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Construction Defect Investigation

When work is alleged to be defective, the questions are factual: what failed, why it failed, and whether the construction met the building code and the applicable standard of care. I investigate and document the answers.

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Dividers, pencil, and scale on rolled plans
How the work was actually built
Overview

Cause, code, and the standard of care.

A construction defect claim turns on whether the work was performed correctly. I investigate the condition at the assembly and component level, determine the cause of the defect, and assess whether the installation met the building code, the manufacturer requirements, and the standard of care for the trade.

Decades of general contracting inform the analysis. I know how the assembly is supposed to go together, where workmanship commonly fails, and how to separate a genuine defect from ordinary wear, deferred maintenance, or an unrelated cause.

The Investigation

Documented, code-referenced, and defensible.

01

Cause determination

Identifying what failed and why, at the assembly and component level, and ruling out unrelated causes.

02

Code and standard of care

Measuring the work against the building code, manufacturer installation requirements, and the standard of care for the trade.

03

Documented record

Contemporaneous photographs, field notes, and a clear written basis that supports the conclusion if the matter is challenged.

Supporting Document
Rule 702 & Methodology Statement
View PDF →
A defect claim is decided by how the work was actually built.
The operating principle
Who It Serves

Who this is for

Attorneys on either side of a defect matter, builders and subcontractors, associations and owners who need an independent determination of cause and workmanship.

Related

Adjacent engagements

Contact

Tell me about the matter.

Available for retained and neutral assignments nationwide. Send the relevant documents and I will tell you where the evidence stands.

Email mzomerlei@forensicbuildingconsultant.com
Emailmzomerlei@forensicbuildingconsultant.com
Based InHolland, Michigan