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March 2012
Building Insight
BIAW members talk politics in the state’s Capital
annual gathering
See Page 8
the MagaZine OF the BuilDing inDuStrY aSSOCiatiOn OF WaShingtOn
www.BIAW.com
MARCH 2012
Building Insight 8 BIAW Members Converge in Olympia BIAWSeniorOfficers(ltor):SecretaryBobKagy, PresidentKevinPatrick,andSecondVicePresident JimBlairmeetwithLt.GovernorBradOwen(left,center).
Who We Are The Building Industry Association of Wash-ington is the state’s largest trade association representingthousandsofcompaniesinthehomebuildingindustry.
On the Cover
Features
Insights
10 From Zero to Positive BIAWMemberTedCliftonleaderingreenbuilding 12 BIAW Member Named Philanthropist of Year Communityprojectstrikescharitablechord
13 MeetYour2012SeniorOfficers Leadership,experienceguidethisgroup 14 TributetoLocalAssociationPresident RickGross,NorthPeninsulaBuildingAssociation& SherrySchwab,CGR,CAPS,MBAofK/SCounties
4 President’sPerspective 2012BIAWPresidentKevinPatrick 5 Membership Growth Targeted 2012IncentivePlanRevealed
6 ExecutiveVicePresident’sViewpoint ExecutiveVicePresidentArtCastle
7 LegislatorsReconveneforSpecialSession Budgetnegotiationsandpro-housingbillsstillalive
15 Building Permit Update January2012permitnumbers
16 Don’t Miss Event(s) of the Year! MarkyourcalendarsforGolf,EIRAwards&SpikeParty
the MagaZine OF the BuilDing inDuStrY aSSOCiatiOn OF WaShingtOn
FEBRUARY 2012 • BuildingInsight 3
‘LIKe’ bIAW, enter for A chAnce to WIn A stArbucKs gIft cArd
We’dloveitifyouwouldscantheQRcodebelowwithyourphone’sQRreaderand‘like’BIAWonFacebook.Oneperson’snamewillbedrawntowina$25Starbucksgiftcard.
Don’thaveaQRreader?DownloadafreeQRcodereaderappatiTunes,Microsoftorsearch“QRreader”onyourmobiledevice.
President’s [email protected]
Insights
4 BuildingInsight • FEBRUARY 2012
inDuStrY SerViCe iS BiaW’S PriOritY
Membershipinvolvement resultsingreatdividends
”“Case studies and evidence sug-gest that members who take active roles in their local, state and nationwide associations man-age better in the tough times…
As we know all too well, many ofourmembersarestrugglingtostay afloat. Builders and associ-
ateshavehadtomakebigadjustments—somehavechangedtheirbusiness,adapt-ed to a changingmarket and some havethrowninthetowelaltogether.It’sinevi-table that the roller coaster of uncertain-tywe’vebeenridingwilleventuallyevenout,andIpredictthatthebusinesseswhosurvivethebumpswillbeoneswhohavetaken intentional action to preserve theirlivelihood.
BIAW is doing all that it can to helpyouweather the storm.Case studies andevidencesuggest thatmemberswho takeactive roles in their local, state and na-tionwideassociationsmanagebetterinthetough times—they have great networks,resources and reputations at their finger-tips.Evenbeingastaticmemberofyourlocalassociationwillreapsomebenefit—your local and BIAWwork tirelessly onyour behalf and their professional staffandateamofexpertsatalllevelsansweryourquestionsandprovideyouwithvalu-able tools tohelp runyourbusiness suc-cessfully.Takinganactiverole,however,willgarneryouandyourbusinessbenefitsthatfaroutweighthetimeandeffortyouexpend.
Theage-oldadage thatyou reapwhatyousowcertainly rings truewithour in-dustry. From the local to national level,therearemanywaysyoucantakeadvan-tage of yourmembership andworkwithBIAWfor thesuccessofbothyourbusi-nessandtheindustryasawhole.
Get involved, it providesa golden opportunity toexpand your network ofconnections—even your book
ofbusiness.BIAW’smembershipconsistsof spec builders, developers, custombuilders and remodelers but, themajorityof ourmembers are actually associates—subcontractors, lenders, agents, productand service providers and manufacturers.And, we’re all interested in one thing—the health and success of the home
buildingindustry—ourindustry.Volunteerat your local association and get yourcompany’snameout in frontof thepack.Your involvement at the local level couldeventually lead to involvement in BIAW.Ifyoudon’tknowwheretostart,callme.Don’thave timebuthavesomemoney inyourbudgetformarketing?Therearesomegreat opportunities to sponsor events andgetyournameinfrontofyourlocalmarket.(Seepage16formoreinfoonsponsorshipopportunities.)
Know what you don’t know. Staying viable in a rapidlychanging industry is tough.BIAW is here to help youfigure out what you need to
know so you can get back to the busi-ness of running your business. Whetherit’s code changes,managing stormwater,safetyprogramsorbusinessmanagementworkshops,BIAWoffersclassesyoucan’tget anywhere else. Also, BIAW is nowconductingaseriesofwebinarsforonlinebusinessmarketing.
Save some money. Programsat your local association,BIAW and NAHB are de-signed to save our membersmoneyandhavebecomesuc-
cessfulbecause theydo itverywell.Forexample, the BIAW Health Insurance program offers an affordable product byleveragingthepurchasingpoweroftheas-sociationtoofferyoulowerrates.AndBI-AW’sROII®Selectprogramis the largestand most successful retrospective ratingsprograminthestate,offeringexclusiveben-efits to members. These are just a couplemoney-savingbenefitstomembership.Visitthe BIAW website www.BIAW.com for moreandforlinkstolocalandnationalweb-sitesthatalsoprovidesavingsformembersonawidevarietyofproductsandservices.Forexample,NAHB’sMember Advantage Programpartnerswithnationalcompaniesto offer greatmember discounts. In fact, Ijust purchased a newChevy truck and re-ceiveda$500discountsimplybecauseI’maNAHBmember.
These three areas are themain reasonsanypersonjoinsanassociation:networkingandinvolvement;industry-specificinforma-tion and education; products and servicesthatsaveyoumoney.Butthereareasmanyreasons to get involved and stay involvedastherearemembers:whetheryouwanttofightexcessiveregulation,supporttheelec-tionofpro-housingcandidates(atopicthat’snearanddear tome),educateelectedoffi-cialsonbuildingindustryissues,ortheop-portunity tomakeadifferenceandpartici-pate in community service projects, yourmembershipoffersallthatandmore.
Iencourageyou to seekeveryopportu-nity to strengthen and build your businessbytakingadvantageofandusingyourlocal,stateandnationalmembershipstothefull-est.Getinvolved—notlaterwhentimesarebetterbutnow,during theworsteconomicdownturnmostofushaveeverseen.Whobettertohelpyounavigatethepotholesthanover8,300fellowBIAWmembersandstaffdedicatedtohelpingyourbusinesssurvive.Remember,we’re inbusiness tohelpyourbusiness.
#1
#2
#3
mARch 2012 • BuildingInsight 5
Insights
BeneFitS OF MeMBerShiP
BIAWisdedicatedto membershipvalueandgrowth
Thisjustmightbetheyearmember-ship starts making some gains af-ter48monthsofnegativenumbers.
Despite thedeterminedeffortsof the2011Top Spike Recruiters (see photo), the lastpositive month on BIAW’s MembershipSummary(statewidewegainedmoremem-bersthanwelost)wasJanuary2008.Itwasalsojustaboutthetimethe‘greatrecession’hitWashingtonstate.
TheNationalAsso-ciationofHomeBuild-ers(NAHB)ended2011with just over 160,000members, a drop of38 percent since theirpeakof256,142inMay2007.NAHBalsonotesthatdeclinehasslowedsignificantly over thepast fewmonths and asubstantial portion ofnew members are ac-tually returning mem-bers. BIAW’s mem-bership peak occurredin November 2007 at13,603 member com-panies andexperiencedasimilarsteadydeclineof 37 percent over thepast four years. Thisyear began with someminor dips, but despitethe losses, BIAW con-tinues to hold the #3membership positionwith NAHB. Certainly
the lagging economy and seemingly never-ending recession have taken their toll, butBIAWmembershavehadenough.
MembershipRecaptureBIAW started 2012 by pumping some
positiveenergyintomembership,beginningwithamembershiprecapturecampaign.InJanuary,NAHBsentletterstonearly3,700lapsedformerBIAWmembers,urgingthem
toreconsidermembership.Twoweekslater,BIAWsentafollow-uppostcardextendingthesameinvitationanddescribingthegreatvalueandbenefitsofmembership.ManyofBIAW’s local associations acknowledgedthiscampaigncouldreceiveaconsiderableboostbyathirdcontactdirectlyfromthelo-calassociationsandsotheysenttheirownmailinginearlyFebruary.Inothermarkets,NAHB reports the program has returnednearly5percent tomembershipandwe’rehopeful theextraeffortsofBIAWandourlocalassociationswillberewardedwithanevenhigherreturn.
2012 Membership CampaignBIAW’sExecutiveCommitteeapproved
the 2012 MembershipCampaign which adds$25tothe$75approvedbyNAHBforeverynetnew builder and asso-ciatememberatyear’send. This creates a$100 rebate ($25 fromBIAW and $75 fromNAHB) for each netnewmemberalocalas-sociationachievesdur-ing2012.BothNAHBandBIAWrebateswillbebasedonlocalasso-ciation 2011 year endmembership numbers(as the baseline) ver-sus 2012 membershipnumbers as shown onthe monthly NAHBMembership Summa-ry.AllWashington lo-cal associations thatachieve a net increasefortheyearwillreceivetherebate.
bIAW top recruiters were honored during the bIAW Winter board Meeting last month and presented with plaques by (from l to r) bIAW secretary and Membership chair bob Kagy, A. J. gomez, bIA of clark county; Mike Kin-naman, bIA of clark county; Patrick hayes, skagit/Island counties build-ers Association; ryan Zygar, bIA of clark county; Keegan harris, central Washington hbA; sherry schwab, accepting awards for bob smith, beth Madden and cathy Waidleich, MbA of King & snohomish counties; and, charlie brown, MbA of King & snohomish counties. collectively, these nine top recruiters signed up 224 new bIAW members and hold a com-bined—drum roll please—4,227 spike credits. (spike credits are earned for both new and renewal memberships.) Awesome work and congratulations!
executive Vice President’s ViewpointArtCastleInsights
MarKet-BaSeD SOlutiOnS
Voluntary,environmentally-friendlysolutionswork
6 BuildingInsight • FEBRUARY 2012
“”
The idea of providing builders and remodelers a voluntary market-based program that provides real environmental
benefits to the home, community and homeowner has proved both popular and highly successful.
Washington State builders as-sociations have been nationalleaders in market-based envi-
ronmentally-friendly building since themid-1990s. The Home Builders Associa-tion of Kitsap County’s “Build A BetterKitsap” (now named Built Green®) wasdeveloped during 1995-’96 and launchedin 1997. It provided a showcase programandprovedthatmarket-basedenvironmen-tal solutions really work. It was the firstgreenbuildingprograminthestateandthesecondbuilderprograminthecountry.
Built Green® programs have grownaroundthestate,andtherearenow11lo-calbuildersassociationsthatsponsortheirown program: CentralWashington HBA,Jefferson County HBA, HBA of KitsapCounty, North Peninsula BA, OlympiaMaster Builders, Skagit/Island CountiesBA,MasterBuildersofKing&SnohomishCounties,MasterBuildersofPierceCoun-ty, SpokaneHBA,HBAofTri-Cities andBIA of Whatcom County. Thousands ofnewhomesandremodelprojectsareBuiltGreen®projects—alloverWashington!
Several years ago, the local associa-tions’ programs got together and createdBuilt Green®Washington. Built Green®Washington works to support the localBuiltGreen®programsandprovideeduca-tionandcoordination.Theirprojectshaveincluded environmentally-friendly con-struction training for appraisers and realestateprofessionals,andtheyareworkingon a unified checklist for the entire state.It also provides a resource for consumerstohelpfindenvironmentally-friendlypro-
gramsand industryprofessionals for theirprojects.
The idea of providing builders and re-modelers a voluntary market-based pro-gram that provides real environmentalbenefitstothehome,communityandhom-eownerhasprovedbothpopularandhigh-lysuccessful.Offeringoptionsthatincludeenhanced energy efficiency, improved in-door air quality, more durability, as wellas reducingwaste and toxicmaterial, has
proved to be a hit with the industry andconsumersalike.Avisittoanyhomeshowor similar event will showcase builders,remodelers, sub-contractors and suppli-erswho provide environmentally-friendlyproductsandservices.
ManyofBIAW’slocalassociations’pro-gramshavewonstateandnationalawards,anditisnotsurprisingtoseemanybuildersandremodelersrecognizedfortheirprofes-sionaleffortsaswell.It’sanhonortorec-ognize these builders in Building Insight fortheirwork(seepage10),andforprov-ingeachandeveryday thatmarket-basedenvironmentalsolutionswork.
“Survey Says”The National Association of Home
Buildersrecentlycompletedacomprehen-sivestudyofnewdatafromtheU.S.Cen-sus Bureau’s 2010American CommunitySurvey that provides helpful informationon individual metropolitan areas acrossthecountryandranksthemaccordingtoanumberofimportantmeasures.
Isn’t it interestingthe#1and#3metroareaswithhighesthomeownerincomesarethe southern Maryland and northern Vir-giniasuburbsofWashingtonD.C.?Itmustbe something about those federal govern-mentjobs.
Here We Go Again…AsYogi Berra once said, “It must be
déjàvualloveragain.”KnollLowney,thetrialattorneywhosuedBIAWformillionsofdollarsbutreceivednothinginthecourtdecision(Resoursessuit),isasitagain.
BIAW received a summons in Januarynotifying Lowney had filed another law-suit(nownamedPeak Enterprises)againstBIAW.Thelawsuitisnearlyidenticaltothefirstexceptitnowreferstotheyears1997-2004.BIAWstronglydisagreeswithboththepremiseandallegations.
InearlyMarch,companiesthathadpar-ticipatedintheBIAWReturnOnIndustrialInsurance (ROII) programbetween 1997-2004were sent amisleadingmailer fromLowneythatinferredtheywerebeingsued,butitwasactuallyaphotocopyofthesum-monsBIAWreceivedinJanuary.
BIAW successfully defended the firstlawsuitandwelookforwardtoachievingasimilarresultthistimeaswell.
1. Bethesda-Rockville-Frederick, MD ...$110,613
2. San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA ..$108,643
3. WA DC-Arlington-Alexandria, VA/MD ...$107,278
4. SF-San Mateo-Redwood City, CA ...$106,887
5. Nassau-Suffolk, NY .........................$99,243
Metro Areas with HighestHomeownerIncomes
mARch 2012 • BuildingInsight 7
legiSlatiVe uPDate
LawmakersinabilitytopassbudgetstymiesBIAWpriorities
The legislature, seemingly unable to complete a budget, once againshowedtheirinabilitytogetWash-
ingtonbacktowork.Continuingtoignorethemassivebudgetdeficitforthemajorityof the60-dayregularsessionandpushingissuessuchasgaymarriageandmandatedabortioncoverage,legislatorsforcedthem-selvesintoanotherspecialsession.
LegislatureAvoidsToughDecisionsTheGovernor convenedanother spe-
cial session to finish the supplementalbudgetandclosethe$1billiondeficit.Onthe final day of the regular session, leg-islativeDemocratsreleasedabudgetpro-posalandpasseditintheHouse,yetfailedtoattractthevotesneededtopassitintheSenate.ThreeSenateDemocratsremainedjoinedwithminoritySenateRepublicansin opposing theDemocrats’ budget plan.AftertakingovertheSenatetopassaGOPspendingplanandthenblockingtheDem-ocrats’ budget proposal, Senate Republi-cansaredemonstratingwhytheyneedtobeincludedinbudgetnegotiations.
In the final hours of the regular ses-sion,thelegislaturepassedasupplementaltransportationplan,aseriesofstatetrans-portation-related fee increases and localfundingoptionsforstateandlocalgovern-ment, and several budget-related policybills. Themost controversial budget andpolicybills, however, still remainon thetable during the special session—includ-ingreformofK-12educationemployees’health care insurance, natural resourcespermittingreform,acapitalconstruction-
relatedjobsproposal,etc.
Some Hits, Some MissesDuringtheregularsession,BIAWsup-
portedandsawthepassageofaplatexten-sionclarificationbill.EngrossedSubstituteHouseBill(ESHB)2152clarifiesfiveandseven-year time limits and establishes anine-yeartimelimitforprojectsnotsubjectto the Shoreline ManagementAct withincitylimits.
Lawmakerspassed legislation thatwillcontinue to burden the building industry,citizens and businesses across Washing-ton. ESHB 1398, which exempts low-in-come housing from impact fees up to 80percent, will simply pass along the costto others. ESHB 2319, which establisheshealth insurance exchanges required bythe FederalAffordable CareAct (Obam-acare), was passed and as usual, Wash-ington’s legislators thought it necessaryto go over and above federal require-ments. The poorly written bill could af-fect BIAW’s association health plan andallotherhealthinsuranceprograms.ESHB2499,whichrequiresballotmeasurecam-paignadvertisingtoincludeatopfivedo-nor list, is just another method to makeballot campaigns more difficult and willhandicap non-labor supported campaigns. BIAW successfully fought and blocked anumberofdamagingbills,someofwhichinclude: House Bill (HB) 2205, a voter-fraudbillthatwouldallow16-year-oldstoregister tovote;HB1313andSenateBill(SB)5225,bills thatwouldhave licensedpoorly-trainedsoilscienceandwetlandpro-
fessionals;SB6476,whichwouldrequireanybusinessorpersonofferinganytypeofplumbingtoberegisteredasaplumberandemployafull-timeplumber;twobillsmir-roringSeattle’smandatory sick leave lawtobringitstatewide;andSB6369,whichsought to codify the “precautionary prin-ciple.” (Theprecautionaryprinciplestatesthatevenifharmisnotknown,regulatoryactionshouldbetakenevenifthere’sonlyapotentialpossibilityofpublicharm.)
It’s Not Over…yetAsanother special sessionbegins, two
goodbillsmaystillbeonthetableforne-gotiation purposes in the budgeting pro-cess.Thefirst,SB6312, seeks to solve awater-access problem in the Skagit Riv-erBasinby allowingexemptwells in theclosedbasintowithdraw350gallonsadayinsteadofthenormal5,000gallons.Sena-torMaryMargaretHaugen(D-CamanoIs-land)hasbeenanadvocateforherconstit-uents and Representative Bruce Chandler(R-Granger) provided amendments thatprovideprotectionforallexemptwellus-ersandallotherstakeholders.
Anotherbillthathasstatewideimplica-tionsisSB6406,whichattemptstoreformnatural resources permits including SEPAandstormwater regulations.SB6406willmake a comeback in the special session.BIAW continues to work with legislatorsto implement stormwater delay statewidebysupportinganamendmentthatrequiresnew stormwater permit use be voluntary,andastatewideoneyearpermitextension,promotes an incentive-based approach tolowimpactdevelopmentandkeepsthelo-cal option to exempt projects under oneacre.
BIAWwillcontinuetoworkinthespe-cial session—pursuing regulatory reformand blocking damaging legislation—andrepresentourindustrywithvigilance.
Insights
8 BuildingInsight • mARch 2012
Attorney general candidate and King county
councilman reagan dunn with bIAW President
Kevin Patrick.
bIAW first Vice President Audrey borders, Ag candidate reagan
dunn with MbA members Lynn eshleman and sherry schwab.representative Kevin Parker (r-spokane), spokane hbA member bob Wright and
representative Joe schmick (r-colfax).
spokane hbA President Phil foyler, olympia Master builder members daimon
doyle and John McKinlay with representative Jan Angel (r-Port orchard).
hbA of tri-cities staff and members with representatives Larry haler (r-richland),
fourth from left, and terry nealey (r-dayton), third from right.representative barbara bailey (r-oak harbor)
with sIcbA member gary Wray.
Cover Story The BIAW annual Legislative Reception was a highlight of theWinterBoardofDirectorsMeeting
heldattheRedLionHotelinOlympialastmonth.Statewideelectedofficialsandover75lawmakersattendedtheeveningevent.Allcaptionsarelefttoright.
representative derek stanford (d-bothell) with MbA staffer scott
hildebrand and bIAW Immediate Past President Patrick Mcbride.
AnnualLegislativeReception
mARch 2012 • BuildingInsight 9
bIAW’s Associate Advisory council solicits nominations from local associations for outstanding builder
members who have given back to the building industry and their local community. builder Appreciation
award plaques were presented during the bIAW board meeting by bIAW secretary bob Kagy (far left)
and bIAW second Vice President Jim blair (far right). honorees included: (l to r) charlie hudson, bIA
of Whatcom county (accepted by david Verret); James hall, sIcbA; corey condron, spokane hbA
(accepted by Phil folyer); scott nolan, olympia Master builders; scott schwagler, north Peninsula bA;
Lynn eshleman, MbA of King & snohomish counties; Wayne Keffer, hbA of Kitsap county; Matt Willard,
central Washington hbA; Mike Kinnaman, bIA of clark county; Al Ketelsen, hbA of tri cities (accepted
by renee dahlgren); and rick hjelm, MbA of Pierce county.
BIAWBuilderAppreciationAwards
Among the more pleasant duties for bIAW education committee chair Linda Mosier-Vaudt, cgA (far left) during the bIAW board of directors meeting last
month in olympia, was the distribution of checks to bIAW’s local association education partners. bIAW’s partnership with local associations is not only an
easy and efficient method to offer members a variety and abundance of classes statewide but also includes non-dues revenue sharing. even during these
tough economic times, bIAW distributed over $11,0000 to nine local associations for successful classes held during 2011. bIAW has distributed $123,915
to local association education partners over the past five years (2007-’11).
Attendees at the bIAW workshop
Speaking Smartly, were all smiles as
class instructor dave Porter presented
tips on improving presentation skills,
controlling nervousness, body lan-
guage and how to hold an audience’s
attention. class participants learned
helpful hints on how to face your fears
by concentrating on the “4-P Approach:
Prepare, Practice, Present and Perfect.”
Porter’s top three hints for becoming a
good speaker: “know when to stand up,
when to speak up and when to shut up.”
Washington State Republican party ChairKirbyWilburspoketoBIAW
members during theWinterBoard ofDi-rectorsMembershipLuncheon lastmonthattheRedLionHotelinOlympia.
Wilbur addressed members about thequagmireinOlympia,thedestructivebur-denofexcessiveregulationandtheimpor-tanceofWashington’supcomingelection.
Wilbur, a former real estate appraiserand long-time local radio talk show host,sharedhiswealthofknowledgeandexpe-rience.
BIAWWorkshopABigHit
EducationPartnersShareNon-DuesRevenue
WAStateGOPChairHeadlines
Luncheon
10 BuildingInsight • mARch 2012
SeCOnD in a green SerieS
Positiveenergyhomes:awin-winforbuildersandhomebuyers
Features
this energy efficient 1,915 sq. foot, custom-built home in seattle’s ballard
neighborhood features solar panels, rain barrels and reclaimed building ma-
terials. the homeowners paid $220,000 to build the home and will receive a
$9,000 tax credit.See POSITIVE ENERGYonpage11
Ted L. Clifton is unassuming. He’s usuallycasual,sportsawoodsman-likebeardandhasaquietpresence.
Heis,however,agiantinthegreenbuild-ingindustry.
Lastmonth’sBuilding Insighthighlight-edsomeexcitingnet-zerobuildingprojectsby BIAW members, but this month willtranscendintothe“positiveenergyhome,”an industry inwhichCliftonhas receivedmuch national acclaim. Just recently, hewon two Energy Value Housing Awardsto add to his collection—one for his de-sign firm Zero-Energy Plans and one forhis construction company, Clifton ViewHomes,Inc.
“TheEVHAawardsareaninspirationtokeepimprovingmygameandtakehomeefficiencytoanewlevel,”Cliftonsaid.
Thatnewlevelseemstobethepositiveenergy home market, which Clifton hascertainly capitalized on. The goal is thateach home has the ability to power itself(net-zero)andanelectriccar.Somehom-eownersmightevensellanenergysurplusbacktothegrid.
One of Clifton’s award-winning de-signs,builtinCentralOregon,sustainedit-self after a full year of operationwith anenergysurplus—enoughtopoweranelec-triccarmorethan9,500miles.Herecentlyfinished a home onWhidbey Island, nearhisoffice,thatisalmostasefficientastheOregonhome.
Clifton recently trademarked his Posi-tiveNRG™brandandisworkingtomakehisplansbroadlyavailable—not justgeo-graphically, but financially as well. “My
bigger goal is thateventually every-body’s house is atleast net zero,” hesaid.
OneofClifton’slatest projects,completedlastOc-tober, has becomethe first positiveenergyhomeinSe-attleandcostaboutasmuchasatown-home in the samearea built to stan-dard code. Own-ers Eric Thomp-son andAlexandraSalmon, young
newlyweds,wantedtocreateanenergyef-ficientcustom-builthomeonatightbudget.Theypurchasedaplotof landinSeattle’sBallard neighborhood, enlisted Clifton’sdesignandhisson,Ted.W.Clifton,whosecompany—TC Legend Homes—actuallydid the construction. Construction on the1,915-square-fooot home cost $220,000,andthehomeownerswillreceivea$9,000taxrebateforthefirstyearand$1,000en-ergyincentiveforeachsubsequentyearfornine years.Those rebates, combinedwiththe energy savings,will, over time, bringinaprofit.
The home features solar panels, rainbarrels, reclaimed building materials andisdesignedtopoweritselfandanelectriccar, just likeClifton’sOregon home.Thehouseusestwo-waypowerlines,whichac-tuallyfeedpowerbackintothegridduring
clifton’s zero-energy home mantra: “Make it easy,
and it will work.”
mARch 2012 • BuildingInsight 11
For more on Green Energy visit:
www.zero-energyplans.comwww.TCLegendHomes.com
www.BuiltGreenWashington.org
(left) roof-top solar panels soak up
the energy of the sun-drenched cli-
mate of central oregon. (above) natu-
ral outdoor light floods the open-con-
cept kitchen, highlighting the natural
wood counter tops, energy star ap-
pliances, low Voc paint, and energy
efficient lighting. (right) A bookcase is
incorporated into the main stairwell—
taking advantage of an unconvention-
al space.
POSITIVE ENERGYfrompage10
thesummer.AkeygoalforCliftondesignsistocre-
ate a “no-brainer house.” Designing andbuilding the homes to be livable—thesamewayapersonwouldliveinanyotherhouse—iswhatCliftonbelieveswillbringnet-zeroandPositiveNRGintothemain-streammarket.
“It has to be easy to build—easy tolivein,”hesaid.“Makeiteasy,anditwillwork.”
The winner of two National GreenBuilding Awards for Concept/Research(2009 and 2011), A Builder’s ChallengeAward and seven Energy Value HousingAwards, includingRemodeler of theYearin2011,CliftonalsoservesasPresidentofBuiltGreen®WashingtonandasChairoftheSkagit/IslandCountiesBuildingAsso-ciationBuiltGreen®program.Cliftonhasalsoreceivedthemostadvancedcertifica-tions in green building education, and hesayshespendsnearlyhalfhis timeteach-ingothersabouttheindustry.HehasearnedtwoNationalAssociationofHomeBuild-ers(NAHB)designationstoteach—GreenBuilding for Building Professionals andBuilding Codes and Standards. He’s alsoreceived designations inAdvancedGreenBuildingScience,AdvancedGreenBuild-ingProjectManagement(oneofonlysev-
en nationwide) and is one of 10 nation-widewhohasreceivedhisMasterCertifiedGreenProfessionaldesignation.
“I want to be one of green building’sleaders nationwide,” Clifton said. “It’s atrainyoudon’twanttogetoff.”
That’ssmart,becausethetrainismov-ing fast—despite the current recession.Clifton’sPositiveNRG™planshaveonlybeenofficially advertisedonhisWeb siteforaboutfivemonthsandhe’ssoldplansto
buildersinUtahandTexasaswellassignedontobuildasecondPositiveNRG™homeonWhidbeyIsland.“It’s fortunateweex-panded into this market,” Clifton said.“Ourincomestreamhasbeenprettyeven,eventhoughwe’rebuildingathirdofwhatwewere[beforetherecession].”
And,since75percentofcurrentAmeri-canhomeswerebuiltbetweenWWIIandthe 1970s, there’s high demand for retro-fitting existing structures to be more en-ergyefficient. In fact,Clifton is currentlyworking on a deep energy retrofit inDes
Moines,WA,withdataandresearchbeingmonitoredbyNAHB’sResearchCenter.
“Preliminary data suggests we can re-ducethehome’sheatingandcoolingby91percent,” Clifton said of the DesMoinesproject.“It’sgreattoworkwithclientswhoarewillingtoexpandtheenvelope—own-ersinterestedinexpandingscience.
Cliftonhasbeenexpandingscienceforover30years.Heanticipatedlongagothedemand forenergy-efficient living.Amer-icans typically spend the sameamountofenergypoweringtheircarsastheydotheirhomes, and this accounts for nearly 40percent of the country’s energy use.Clif-ton’s mission to provide affordable, liv-able,beautifulnetzeroandpositiveener-gyhomestoabroadermarkethasreceivedacclaimandhasturnedhimintoabitofagreenbuildingrockstar.
“What’snot to loveaboutwhat Ido—about helping the world go in a new di-rection, with an emphasis on cost effec-tiveness,” Clifton said. “It might haveeverything to do with Global Warming,butitdoesn’thavetobecauseit’scostef-fective.Weareprovingthatitworks,evenwithouttaxcredits.”
12 BuildingInsight • mARch 2012
giVing BaCK
BIAWmembershonoredfortheirservicespirit
BIAW members are skilled. Their experienceandskillcoversamul-titudeoftrades,anditseemsthere
isstoryafterstoryoftheirgenerosity—giv-ingtheirtimeandtalenttoservepeopleandmeetneedsintheircommunities.Recently,BIAWmemberJimHallreceivedtheStan-wood-Camano AreaFoundation Philanthro-pist(SCAF)oftheYearaward on behalf of theCamanoIslandBuildersAssociation (CIBA), achapteroftheSkagit/Is-land Counties BuildersAssociation (SICBA)onFebruary24that theseventh annual SCAFAwardsbreakfast.
Hall, President ofCIBA,spearheadedtwolarge-scaleprojects thatwere honored by SCAF, rallying mem-bersfromCIBAandSICBAtodonatetheirtime,moneyandtalent.
Hall said he was looking for projectsthatwouldenablehimandCIBA,achapterofSICBAthatisonlytwoyearsold,togivebacktothecommunity.CIBA’sfirstserviceprojectwasthe10,000square-footRotaryAdventure Playground,which sits atTer-ry’sCorneronCamanoIsland.
Hallwasoneof12teamleadersforthePlayground project, but givesmost credittoBIAWmemberBarryVanSickle,ownerofVanSickleConstruction,whowaspres-identofCIBAat the timeandCaptainofthePlaygroundproject.The12teamlead-
ers,alongwithahandfulofvolunteers,fin-ished theplayground in10days,workingfull-time,10hourseachday.Hall’slargesttaskwastolaythebarkover10,000squarefeet,onefootdeep.Hecreatedanassemblyline ofwheelbarrows and directed a slewofvolunteerstolayandspreadthebarkin
recordtime.“You can’t even
imagine the mountainofbark—itwasabeau-tiful thing to watch,”Hall said. “People hadso much fun workingonthatpark.Andnow,anytime you drive bythere are always fouror five families—rainorshine—andkidsrun-ningallover.”
The Playground’ssuccesstuggedatHall’s
spirit,andhesetouttofindanotherneedinthecommunity.HemetTracyUlrich,nowexecutivedirectorofSCAF,whoisknownin the localcommunityas“theChristmasLady.”The title is apropos; asUlrichhascoordinatedrotatinglocationseachChrist-masforthepasttwelveyearswhereneedyfamiliescanpickupdonatedtoys,clothesandnecessitiesfortheirchildren.ThispastChristmas, Ulrich coordinated with herchurch,Our SaviorLutheran, to donate adilapidatedhouse on the church’s proper-ty so her project could have a permanentChristmasHouse.
That’s where Hall and the CIBA/SIC-BAChristmaselvessteppedin.Hallcoor-
dinated a teamof workerswho complete-ly refurbishedthe house, in-side and out,in a mere fiveweeks.
“At times itwas around theclock,” Hallsaid. “The big-gesthurdlewaswalking intothe house forthe first timeand wonderingif it was evendoable.”
Localbusinessesdonatedallthemateri-alsandvolunteerscameoutof thewood-work—bothbuildersandnon-builders.Thenumberofpeoplewhogavetheirtimeandenergy was overwhelming, according toHall.“Theprojectjustexploded,”hesaid.
Hall said that the anecdotal stories hewitnessedthroughouttheprojectwerewhatreallybroughtthemagnitudeoftheirefforthome.Hementionedawomanwhovolun-teeredtocleanaftertheconstructioncrews,andwasonherhandsandkneesthankinghim for letting her help. It turns out theChristmasHouse saved her own family’sChristmassomeyearsearlierwhenshehadfallenondesperatetimes.Shewasmovedtotearsfortheopportunitytogiveback.
The Christmas House has a perma-nent full-time home now and is availablebyappointment.Ulrichopensituptopro-videback-to-schoolneeds,promdressestoneedyhighschoolgirls,amongother ser-vices.
“Whatthebuildingassociationandvol-unteershavedone isnothing shortofmi-raculous,”Ulrichsaid.
Hall estimates thatCIBA/BIAWmem-bers’ joint effort amounted to $75,000 inmaterial,timeandlaboroverthefive-weekoverhaul.
Althoughit’snotset instone,Hallhashiseyessetonfindingapermanenthomeforawomen’sclinicthatturnsawaywom-eneachweekbecausetheycan’thandlethedemandintheircurrentspace.
“I feel like organizations like buildingassociations have a tremendous amount ofskillsavailableandwealldependonallofthedifferentpeopleandservicesinourcom-munity,”Hall said. “Wecan lookatdoinglargerprojectswithourskillsandtalent.”
bIAW members offered their time, talent and re-
sources to the christmas house project.
bIAW members’ effort amounted to
$75,000 in time, labor and material.
Features
mARch 2012 • BuildingInsight 13
Features
eXeMPlarY COMMitMent
SeniorOfficersleadBIAWwithexperience,skillandservice
CurrentBIAW President Kev-in PatrickownsPatrickCon-structionandB&KRoofing.Kevin’s32yearsofexperienceincarpentryandasageneralcontractorhavebeenanassettoBIAWsince2005,whenhe
joinedtheExecutiveCommittee.Beforethat,PatrickwasveryactiveintheCentralWash-ingtonHomeBuildersAssociation(CWHBA),servingaspresident,ontheBoardofDirectorsandonvariouscommitteessince2000.HewasnamedCWHBAandBIAWRemodeleroftheYearin2009andisaLifeSpikewith150Spikecredits.PartofPatrick’smissionin2012istoincreaseBIAW’smembershipvalueandretentionrateandrecruitnewmembers.PatrickalsoplanstoworkwithBIAWstafftodevelopandimplementsourcesofnon-duesrevenueforBIAWanditslocalassociations.Patrickandhiswife,Becca,liveinNachesandspendpartoftheyearinHawaii.Patrickhasfourdaugh-tersandone—almosttwo—grandkids.
Audrey Borders’sbackgroundbringsalottoBIAW’stable.Borders,currentlyservingasBIAW First Vice President,joinedtheindus-tryin1976.Priortothat,shewasworkingasa
nursewhensheandherhus-banddecidedtostartaroofingcompany.Whenhepassedawayin1992,Borderswentontomanagethebusinessandleavehermark.BordersrosetoleadershipastheBuilding
IndustryAssociationofWhatcomCounty’s(BIAWC)firstandonlywomanpresidentandservedtwoterms.ShehasbeenanactivememberofBIAWC’sExecutiveCommittee,BoardofDirectorsandhasservedonvariouscommittees.ShewasawardedBIAWCBuilder
oftheYearin1999and2005andisathree-timenomineeforBIAWBuilderoftheYear.OneofBorders’sproudestaccomplishmentsisfoundingWhatcomCounty’sConstructionCareersAcademy,aprogramforhighschoolersthatoffersapaidinternshipanddevelopsyouthinterestandskillintheconstructiontrade.Bor-dershasthreechildrenandfivegrandchildren.ShelivesonLakeWhatcomandispassionateaboutherSeaDoo.
PresidentandCEOofNorthMeridianTitle&Escrow,LLC,Jim Blair,iscurrentlyservingasBIAW Second Vice PresidentandAssoci-ateAdvisoryCouncilChair.Blairisamodel
associateandhasbeenworkinginthebuildingindustryfor35years.BlairbecameamemberofNorthCentralHomeBuild-ersAssociation(NCHBA)in1995andhasbeenengagedinindustryleadershipeversince.
He’sservedonNCHBA’sBoardofDirectorsforfouryearsandwassecretaryin2009.HealsoservedasChairoftheGovernmentAffairsCommitteein2009,andhashadrolesonamyriadofothercommittees.Hewasrecog-nizedforhisdedicationtotheindustryin2008bybeingnamedNCHBAAssociateMemberoftheYear.
Asa38-yearArmyveteran,Bob Johnson knowsservice.Johnson,currentBIAW Trea-surer,hasbeenanactivememberofSkagit/
IslandCountiesBuildersAssociation(SICBA)andBIAWfornearly20years.HestartedamasonrybusinessinColoradoin1976,movedtoWhidbeyIslandin1982anddevelopedhisbusinessintoa
tile,remodelingandmasonrycompanywhereJohnsonworksasageneralcontractor.HehasservedonSICBA’sBoardofDirectorsfor15years,includingpresidenttwice,NationalDirectorandservingonavarietyoflocalandstatecommittees.JohnsonisamemberofBuiltGreen®andisaSIBPACTrustee.HeearnedSICBABuilderoftheYearin2005andBIAWAssociateAdvisoryCouncilAwardforSICBAin2007.Heisfocusedonmembershipandretentionin2012andworkingtowardcultivat-ingamorebusiness-friendlyWashington.BobJohnsonandhiswife,Tobie,liveonWhidbeyIslandandsuccessfullymanageWard-JohnsonMasonry&Tile.
Bob KagyhasbeenanassociatememberofBIAWfornearly25years.HejoinedOlympiaMasterBuilders(OMB)forthenetworkingop-portunities,andhasbeenanengagedmember,
currentlyservingasBIAW SecretaryandMembershipCommitteeChair.OwnerandPresidentofABCPrinting,Inc.,KagywasnamedBIAWAssociateoftheYearin2009.HehasservedOMBinevery
electedassociateofficeavailable—includedtwostintstotaling10yearsastreasurer,sixyearsontheWashingtonAffordableHousingCouncil(twotimesservingasChair),andalsoasatwo-timeMemberAtLarge.KagyearnedOMBAssociateoftheYearandtheNormPaulsenMemorialServiceAward.Kagyisalsofocusedonmembershipvalue,retentionandrecruitmentbyprovidinggreatservice,pro-gramsandenhancedpresenceinWashington’spoliticalculture.Kagyisanavidfishermanandtreefarmer.He’sbeenmarriedfor30yearsandhasfourchildren.
Patrick McBride, BIAW Immediate Past President,isanactivememberofboththeMasterBuildersofKingandSnohomishCountiesandtheCentralWashingtonHome
BuildingAssociation.OwnerofP.W.McBrideConstructionandGMSArchitecturalGroup,AIA,P.S.,McBridehasbeenbuildinghomesinthegreaterSeattleareaforover25yearsandspecializesinhigh-density
housingandmixed-usedevelopment.McBridehasbeenadedicatedBIAWmemberfor15years,servingonnumerouscommitteesandnotablyasBIAWTreasurerin2009,BoardofDirectormemberforMBAandNAHB.HeisaStatesmanSpikewithover600Spikecreditsandhasearnedanumberofawards,includingNAHB’sBestCustom“Built-Green”HomeoftheYear,AssociateoftheYearAwardfromtheMarketingandMerchandisingExcellenceawardsandBIAWBuilderoftheYearawardin2011.
14 BuildingInsight • mARch 2012
Features LocalAssociationPresident
triButeriCK grOSS • North Peninsula Building Association
LocalAssociationPresident
triButeSherrY SChWaB, Cgr, CaPS • MBA of King and Snohomish Counties
Sherry Schwab, CGR, CAPS, HCS ConstructionServicesCo., presidentof theMaster Builders of King and
Snohomish Counties (MBA), has demon-stratedhercommitmenttotheindustryinthelocal,stateandnationalarenasforover30years.Sherryandherhusband,Joe,found-edtheiraward-winningremodelingandin-surancereconstructionbusiness,HCSCon-struction Services Co., in 1979. Schwab’sindustry involvement beganmore than 15yearsago,andshe’sbeenmakinghermarkonthebuildinglandscapeeversince.
Serving on the executive boards ofMBA,BIAWandtheNationalAssociationof Home Builders (NAHB), Schwab’s in-dustry experience is significant. She’s re-ceivedmany awards, butmost significant-ly, Remodeler of the Year by MBA (’02and ’03), BIAW (’02) and NAHB (’10),NAHB’s CertifiedGraduate Remodeler of
theYear (’09) andwas in-ductedintoBIAW’sHallofFamein2011.
Schwab is also dedicat-ed to industry education.Holding a master’s degreein education, Schwab hastranslated those skills tobuilders, teachingCertified Graduate Remodeler (CGR) andCertifiedAginginPlaceSpecialist(CAPS)classes.ShehasalsoservedontheRemod-eler’s Council since 1993. Schwab is in-volved inher localcommunity, servingonseveralcommunityboardsandfoundationsoutsideofthebuildingindustry.
AsMBAPresident,Schwab’smaingoalsaretoincreasethevalueofassociationmem-bership,whileraisingawarenessofthatval-ueamongtheindustry.
Scholarship$$$BIAW is now accepting applications for 2012
BIAW Working for You
BIAW is proud to announce that the 2012 Mackenzie Cowell Memorial Scholarship application process is now open.
Created to offer education dollars to those students who choose the building industry as their life’s work, BIAW and its local associations have awarded thousands of dollars to hundreds of deserving students for more than 10 years.
Go to www.BIAW.com to download a scholarship application, or contact Amanda, at BIAW, at 800-228-4229.
Completed applications must be submitted by May 13, 2012.
Rick Gross, President of the North Peninsula Building Association(NPBA), started as a laborer 13
yearsagoandeventuallyworkedhiswaytoupperlevelmanagementatEstesBuilders,an award-winning company that special-izes in new single familycustom homes on individ-ually-ownedsites.
Gross has been serv-ing on NPBA’s Board ofDirectors since 2006 andas President, he’s dedicat-ed to serving the NPBA’smembershipandcontribut-ing to the industry at large. “I’m strivingto maintain membership at or above thecurrent level through increasing its value
andrecruitment,”Grosssaid.“Wearecon-tinuingtofocusonabalancedbudgetandon providing excellentmember benefits.”NamedAmerica’sBest Builder byBuild-er Magazine in 2009, Estes Builders hasbeenaffiliatedwithBIAWsince1993andhasreceivedtheNationalHousingQualityAwardtwotimesduringGross’stermthere(Silverin2005andGoldin2007)—adif-ficultindustryachievementofwhichGrossis proud. Estes was also named secondin the nation for customer satisfaction byNRSin2004.
Gross and his wife Kristina have twosons,LouisandRicky.Inraresparetime,Gross enjoysfishing and restoring classiccars.
mARch 2012 • BuildingInsight 15
Source:U.S. Census Bureau*Only counties reported are represented in state totals. For a complete listing of current and archived building permits, click on Online Resources at www.BIAW.com.
Total YTD Total YTD Single Multi- January TOTALS January TOTALS Family Family 2012 2012 2011 2011
BENTON 52 16 68 68 24 24 CHELAN 4 0 4 4 8 8 CLALLAM 4 0 4 4 7 7 CLARK 78 0 78 78 73 73 COLUMBIA 0 0 0 0 0 0 COWLITZ 6 0 6 6 5 5 DOUGLAS 6 0 6 6 7 7 FRANKLIN 43 6 49 49 25 25 GARFIELD 0 0 0 0 0 0 GR. HARBOR 0 0 0 0 5 5 ISLAND 9 0 9 9 9 9 JEFFERSON 6 0 6 6 4 4 KING 176 30 206 206 205 205 KITSAP 14 0 14 14 15 15 KITTITAS 3 0 3 3 7 7 LEWIS 1 0 1 1 5 5 MASON 4 0 4 4 10 10 OKANOGAN 7 0 7 7 0 0 PEND OREILLE 0 0 0 0 0 0 PIERCE 113 0 113 113 82 82 SAN JUAN 3 0 3 3 8 8 SKAGIT 12 0 12 12 23 23 SKAMANIA 0 0 0 0 4 4 SNOHOMISH 133 165 298 298 224 224 SPOKANE 30 0 30 30 22 22 STEVENS 0 0 0 0 0 0 THURSTON 21 0 21 21 56 56 WALLA WALLA 2 0 2 2 N/A N/A WHATCOM 11 0 11 11 11 11 WHITMAN 5 2 7 7 2 2 YAKIMA 7 0 7 7 12 12
WASHINGTON STATE* 750 219 969 969 853 853
January2012
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Golf TournamentWednesday, June 27 @ Noon
Upcoming events you don’t want to miss: Golf Tournament—Excellence In Remodeling Awards Ceremony—Spike Party. Kick off the BIAW Summer Board Meeting at the Red Lion Hotel, Pasco, with the Golf Tournament followed by the Excellence in Remodeling Awards ceremony. The next evening we will honor BIAW Spikes who have recruited new members throughout the year. Better yet, be a sponsor to one or more of these events and have your company’s name exposed to hundreds of movers and shakers in the building industry. Contact Brenda or Amanda for more information on these events or sponsorship opportunities at 800-228-4229.
Mark your calendar for these special events!Insights
skagit/Island counties builders Asso-
ciation member Patrick hayes, cgP,
was named bIAW 2011 top spike dur-
ing the bIAW Winter board Meeting
last month in olympia. A seasoned re-
cruiter, hayes signed up 41 new mem-
bers in 2011. congrats!
Spike PartyThursday, June 28 @ 6 pm
Excellence In Remodeling Awards Wednesday, June 27 @ 7 pmJoin your fellow BIAW members at the Excellence in Remodeling Awards Ceremony Wednesday evening. This annual event highlights the state’s best remodeling projects, showcasing quality craftsmanship in a variety of categories and price ranges. The event takes place in a ca-sual setting while the highlight of the evening is the awards slide show.
Kick off the Board Meeting with a nice relaxing round of golf at the Sun Willows Golf Course in Pasco. Enjoy a sunny afternoon with friends, fun and a little friendly competition. Fee includes golf,
cart, range balls, lunch and a tee gift. Prizes, too.
$95 individual$300 foursome
SPONSOrSBoiseCascade Great Floors
PhaseIIConstructionPuget Sound Energy
VerretDesigns+Buildings MBAPierceCo.RemodelersCouncil
Party like a Greek god at the an-cient Greek and Roman-themed Spike Party. Fun, food, drinks, games and prizes await Spikes and their guests as we honor those members who have recruited new members throughout the year.
SPONSOrSEPK&Associates
Pro-BuildPuget Sound Energy
