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When confronted with construction defects or other construction disputes in California, look no further than STONE LLP. Our firm specializes in representing community associations, homeowner associations, home owners, building owners, and property investors facing construction-related issues, including original defects, design defects, repair defects and contract disputes.
With a client base including community associations, apartment investors, commercial and industrial building owners, our firm, STONE LLP, stands as the the leading and most respected construction defect litigation law firm in California. Our lawyers bring decades of courtroom experience and construction expertise to the table, to handle the most complex construction defect claims with precision and efficiency.
At STONE LLP, we pride ourselves on our comprehensive understanding of our clients’ construction and legal issues and our ability to offer creative solutions to meet their legal needs. Every member of our team is dedicated to providing personalized attention and support to ensure that our clients’ cases receive the individualized care it deserves.
Backed by a fundamental knowledge of proper building practices and the causes of construction failures, our litigation practice has resulted in countless recoveries for our clients. From roof defects to soil settlement issues, we have successfully resolved a wide array of construction defect claims throughout California.
Our commitment to excellence drives us to deliver the highest quality, client-focused legal services. With extensive resources and a depth of expertise, we are equipped to handle even the largest and most complex construction disputes.
The decision to work with the California construction defect lawyers at STONE LLP results in the knowledge that our clients’ matters are handled with the utmost professionalism and dedication. Our attorneys are among the best, most experienced trial lawyers dedicated to resolving construction defect cases.
Whether through negotiation, litigation, or arbitration, STONE LLP is dedicated to achieving the best possible outcome for our clients. Contact us today to schedule a consultation and discover how STONE LLP can help you navigate your construction defect issues with confidence.
We resolve construction defects related to defective roofing, including but not limited to, water intrusion, inadequate slope drainage, tile cracking, improper flashing and improper sealing of vent and pipe penetrations.
We resolve disputes involving defective windows including improper window flashing, water intrusion, window manufacturing defects, glazing plasticizer migration and internal window film delamination.
We resolve disputes involving patio and deck defects, which often may involve issues such as defects involving water intrusion at deck edges, defects in in post base flashing, deck surface mold, deck underside mold and defective or unsafe deck railings.
We resolve disputes involving defective concrete slabs, defective concrete foundations, pavement cracking, deteriorating pavement, water intrusion from podiums above garages, earth movement defects, and soil settlement issues.
We handle disputes involving stucco crack defects, stucco rust-through defects, cracks at windows, disbanding of stone veneer and cracking of exterior siding due to improper installation or defective materials.
We handle disputes involving landscape and drainage defects include water trapped beneath membranes, defective drainage of planter beds, staining of drywall, cracks along streets, excessive cracking at interior tile flooring and water intrusion through windows or doors as a result of improper installation or faulty materials.
Under California law, construction work performed by both developers and contractors must meet certain criteria including state and local building codes, industry standards, product manufacturer specifications and, in California, the functionality standards embodied within Civil Code Section 895, et seq. known as the Right to Repair Act or SB 800.
In general, the building components of the project (i.e., roof, windows, siding, stucco, decks, trim, patios, walkways, landscaping, etc.) should meet the applicable standards and perform such that only normal maintenance is required and the components last long enough to perform during the period of their expected useful life. This allows the community to properly budget for regular maintenance and replacement of each component at the time they reach their expected useful life.
The useful life is the time period that a certain component is expected to last before needing to be replaced. For example, a shingle roof with an expected useful life of 15 years should not experience leaks and failure (if properly maintained) from the time it is installed until at least 15 years have elapsed from the date of installation. In order to set adequate reserve funds (money set aside for major building component replacement) the components must meet or exceed their expected life cycle. Otherwise, a community will find itself underfunded if a fifteen year roof fails and requires replacement eight years after installation as the reserve funding plan will not have considered replacement
If it is determined that construction defects exist, the first step in the process is to commence and complete any statutory non-adversarial pre-litigation dispute resolution procedures (i.e., SB 800 and/or Calderon).
Non-adversarial dispute resolution procedures may be contained within the project governing documents (i.e., CC&Rs) that are differ from the statutory procedures under SB 800 or Calderon.
Therefore, these provisions must be carefully analyzed by a construction defect attorney to ensure they are followed. The developer (and other potentially responsible parties) are then put on notice of the claims and will have an opportunity to investigate and offer to make repairs, or, offer monetary compensation under the applicable statutory scheme (provided the developer strictly complies with the mandated procedures).
If the matter does not resolve during the statutory dispute resolution process, a lawsuit would be filed in the appropriate court if arbitration is not required and/or if arbitration has been waived.
STONE LLP most often handles construction defect matters on a hybrid contingency fee basis. This means that our fee is based on a percentage of the recovery and if there is no recovery you are not responsible for our legal fees. Other times, our clients choose to pay our firm’s customary hourly rates.
We are always willing to inspect your property for construction defects and meet with the HOA board and/or homeowners at no charge to discuss the process and any other questions Call us today to discuss your construction defect matter.
STONE LLP represents construction defect clients from San Diego to the Oregon border. While we have offices throughout Southern California and the San Francisco Bay area, we also represent clients in the California Central Coast, San Joaquin Valley, Fresno, Bakersfield and everywhere in between. As a private pilot, Elliott Stone, the firm’s managing partner, can reach any California city in just a few hours or less by air.
To discuss construction defect claims related to water leaks, defective construction, soil erosion, mold, stucco rust, leaking windows or any other construction defect, call STONE LLP at our Irvine, California office at 949-477-9100.
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