We represent property owners
We advocate exclusively for property owners, not insurance companies.
Owner-side construction and insurance law
The damage should be fixed. The responsible party should pay.
Owner-side construction defect and insurance recovery for serious property disputes where repair scope, proof, insurance, responsibility, and the money needed to fix the property are in dispute.
No fee unless we recover money for you.
Available on accepted matters.
Start with a structured review of the damage, documents, repair scope, insurance position, responsible parties, deadlines, and recovery economics.
Property owners only
No carrier-side work
Repair-scope focused
No fee unless recovery on accepted matters
Why property owners hire us
No carrier-side work
We do not perform work for insurance carriers or third parties.
No fee unless recovery
We only get paid if we recover money on accepted matters.
Construction & insurance focus
Our background in construction and insurance law helps us win complex cases.
Who We Help
We represent owners, not insurance or construction companies.
Choose the path that sounds closest. The legal category can be sorted out after the facts are reviewed.
Residential
Residential Owners
Serious home repair, construction defect, hidden-defect, inspection, and underpaid insurance disputes.
Start a Repair-Recovery Review
Commercial
Commercial Owners & Developers
Commercial property losses, underpaid claims, rent interruption, project delay, and repair-scope disputes.
Request a Commercial Review
HOA / CIC
Boards & Associations
Exterior defects, envelope failures, insurance disputes, and repair decisions affecting multiple owners or units.
Request Board Review
Attorneys / Advisors
Referral Counsel
A defined owner-side role for attorneys, fiduciaries, consultants, and advisors who need a focused property-loss review.
Request Referral-Safe Review
The Repair-Recovery Review
Start with the real repair problem.
Serious construction and insurance disputes usually become expensive because the early answer does not match the real repair picture. The Repair-Recovery Review is a structured first look at the facts, documents, repair scope, insurance position, responsible parties, deadlines, and economics so owners can understand whether a serious recovery effort makes sense.
1
Identify what happened
Understand the damage, when it appeared, who has been involved, what has been done so far, and what still needs to be fixed.
2
Review the proof
Look at estimates, reports, photos, policies, contracts, disclosures, claim letters, emails, repair proposals, and timelines for what they actually show.
3
Test the repair scope
Evaluate whether the proposed repair, insurance estimate, or contractor number appears to match the work actually required to fix the property correctly.
4
Map the recovery path
Identify potential insurance, builder, contractor, seller, inspector, design, warranty, or project-participant responsibility.
5
Check deadlines and leverage
Consider urgent timing issues, claim posture, document gaps, defenses, and whether delay may reduce recovery options.
6
Decide the next step
The next step may be representation, a narrower diagnostic review, an expert-supported demand, negotiation, litigation, referral, or a candid explanation that the matter is not a fit.
Do not let the wrong repair number become the baseline.
Start a Repair-Recovery ReviewSubmitting information does not create an attorney-client relationship. Accepted matters are handled under a written fee agreement.
What We Handle
We focus on the issues that drive value and recovery.
Construction Defects
Defective design, materials, workmanship, water intrusion, and failed repairs.
Insurance Recovery
Underpaid, delayed, denied, or wrongfully narrowed property insurance claims.
Hidden Defects
Latent or concealed defects discovered after closing or after construction.
Inspection Negligence
Inspection misses, reports, and failures to identify costly property defects.
Large Property Losses
Substantial residential and commercial losses where the recovery number matters.
Repair-Cost Disputes
Disagreements over scope, quality, repair sequence, pricing, and real cost.
Matter Fit
Not sure whether your issue fits?
A serious construction or insurance recovery matter usually has three parts: a real loss, a responsible party or coverage path, and evidence that connects the problem to the money needed to repair the property.
Start a Repair-Recovery ReviewA real loss
Repair cost, delay, lost rent, reduced value, business interruption, or an underpaid claim.
A recovery path
Builder, contractor, seller, inspector, insurer, consultant, or project participant.
Evidence
Photos, reports, estimates, contracts, claim letters, emails, timelines, or expert findings.
Why This Firm
Built to review the repair problem before fighting over the legal claim.
Former estimator and superintendent
Construction background
Practical construction experience helps evaluate repair scope, sequencing, access, pricing, workmanship, and whether the proposed fix actually addresses the problem.
Scope, value, and claim pressure
Insurance recovery focus
The firm is built around underpayment, delay, narrowed scope, coverage positions, claim documents, and the gap between the insurer's number and the real cost to restore the property.
No carrier-side work
Owner-side only
The firm represents property owners in these disputes, not insurers, builders, sellers, inspectors, or contractors against owners.
Accepted matters only
Recovery economics
Not every dispute should become litigation. The review considers whether the proof, amount at stake, timing, and likely recovery path justify deeper work.
Representative Matters
Serious disputes where recovery and accountability matter.
Representative results are examples only. Every matter depends on its own facts, evidence, timing, contracts, policies, parties, defenses, damages, and applicable law. Past results do not guarantee future outcomes.
Litigated commercial recovery
$3.6 million recovery for commercial apartment-building dispute
- Pressure on owner
- The owner faced construction-delay losses, excessive change-order pressure, water intrusion, construction defects, repair costs, and lost rents tied to the apartment building.
- What the firm evaluated
- The litigation strategy focused on proving the construction problems, repair-cost exposure, delay impacts, change-order issues, lost rents, and the financial consequences of the defective work.
- Why it mattered
- The matter resolved with a $3.6 million recovery after a $0 settlement offer.
Settlement during litigation
Full repair program secured for 12-unit condo exterior defects
- Pressure on owner
- The owner group faced exterior defects involving siding, windows, defective installation, and the need for a complete building-wide repair rather than isolated patch work.
- What the firm evaluated
- During litigation, the strategy focused on defect proof, full-scope repair needs, construction oversight, and a repair process that included an owner's representative paid for by the construction company.
- Why it mattered
- The settlement secured full, complete repairs for the 12-unit condo property, including a building-wide repair process and owner-side supervision of the work.
Commercial insurance recovery
$1.8 million recovery for Portland commercial strip-center water loss
- Pressure on owner
- A water loss created a substantial gap between the insurer's initial number and the actual cost to restore the commercial property.
- What the firm evaluated
- The matter was built around policy language, repair pricing, code upgrades, contractor evidence, restoration timing, and the loss-of-rent damages caused by the insurer's delay.
- Why it mattered
- The matter resolved for $1.8 million after the insurer offered $55,432.32, including code-upgrade and loss-of-rent components.
Strategic defendant selection
$540,000 recovery for homeowners after defective home inspection
- Pressure on owner
- The homeowners discovered serious foundation-related issues after purchase and initially understood the dispute as a potential seller-liability matter.
- What the firm evaluated
- The strategy evaluated the seller-liability path but focused the claim on the home inspector and the home inspector's insurance company because they presented the stronger recovery target.
- Why it mattered
- The matter resolved for $540,000 after the home inspector's insurance company initially offered $5,000.
FAQ
Questions property owners usually ask first.
Do I have to pay hourly legal fees?
For accepted matters, the firm generally works on a contingency basis. No fee unless money is recovered for you. The exact fee and cost arrangement is explained in a written fee agreement before representation begins.
What types of property disputes does the firm review?
The firm reviews serious construction defects, underpaid insurance claims, hidden defects, inspection problems, repair-scope disputes, commercial property losses, rent-loss issues, and related claim recovery matters.
What should I send first?
Start with the property location, who is involved, what went wrong, the rough amount at stake, and any important dates. You do not need a perfectly organized file to begin.
Does submitting the form create an attorney-client relationship?
No. Submitting a form or leaving a message does not create an attorney-client relationship. Please do not send privileged or highly sensitive documents unless requested.
Do you represent insurance companies?
No. In these disputes, Northwest Construction & Insurance Law represents property owners, not insurance companies.
Do you handle Oregon and Washington matters?
The firm is based in Portland, Oregon. Oregon matters are handled directly. Washington matters are handled with local Washington counsel where required or appropriate.
What if I am not sure whether the problem is construction, insurance, or hidden-defect related?
That is common. Start with the short version. The legal category can usually be sorted out after the firm reviews the repair problem, the parties involved, and the available documents.
Start Here
Start with the real repair problem.No fee unless we recover money for you.
Send the short version for a Repair-Recovery Review. Accepted matters are handled under a written fee agreement.