a renewable energy system. This not only benefits the environment, but it also helps the homeowner save thousands over the life of a 30-year mortgage.

annually and up to $2,150 a year with solar photovoltaic panels. That translates to $86,600 over 30 years.

“It’s less expensive to build net zero over time,” Clifton said. “You can offset the added costs to build a netzero home with the energy savings over the life of the mortgage. And homebuyers will start seeing those savings on their first energy bill.”

TC Legend Homes’ award-winning

This Ted L. Clifton home in Oak Harbor is not only zero-energy, it also uses reclaimed water. Credit: Evergreen Landscape and Construction, LLC

appliances and advanced lighting technology for energy and water savings.

In its “Tour of Zero” overview, DOE quoted the new homeowners as saying, “A net-zero home is appealing because of the money factor, and environmentally, it’s a good thing, too.”

Anything worth doing must be done sustainably

The younger Clifton has been building to the DOE ZERH program criteria since 2015.

“I believe anything worth doing must be done sustainably,” he said. “It is our mission to build homes as sustainably as possible, and part of that is affordability. With rising energy costs, net zero energy homes are better positioned to help keep housing affordable.”

He believes using net zero energy as a benchmark makes building green much more affordable than building to the code minimum.

“Prescriptive building codes may be helpful to some builders,” he said. “But can also stifle innovation.”

Green building trailblazers

A designer and builder for more than 55 years with experience building in California, Alaska and Washington, Ted L. Clifton was a founding member and president of Built Green Washington.

With 14 Zero Energy Ready Homes recognized by the DOE, Clifton View Homes has won at least one Housing Innovation Award every year since 2013, except 2020. He built his first home at 21 and his first zero-energy

home around 2007. One of his most recent homes (pictured on page 16) is not only zero energy, it also uses reclaimed water to produce the homeowner’s food supply.

The younger Clifton started working for his father in 1989 and then started his own company in 2006. He built his first net zero-energy home in 2011. Designed by his father, that

an award-winning design firm, PowerHouse. Both offer a variety of plans to adapt to a wide array of housing needs and price points. The senior Clifton, who will be inducted into the BIAW Hall of Fame at the BIAW Summer Board Meeting in June, encourages builders to release their fears about green building and embrace electrification.

“What you feel about it doesn’t matter,” he said. “In fact, your feelings may just be getting in the way of your brain.

home, widely known as the “Ballard Net-Zero Home,” was Seattle’s first true Net-Zero-Energy home.

DOE credits TC Legends with 34 ZERH projects and award-winning projects showcased every year since 2013, including five honorable mentions in 2016.

A ready playbook

Ted L. Clifton has not only built his career around green building and energy efficiency, but he’s also been sharing his designs through his in-house design firm, Zero-Energy Plans, LLC, since 2006.

According to an interview with the Zero Energy Project, Clifton started Zero Energy Plans “to make the proven zero-energy home designs we had already drawn available to others to advance the concept of how homes should be built.”

His son, Ted W. Clifton, also has

“Electrification is happening because it makes such perfect sense, and ultimately will cost us all a lot less,” he said. “The sooner builders can do an about-face, and update the way they do things, the sooner they will experience the benefits I have been enjoying for the last 15+ years.”

With that said the senior Clifton supports a performance pathway over prescriptive mandates in the state building code.

“We need codes that work for every builder,” he said. “Let us do what we know how to do.”

Ted L. Clifton will be one of several codes experts teaching BIAW’s upcoming classes on the latest requirements approved by the State Building Code Council.

Ted Clifton of Clifton View (4th from left) homes joins winners of the 2022 Housing Innovation Awards at the HIA Ceremony last September in Scottsdale, AZ.

Safety solutions

by Jesse Balbin ROII Field Representative

When it comes to the latest and greatest safety tech, tools and products, I’ve got you covered. As your trusted tech specialist, my goal is always to find affordable and easy ways to prevent some of the most common injuries and accidents you see on your jobsites. ROII has more services than you can shake a 2x4 at. This is only one of the many unmatched services we offer to our participants. And now we’re offering it to all of you because safety isn’t a secret!

If you’d like to level up your safety game and earn an average refund of 39% on your workers’ comp premiums, get started at ROII.com. Do you have questions about any of the safety products? Contact me at (360) 352-7800 ext. 157 or jesseb@biaw.com

TorkStrap

You’ve probably experienced this scenario: You’re hauling a heavy load, and the ratchet straps shift and move around so much that you don’t feel like they’re holding up your cargo. If the straps come loose, you could have serious problems on your hands.

TorkStrap is an incredibly safe and reliable solution for cargo transport that is easy to use. With TorkStrap’s power band technology providing dynamic tension, you can drive knowing that your load is secure and that your cargo won’t come loose even if it shifts or sinks during transport.

LadderM8rix Professional

The Ladderm8rix Professional is the ultimate ladder safety accessory. It can be used on most exterior surfaces, including grass, oily concrete, tarmac, decking, snow and even solid ice. This is due to the unique pin base that helps it engage with the surface. The top of the Ladderm8rix Professional has a rubber grip with a shoulder to rest the ladder against.

Simple Strap Tie Down

Simple Strap is a great way to secure pretty much anything. It’s quick and easy! Just wrap it around what you want to secure (e.g. rebar, lumber, pipes) and keep wrapping it until it feels tight enough. Then cut off the excess with a utility knife or scissors, and your item will be ready for whatever adventure comes next.

ROII makes no claims, promises, or guarantees about the safety, effectiveness or utility of any product and expressly disclaims liability for errors in the use of any product displayed. You should carefully review the product manual and use it in strict accordance with the instructions provided. No warranty of any kind, implied, expressed, or statutory, including but not limited to the warranties of merchantability, fitness for a particular purpose or freedom from defect, is given with respect to any product displayed. Use the product at your own risk. Display of any product does not constitute endorsement, recommendation, or favoring by ROII.

Local Happenings

[1] The Central Washington Home & Garden Show hosted by the Central Washington Home Builders Association (CWHBA) took place March 10-12 in the Yakima SunDome at the State Fair Park in Yakima. CWHBA Executive Officer Lindsay Brown (l) and Events Director Shelly Parker pose for a picture during the event.

[2] At the Home Show, CWHBA set up a Workforce Way kids’ exhibit booth to help promote careers in the trades.

[3] The North Peninsula Building Association (NPBA) held its Building, Remodeling and Energy Expo Feb. 18-19 at Sequim High School in Sequim with good attendance. This year marks the first year the Expo has been held since 2019.

[4] The NPBA also successfully held its first-ever Block Building Challenge during the Expo! They hosted two separate builds with 20 kids ages 5-12 entered in each. The challenge was sponsored by NPBA members Anderson Homes, Titan Builders, Hines Homes and RJ Services.

[7] The Home Builders Association of Tri-Cities (HBATC) hosted the 2023 Regional Home & Garden Show Feb. 17-19 at the HAPO Center in Pasco. The event was a success, with approximately 6,500 people in attendance.

[8] The Kitsap Building Association (KBA) hosted The Great Outdoors Foundation Auction and Dinner on Feb. 25 at the Kitsap Golf and Country Club in Bremerton. Over 168 people were in attendance. The annual auction was the most successful auction fundraiser KBA has ever held! KBA Membership and Communications Director Mescha Manietta (r) poses with KBA member Kathleen Arndt of SERVPRO of Kitsap County.

[5] The Building Industry Association of Clark County (BIACC) and GRO broke ground for the 2023 GRO Parade of Homes in Felida. The groundbreaking event begins the journey to Southwest Washington’s longest-running and most well-attended home show scheduled for Sept. 8-24.

[6] NAHB Economist Danushka Nanayakkara provided an economic forecast during BIACC’s March dinner meeting on, which attracted over 120 attendees. Nanayakkara is pictured with BIACC Executive Director Bart Hansen.

Condition your workforce for safety

by Bob White ROII Safety Services Director

As the safety director for ROII, I have the opportunity to research more injury cases than many people. Even though our job at ROII deals with injury claims, it is heartbreaking for us when a severe injury or fatality occurs. Seeing life-changing injuries and their effects on families leaves us asking, “Why did this happen?” or “How could this have been avoided?” Sadly, the answer is all too often, no one thought to consider the element of safety.

Safety rules, regulations, training and PPE all have their place in the picture of safety. However, unless employees think to use this training, knowledge and equipment, they do not serve their purpose.

Many employers tell me:

“Even after our weekly safety meetings and other training we provide for our employees, they still forget to put on their safety glasses, hook into fall protection when they’re supposed to, wear their hard hats, or secure their ladder.”

Any seasoned L&I safety inspector will tell you, “the biggest reason we write employers so many safety citations is employees seem to get tunnel vision when they do a task. They are concentrating on their task, and they simply forget about safety.”

So, after years of researching injury claims, the million-dollar question began to stir within me.

As an employer, how do you cause an employee to consider the element of safety as an automaticsecond-nature response every time they perform a task?

Can an employee be conditioned to widen their ‘tunnel vision’ enough so that the element of safety comes to mind automatically? Can you blame employees for forgetting about safety when they haven’t been trained in a way that builds good safety habits? Safety has to become part of who you are in a way that changes your mindset when you look at a task.

I built ROII’s Help Minimize Risk: Condition Your Workforce for Safety class around this concept and decided to address many aspects to get at the root causes of why most accidents occur that the safety industry seldom talks about. It is a safety class like no other.

Upcoming classes:

April 26 | 1-5 pm

Online

June 20 | 1-5 pm

Online

To join this class, visit www.biaw.com/classes.

We will be scheduling summer and fall classes soon.

If you are an ROII participant and would like to receive my regular safety updates, including ideas for safety topics, please contact me at (360) 352-7800 ext. 109 or bobw@biaw.com

Not an ROII member? Learn more about ROII at roii.com

ROII Safety Director Bob White has served the members of BIAW since 1999. In 2011, he was appointed as safety services director for BIAW’s ROII program, helping participants work safer, avoiding costly workers’ compensation claims and expensive safety violations.

Previously, he handled all of the association’s logistics and oversaw the restoration, repair and remodel of the historic McCleary Mansion that served as BIAW’s headquarters until 2020. Before that, he worked as a professional driver in the timber industry for 13 years, hauling logs and heavy equipment throughout the Pacific Northwest.

Free to ROII participants

Excellence in Remodeling 2023

We invite you to submit your best remodeling project to this year’s competition.

Entries now open!

Each year, BIAW holds its annual Excellence in Remodeling (EIR) Award competition designed to recognize the state’s best remodeling and design work. The competition is open to all members of BIAW. Judging criteria includes aesthetics, special or unique design solutions, quality of work, appropriate building materials, budgetary consideration and challenges or obstacles the project’s design requirements face.

Last year, BIAW members from across the state submitted 57 entries in 25 different categories. Once submitted, projects are presented before a blind panel of industry experts from various fields of expertise.

Entry Deadline: April 21, 2023

Submit your entries online at Biaw.com/ excellence-in-remodeling-awards or scan the code to the left with your smartphone.

EIR Awards Reception

BIAW will host the 2023 EIR Awards Reception in conjunction with the BIAW Summer Board Meeting at The Centennial in Spokane on Monday, June 26, 2023, from 7-9 pm.

Questions?

If you have questions about submitting a project or the awards reception, please contact Education and Workforce Development Director Al Audette at ala@biaw.com or (360) 352-7800, ext. 105.

SCHOLARSHIP & GRANT 2023 OPPORTUNITIES

Since its inception, BIAW has awarded over $670,000 in scholarships and grants. We provide scholarships to students pursuing a career in the home building industry and grants to organizations with programs dedicated to educating tomorrow’s home builders.

DEADLINE: MAY 1, 2023